During the springtime, the warmer weather defrosts the earth and begins the spring bloom season. Many insects, animals, and plants come out of their winter hibernation with the arrival of warmer spring weather. Ticks are a particularly common insect that emerges once the weather warms up. While ticks themselves are relatively harmless, they can transmit diseases to humans through a bite, making it important to recognize a tick bite so that you can seek medical care.
If you’re concerned that you’ve been bitten by a tick, AFC Urgent Care Lyndhurst in Lyndhurst, NJ is available to help. Our board-certified medical providers are trained to identify ticks and tick bites, as well as provide diagnostic testing to test for common tick-borne diseases.
What Does a Tick Bite Look Like?
Ticks are tiny black insects that can be as small as a pinhead. They live in grassy or wooded areas where they jump from plants onto their victim of choice. Ticks prefer to target animals like deer, however, they will bite humans if the opportunity arises. Although tick bites are usually painless, the danger lies in the fact that they can transfer diseases to us from animals.
In some cases, you may see the tick attached to your skin. However, in most cases, the tick will already have detached, which can make it difficult to confirm whether you were bitten by a tick or just another insect. A tell-tale sign of a tick bite is a red circle around the affected area, often called a bullseye rash.
Common Tick-Borne Diseases
Lyme disease is one of the most commonly known tick-borne illnesses. Lyme disease is carried by whitetail deer and is passed to humans through infected deer ticks. Lyme disease can cause chronic symptoms, including extreme fatigue and joint pain if not detected and effectively treated early on. However, there are other tick borne illnesses that pose a risk to human health that are less commonly discussed including:
- Lyme disease
- Ehrlichiosis
- Anaplasmosis
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- Babesiosis
When to Seek Medical Care for a Tick Bite
If you believe you have been bitten by a tick, it is critical that you seek urgent medical care. If the tick is still attached to your skin, you can remove it using tweezers. If the head of the tick is not fully removed, it can still transfer diseases, so if you’re not confident in your ability to remove the tick on your own, a medical professional will be able to assist. You should bring the tick with you when you seek care for a tick bite so that your medical provider can assess the risks that the tick poses to your health. If the tick is not attached, but you see the distinctive bullseye rash or believe you were bitten by a tick, you should seek medical care for diagnostic testing. A blood test will determine whether you contracted any infections from the tick bite so that you can receive the necessary treatment.
Walk Into AFC Lyndhurst for Same-Day Tick Bite Care
At AFC Urgent Care Lyndhurst, we are familiar with the risks that tick bites pose to the Lyndhurst, NJ community. Having access to immediate care for a tick bite is the best way to prevent the transmission of tick-borne illnesses. Our clinic offers rapid diagnostic testing services for tick bites on a walk-in basis. Our diagnostic testing is performed on-site at the time of your visit, making it convenient to receive rapid care for tick bites.
Our clinic is located in Lyndhurst, NJ and accepts walk-in patients from the surrounding areas 7 days a week. We maintain short wait times and accept most medical insurance plans. Simply walk into the clinic when it’s convenient for you for same-day tick bite related care! For more information about the services we offer at our walk-in clinic, contact us directly by calling (201) 345-3839.
