Ticks and Disease;

including

The Deer Tick and Lyme Disease

Welcome

I have designed this page to try and answer any and all questions one might have about Lyme Disease and the tick that causes Lyme Disease.

I have created this site for two main reasons. In all my years of tromping throught the woods, and other habitats of the Eastern United States, I have pulled off countless ticks that have imbedded themselves on me. Twice, I have had doctors look at the after effects of these bites.

The first doctor's visit resulted in treatment with tetracycaline because the wound may have had mouth parts left behind resulting in a sore at the location of the bite.

The second doctor's visit, in January of 1997, was due to the result of muscle pains and flu-like symptoms I had about three weeks after a tick bite while in the Everglades. This tick left a unique bulls-eye rash 10 minutes after being pulled from the bite. It was found that I had the flu and not a tick bourne disease (identification of the saved specimen revealed it was not a Deer Tick), but it could have easily been the signs of a tick disease, including Lyme disease.

I learned that Lyme disease tends to leave a characteristic bulls-eye mark at the bite, but a bulls-eye mark at a tick bite does not mean you have contracted Lyme disease.

I can not stress one important factor about ticks. Always save ticks that you pull off your body and save them in small jar of alcohol or in a small jar in the freezer. Lable and date the jars and where you found the tick on you and where you where when you think the tick may have climbed on to you. Mark these dates on your calendar. I am stressing this because if you come down with an unusual sickness about two to four weeks after a bite, it may be beneficial to you and your doctor to know when you were bit by a tick to aid in the diagnosis.

Lyme disease cases are on the rise every year. Lyme disease can be treated and its effects controled if caught early enough, but there is no cure for Lyme disease. If ignored and left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to serious medical injury or death; just as any tick borne disease can. As you can see below, lyme disease is on the rise and the number of cases increase every year.

What does the deer tick rash look like?

How to correctly remove an embedded tick.

One way to prevent ticks from getting a foothold on your skin is to tuck your pants into your socks like this:

Index of helpful publications, news stories, and pictures.

Click here to read a helpful publication about tickborn diseases and some tips on what to do if you have a tick embedded on your body.

Click here to see a picture library of ticks.

News story by AP on the increasing number of Lyme disease cases.

If you have any questions about ticks, their diseases and even other arthropod bites and diseases, please feel free to write to me and I'll respond as soon as possible.

Please note that submitted questions may be used on the following Q & A page. All names and e-mail addresses will be ommitted, but if you would like to contribute and be available for people to contact you, simply state that your permission is granted to use you name and e-mail address. Please do not let this discourage you from writing. I am doing this so people visiting this site can read letters of concern or comments from other people. Your comments and experiences are important.

Thanks.