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What To Know About Ticks And Tick Bites

Ticks can transmit multiple diseases that sicken humans, and deer ticks, which spread Lyme disease, are a day-to-day fact of life in the warm months in the Northeast and the Midwest.U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP

It's May, which for many Americans means that tick season is in full swing.

Knowing how to deal with these seasonal pests is important because their bites can lead to dangerous infections such as Lyme disease, according to the CDC. Additionally, a human case of a deadly, emerging tick-borne virus called the Powassan virus was confirmed in a Massachusetts town late last month.

Finding a tick in your home can be alarming whether it's on you, your pet or just crawling about — but don't panic. Keep in mind that a tick needs to bite to expose you or your pet to tick-borne illnesses, and most tick bites do not result in disease.

The key to dealing with ticks is knowing effective methods of preventing bites — and what to do if a tick bites you or your pet.

Watching for ticks:

Ticks are most active between April and September. During these months, you should take extra caution to prevent tick bites. Even so, you and your pets can pick up ticks outside year-round, even after the first frost.

Ticks live in grassy, brushy, and wooded areas. Ticks can often be found in leaf piles and tall grass. You can easily pick one up in your backyard or neighborhood.

Ticks look different depending on the species. Ticks can be black, brown, reddish or tan. They are arachnids, meaning they are born with eight legs. Most have a seed-shaped oval or circular body and a small head. They vary in size based on species and age and can be as small as the head of a pin.

How ticks bite:

Ticks enter the home on someone or something. Ticks can travel on clothing, gear, and pets, and may bite you or your pet after you've gone indoors. This is why checking your body, pets, clothes, and gear immediately after coming inside is important.

Ticks crawl to an ideal spot on the body for biting. Ticks often won't bite you as soon as they reach your skin. They prefer warm, moist areas of the body, such as the armpit, groin, or back of the knee, and will crawl to that spot before they attach.

Tick bites are often painless. You may not even feel a tick biting you. This is why it's important to check your entire body for ticks regardless of whether you think you may have been bitten.

Ticks feed on blood. Ticks bite animals to feed on their blood. They become engorged and easier to spot the longer they feed.

Ticks can attach for up to two weeks. Ticks attach themselves to an animal's skin through their bite. Typically, they will detach after a few days, but they can stick around for longer.

How ticks spread disease:

A tick must bite to spread disease. A tick merely crawling on you or your pet is not enough to cause an infection. Ticks expose other animals to germs through their bites.

The longer the tick is attached, the greater the risk of disease. Tick-borne diseases can take shorter or longer to spread depending on the illness and the tick species. Your risk for Lyme disease, for instance, is very low if a tick has been attached to you for less than a day.

Ticks spread many dangerous diseases, but most can be treated with antibiotics. Tick bites can result in serious illness, but most do not. If you think you may have contracted a tick-borne disease, contact your doctor immediately.

How to prevent tick bites before going outside:

Know where to expect ticks. Take precautions before you or your pet spends time outside, especially if the area you will be in is wooded or has tall grass.

Treat clothing and gear with insecticide. Products containing 0.5% permethrin can be used to treat shoes, clothing, and camping gear and will remain protective through several washings.

Use insect repellant. Products containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone should be effective at repelling ticks. Be sure to use the product as directed. You can find a list of EPA-registered insect repellants here.

Give your pets tick preventatives. Any pets that regularly go outside should be given tick preventatives. Consult your veterinarian about the best product for your pet.

How to prevent tick bites after coming inside:

Check your body for ticks. Look over your entire body, especially areas ticks like to bite, such as your underarms, ears, belly button, hair, legs, and waist. Feel for bumps and irritated spots on your skin where a tick may have attached.

Check your pets for ticks. Scan your pet for ticks by running your fingers slowly over its entire body. If you feel a bump or swollen area, check to see if a tick has burrowed there. Be sure to check your pet's toes, legs, ears, face, chin and neck.

Check your clothing and gear for ticks. Look over gear and clothing thoroughly, making sure to check all folds and insides of garments. Tumble-drying clothing on high heat for 10 minutes should kill any ticks you miss.

What to do if a tick bites you or your pet:

Remove the tick as quickly as possible. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible, then pull straight up with steady, even pressure. Try not to twist or jerk the tick, as any part of the tick's body left behind can cause infection.

Clean the bite area. Use rubbing alcohol or soap and water on your skin to clean the wound thoroughly.

Dispose of the tick. Flushing a tick down the toilet is the most effective way to rid your home of a tick. Ticks have thick outer shells and are not as easily squished as other bugs, so bear in mind that a tick may still be alive when thrown in the trash.

Monitor the bite area. Keep an eye on the part of the skin where you or your pet were bitten to see if it becomes infected over the next week. If the skin remains irritated, red, or swollen, make an appointment with your doctor or veterinarian.

