After a day of playing outside in the park, I found a small tick bite on my child’s leg and another tick crawling on her clothing. I’ve removed both ticks but am wondering if she’s now at risk for developing Lyme disease. What symptoms should I look for, and how can I prevent tick bites in the future?
Spending time in any area with tall grass can put your child in proximity to Lyme disease-carrying ticks. Lyme disease is an infectious disease that is passed from tick to human via a bite. The telltale sign of Lyme disease from a tick bite is a bull’s-eye mark developing at the site, which will appear after several days, so continue monitoring the site if your child is bitten. Other early symptoms include flu-like aches, pains, and fever.
If left untreated, more serious symptoms can develop. The long-term effects of neglected Lyme disease could include severe joint pain, chronic fatigue, irregular heartbeat, and neurological problems including meningitis, Bell’s palsy, or impaired muscle movement.
Most tick bites do not carry the Lyme disease-causing bacteria, but taking precautions against bites is a good idea. Before your child spends time outside in high grass, there are some preventive measures you can take to avoid tick bites.
The simplest way to repel ticks is with skin-protecting clothing like long sleeves and pants. In the hot summer months, you can protect your child’s skin by applying insect repellant that contains at least 20 percent of the ingredient DEET (diethyltoluamide). Spraying children’s clothing with an insect repellent containing permethrin will actually kill ticks upon contact — but be sure that the repellant is dry on the clothes before they put them on. Some garments that are pre-treated with permethrin are available at outdoor sport retailers.
It’s great that you removed the embedded tick from your daughter’s skin right away, as this reduces the likelihood of transmitting disease. The tick should be extracted carefully and entirely, taking care that its head is removed from the skin. This is most efficiently managed by grasping the tick close to the head with fine-tipped tweezers and pulling steadily upward. Once the tick is removed, immediately clean your hands and the bite area with either soap and water or rubbing alcohol.
Because of their hard exoskeleton, ticks can’t be crushed, and caution must be exercised when disposing of a live one. If possible, put the tick in a container and place it in your freezer.
Should symptoms of Lyme disease develop, or if you are unable to remove the tick completely, visit your child’s doctor. If you have been able to save it, bring the container with the frozen tick, as your child’s doctor may want to test it for Lyme disease.
Antibiotics are the usual course of treatment for Lyme disease, but as with most health conditions, treatment is most effective when the disease is caught early.
The risk of a tick bite should not hold your daughter back from summer fun outdoors. With the proper prevention and a routine of checking for ticks and tick bites, Lyme disease can often be prevented or, if necessary, treated successfully.
