While most ticks do not carry diseases, some ticks can cause:

• Colorado tick fever
• Lyme disease
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Tularemia

Watch for the symptoms of these diseases in the weeks following a tick bite:

• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle or joint aches
• Other flu-like symptoms
• Stiff neck
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Weakness

Watch for a red spot or rash starting at the location of the bite.

The tick itself can cause paralysis in humans (called tick paralysis). Symptoms include:

• Incoordination
• Numbness
• Spreading paralysis
• Tingling
• Weakness

Images

Deer and dog tick

Lyme disease

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Tick removal Overview

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Tick removal Treatment

Review Date: 01/02/2011
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)