Watch for symptoms. For the next 30 days, monitor yourself or your pet for symptoms of illness such as rash, fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint swelling and pain, swollen lymph nodes, loss of appetite, and neurological problems.

For more information on ticks and tick-borne illness visit cdc.Gov and humanesociety.Org.

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What Does A Tick Bite Look Like?

What do tick bites look like? There's a good chance you will not even know a tick has bitten you unless you find one still attached to your skin. Tick bites on humans are nearly invisible, unlike mosquito bites, which often cause a reaction right away.

You probably will not start paying attention to a tick bite unless you develop an infection or allergic reaction. Tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), for example, cause a distinct circular rash and flu-like symptoms.

Your first thought may be about the harmful infections ticks can transmit if you are in an area where they are common. Ticks need to stay attached to the skin for quite some time to transmit illness-causing bacteria. Read on to learn what a tick bite looks like, including tick bite pictures, treatments, and more.

Anakopa / Getty Images

There are over 800 types of ticks, which are parasites that range in color and size. Ticks can be reddish-brown or dark brown and so small that you cannot see them. These parasites, which are similar to insects, have eight legs. You might get a tick on you if you walk through grassy fields or wooded areas. A tick will attach to your clothing and then move to a moist, warm body part like the armpits, groin, or hair. The parasite bites into your skin to draw blood. Most tick bites are not harmful, but some can transmit disease-causing bacteria. Localized skin infections are not the only complications these bites can cause. Ticks can transmit dangerous bacteria that cause Lyme disease, RMSF, and other diseases like southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI). The bite itself will not look any different from other tick bites if a tick bites you and transmits one of those diseases. The resulting infection may show up as a rash on your skin. Lyme disease causes a red rash, or erythema migrans (EM), which shows up as a bull's-eye ring pattern. The rash typically grows over time and feels warm to the touch. Lyme disease tick bite. Source: anakopa/Getty Images RMSF, one of the deadliest tick-borne diseases, causes a rash with small red patches dotting the skin. The rash is typically not itchy. It usually begins two to four days after a tick bite and consists of flat, pink spots that usually start on the hands, arms, feet, and legs. There are between 4,000 and 6,000 cases of spotted fever each year, including RMSF and others. The highest rates occur during the summer months. However, if you live in a warmer climate, you can still get bitten by ticks in the spring and fall or at any time of the year. Rocky Mountain spotted fever rash. Source: Mayo Clinic  The rash from a lone star tick bite, which can cause STARI, can present similarly to Lyme disease. The bull's-eye rash typically develops within seven days after a tick bite and can grow up to three inches or larger. Tick Bites vs. Other Insect Bite Stings It can be hard to tell the difference between tick bites and other insect bites and stings. The main difference is that mosquito bites and other insect bites typically cause an immediate reaction. The saliva of many biting insects contains a protein that causes itching, redness, and swelling. Tick saliva, in contrast, contains immunosuppressants. You will usually not notice that a tick has bitten you unless you spot it on your skin or later develop a reaction. A tick bite rash usually develops within a few days but can take up to two weeks. Symptoms of Tick-Borne Diseases Tick-borne diseases usually cause flu-like symptoms in addition to a rash. These include: Fever Headache Muscle or joint aches Stiff neck Swollen lymph nodes Weakness It's possible to have the tick tested for diseases. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not recommend this practice for several reasons. There are no high standards of quality for labs that test ticks. It also does not mean you were infected if the tick tests positive. A negative test, in contrast, does not mean you were not infected and can create false assurance. The CDC says you'll probably have symptoms before you even have the tick's test results back if you acquire a tick-borne illness disease. Watch out for symptoms like a rash, fever, and muscle aches and pains. How To Remove a Tick You have probably caught a tick in the act if you see one on your body, and it does not brush off easily. It's important to remove a tick the right way with a set of tweezers. The CDC advises using fine-tipped tweezers to perform the job. You can also use a tool made specifically to remove ticks. Pull gently and then straight up. A sudden, violent pull or twisting of the tweezers could dislodge the tick's head, which could then stay in your skin. Do not try extreme removal procedures, such as smothering the tick with petroleum jelly or burning it off. The CDC recommends cleaning the site of the tick bite. Use rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Dispose of the tick by flushing it down the toilet, placing it into a sealed container or plastic bag, or wrapping it in tape. Do not try to crush the tick with your fingers. Treatment The CDC does not advise antibiotics to prevent tick-borne diseases after a tick bite. It's important to remove the tick as soon as you spot it and then watch for symptoms for at least 30 days. Contact a healthcare provider right away if you develop a rash or have flu-like symptoms. A healthcare provider will prescribe antibiotics to treat Lyme disease and RMSF. The sooner you start treatment, the more likely you are to make a full recovery. It's unclear whether antibiotics treat STARI. A healthcare provider will likely prescribe antibiotics since the disease resembles early Lyme disease. Keep an eye out for a circular rash for at least 30 days after a tick bite. Contact a healthcare provider right away if you develop a rash or have flu-like symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment increase your chances of a full recovery. Tick-borne diseases can lead to complications if untreated. Complications include: Heart, kidney, or lung failure Memory problems Meningitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membranes) Nerve damage Numbness, pain, or paralysis Shock Sleep disorders Trouble concentrating Vision problems Tick bites can happen year-round but are most common from April to September when the weather is warm. People who live in brushy, grassy, or wooded areas are most likely to come into contact with ticks. Tick bites can be scary, but you can prevent them with a little planning. Ways to prevent tick bites include: Avoiding brushy, grassy, or wooded areas, especially when it's warm outside Checking your children and pets for ticks Taking off and checking your clothing for ticks after being outside Treating your clothing and other items (e.G., backpack) with products that contain 0.5% permethrin Using an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved insect repellent that contains picaridin or DEET Washing your clothing in hot water Wearing light-colored clothing and tucking your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants You likely will not notice a tick bite unless you find the tick attached to your skin or develop a tick-borne disease. Symptoms usually include a distinct, circular rash and flu-like symptoms. It's important to contact a healthcare provider right away if you develop these symptoms. The earlier you treat a tick-borne disease, the likelier you are to make a full recovery.

