A single dose of the antibiotic doxycycline may be given to someone soon after being bitten by a tick, when all of these conditions are true: The person has a tick that can carry Lyme disease attached to his or her body. This usually means that a nurse or doctor has looked at and identified the tick. The tick is thought to have been attached to the person for at least 36 hours. The person is able to start taking the antibiotic within 72 hours of removing the tick.
The person is 8 years or older and is not pregnant or breastfeeding. A day to 4-week course of antibiotics is used to treat people who are diagnosed with Lyme disease, depending on the choice of drug: The choice of antibiotic depends on the stage of the disease and the symptoms.
Common choices include doxycycline, amoxicillin, azithromycin, cefuroxime, and ceftriaxone. Outlook Prognosis. Possible Complications.
Brain and nervous system problems are also possible, and may include: Decreased concentration Memory disorders Nerve damage Numbness Pain Paralysis of the face muscles Sleep disorders Vision problems. When to Contact a Medical Professional. Call your provider if you have: A large, red, expanding rash that may look like a bull's eye.
Had a tick bite and develop weakness, numbness, tingling, or heart problems. Symptoms of Lyme disease, especially if you may have been exposed to ticks. If you do walk or hike in these areas, take measures to prevent tick bites: Wear light-colored clothing so that if ticks land on you, they can be spotted and removed.
Wear long sleeves and long pants with pant legs tucked into your socks. Spray exposed skin and your clothing with insect repellant , such as DEET or permethrin.
Follow instructions on the container. After returning home, remove your clothes and thoroughly inspect all skin surface areas, including your scalp. Shower as soon as possible to wash off any unseen ticks. If a tick is attached to you, follow these steps to remove it : Grasp the tick close to its head or mouth with tweezers.
DO NOT use your bare fingers. If needed, use a tissue or paper towel. Pull it straight out with a slow and steady motion. Avoid squeezing or crushing the tick. Be careful not to leave the head embedded in the skin. Clean the area thoroughly with soap and water. Also wash your hands thoroughly. Save the tick in a jar.
Watch carefully for the next week or two for signs of Lyme disease. If all parts of the tick cannot be removed, get medical help. Bring the tick in the jar to your doctor. Alternative Names. Patient Instructions. Lyme disease - what to ask your doctor.
Lyme disease organism - Borrelia burgdorferi Tick - deer engorged on the skin Lyme disease - Borrelia burgdorferi organism Tick, deer - adult female Lyme disease Lyme disease - erythema migrans Tertiary lyme disease.
Treatment for early Lyme disease is antibiotics taken by mouth for 10—14 days. Someone with late Lyme disease needs antibiotics for a longer period, either taken by mouth or through an IV intravenous line. Post-Lyme disease syndrome also known as chronic Lyme disease is when someone with Lyme disease still has symptoms after treatment with antibiotics. The symptoms are most likely caused by an autoimmune response.
This is when the body's germ-fighting immune system attacks the body's own cells. Most people with post-Lyme disease syndrome usually get better with time, but it can take months to feel well again.
Not all cases of Lyme disease can be prevented. But you can help protect your family from tick bites. If you go into an area where ticks live, be sure to:. If your child is diagnosed with Lyme disease, give the antibiotics exactly as the doctor directs. And because people can get Lyme disease more than once:. Reviewed by: Amy W. Anzilotti, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Lyme Disease? Treatment with antibiotics usually cures Lyme disease, especially when started early.
And most people bitten by one of these ticks don't usually get Lyme disease because: Only a small number of these ticks are infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. An infected tick must be attached for at least 1—2 days to pass the bacteria. The symptoms of Lyme disease vary from person to person, but often happen in three stages: Two Early Stages 1.
However general symptoms from tick bites include:. Mark Schmiedl. Symptoms from tick bites with tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease include:. If you see a tick crawling on your skin, and if it bites you, the best thing to do is get rid of it safely.
Use a pair of tweezers to clench the tick as close to your skin as possible. Pull up with the tweezers using gentle yet steady pressure. After removing the entire tick, use rubbing alcohol or soap and water to clean the tick bite. Some people attempt to get the tick to come out on its own, rather than remove the tick with tweezers.
I do not recommend these strategies. The quicker your can safely remove the entire tick, rather than waiting for it to come out on its own, the lower your odds of contracting a tick-borne illness such as Lyme disease. If you have trouble removing the tick, or you experience tick bite symptoms such as a rash, fever, or other health problems, schedule an appointment with your doctor or visit Firelands QuickCare.
Just take extra precautions to avoid tick bites and keep a closer watch for tick bite symptoms this summer.
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