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Millionaires Don't Use To-Do Lists

Do you really think Richard Branson and Bill Gates write a long to-do list and prioritize items as A1, A2, B1, B2, B3, C1 and on and on?

(GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

In my research into time management and productivity, I've interviewed over 200 billionaires, Olympians, straight-A students and entrepreneurs. I always ask them to give me their best time management and productivity advice. And none of them have ever mentioned a to-do list.

There are three big problems with to-do lists.

First, a to-do list doesn't account for time. When we have a long list of tasks, we tend to tackle those that can be completed quickly in a few minutes, leaving the longer items left undone. Research from the company iDoneThis indicates that 41% of all to-do list items are never completed!

Second, a to-do list doesn't distinguish between urgent and important. Once again, our impulse is to fight the urgent and ignore the important. (Are you overdue for your next colonoscopy or mammogram?)

Third, to-do lists contribute to stress. In what's known in psychology as the Zeigarnik effect, unfinished tasks contribute to intrusive, uncontrolled thoughts. It's no wonder we feel so overwhelmed in the day, but fight insomnia at night.

In all my research, there is one consistent theme that keeps coming up.

Shannon Miller won seven Olympic medals as a member of the 1992 and 1996 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team, and today she is a busy entrepreneur and author of the new book, It's Not About Perfect. In a recent interview she told me:

During training, I balanced family time, chores, schoolwork, Olympic training, appearances, and other obligations by outlining a very specific schedule. I was forced to prioritize…To this day, I keep a schedule that is almost minute by minute.

Also on Forbes:

Dave Kerpen is the cofounder of two successful startups and a New York Times bestselling author. When I asked him to reveal his secrets for getting things done he replied:

If it's not in my calendar, it won't get done. But if it is in my calendar, it will get done. I schedule out every 15 minutes of every day to conduct meetings, review materials, write, and do any activities I need to get done. And while I take meetings with just about anyone who wants to meet with me, I reserve just one hour a week for these "office hours."

Chris Ducker successfully juggles multiple roles as an entrepreneur, bestselling author and host of The New Business Podcast. What did he tell me his secret was?

I simply put everything on my schedule. That's it. Everything I do on a day-to-day basis gets put on my schedule. 30-minutes of social media–on the schedule. 45-minutes of email management–on the schedule. Catching up with my virtual team–on the schedule…Bottom line, if it doesn't get scheduled it doesn't get done.

There are several key concepts to managing your life using your calendar instead of a to-do list.

First, make the default event duration in your calendar only 15 minutes. If you use Google Calendar or the calendar in Outlook it's likely that when you add an event to your calendar it automatically schedules it for 30 or even 60 minutes in length. Ultra-productive people only spend as much time as is necessary for each task. Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer, is notorious for conducting meetings with colleagues in as little as 5 minutes. When your default setting is 15 minutes, you'll automatically discover that you can fit more tasks into each day.

Second, time-block the most important things in your life, first. Don't let your calendar fill up randomly by accepting every request that comes your way. You should first get clear on your life and career priorities and pre-schedule sacred time-blocks for these items. That might include two hours each morning to work on the strategic plan your boss asked you for. But your calendar should also include time blocks for things like exercise, date night or other items that align with your core life values.

Third, schedule everything. Instead of checking email every few minutes, schedule three times a day to process it. Instead of writing "Call back my sister" on your to-do list, go ahead and put it on your calendar or, even better, establish a recurring time block each afternoon to "return phone calls."

That which is scheduled actually gets done.

How much less stress would you feel, and more productive would you be, if you could rip up your to-do list and work from your calendar instead?

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What's your time management personality? Take the Time Management Style Assessment to improve your productivity.

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Gallery: 10 Easy Ways To Be More Productive At Work

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