You just spent the day outside hiking, grilling or tending to your yard 맥스카지노� but now you have a nasty, red, scratchy, bumpy bite on your arm. Could it be a tick bite? Unfortunately, figuring out the source of your bug bite can be tricky, especially because mosquitoes, spiders and fleas also come out when warmer weather hits 맥스카지노� not to mention, bedbugs and other critters that may wind up in your home. 맥스카지노�Tick and other insect bites can look similar,맥스카지노� said Dr. Griffin Dill, coordinator of the Cooperative Extension: Tick Lab at The University of Maine. 맥스카지노�Without finding a tick attached and feeding, it맥스카지노�s hard to differentiate one bite site from another.맥스카지노� But treating and preventing these bites can help keep nasty tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease out of your future 맥스카지노� so knowing how to identify a bite is crucial. Here are the signs and symptoms to watch out for, plus tick bite pictures to refer to when you suspect the blood-sucking critter has made its way onto your skin.What does a tick bite look like, exactly?The signs of a tick bite actually vary from person to person, since everyone맥스카지노�s immune system reacts differently to them, explains Dr. Thomas Mather, director of the University of Rhode Island맥스카지노�s Center for Vector-Borne Disease and Tick Encounter Resource Center. While someone may have a small, red bump after the tick detaches, others may develop an area of redness and itchiness. Your best bet is to find the tick while it맥스카지노�s still on your skin. 맥스카지노�Ticks are designed to linger when they attach and bite,맥스카지노� said Mather. The mouth of a tick contains a bunch of backward-pointing barbs that they use to stay put, meaning they are 맥스카지노�designed to lock and load,맥스카지노� as Mather put it. The biters also secrete a cement-like substance around their mouths to keep them stuck even if they were to be, say, absentmindedly scratched. Depending on where the tick is in its life cycle 맥스카지노� larva (baby, six legs), nymph (eight legs) or adult stage (full-sized) 맥스카지노� it can stick around anywhere from three to six days, Mather says. The longer they맥스카지노�re feeding, the bigger they get 맥스카지노� and the greater the risk of transmitting disease. If you맥스카지노�ve been previously bitten, there맥스카지노�s a greater chance you will have an allergic reaction to the tick saliva within 20 to 40 hours of the bite, says Mather. After a bite, the area may appear as a small red spot that doesn맥스카지노�t expand to be larger than a dime. However, more severe reactions can occur, and rashes can develop. Because tick bite signs vary wildly and can mimic the appearance of other insects, even tick experts can맥스카지노�t always tell one red mark from another. Where do ticks bite?You can find a tick bite anywhere. 맥스카지노�Although they can and do attach to any part of the body, there are certain body parts they more commonly move toward, like the hairline, or in tucked-away places, like the armpits, groin and behind knees,맥스카지노� said Dill. Are tick bites itchy? Do they hurt?Generally, tick bites do not hurt. You might feel a bite 맥스카지노� but you may have no idea when it happens, either. Both are possible. 맥스카지노�Early in the process of biting, ticks inject a pain mediator via their saliva,맥스카지노� said Mather. Because it맥스카지노�s more likely that subsequent bites will elicit a reaction, the first bite can often go unnoticed, he says. However, many people do find them itchy. If you continue to itch at a certain spot on your body, Mather encourages you to take a look to see what you맥스카지노�re scratching at, since it맥스카지노�s one common way people find ticks.Does a tick bite always cause a rash?You맥스카지노�ve probably heard of the classic 맥스카지노�bullseye맥스카지노� rash, which is one of the most distinct symptoms of Lyme disease. This circular rash is dark in the center and expands outward, like a bullseye, appearing about a week after the bite on any part of the body. It doesn맥스카지노�t always look like that, though. You may have a crusty spot with a splotch of redness around it that gets bigger, bluish rashes or a red, oval plaque, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The catch is, this rash only appears 70 to 80% of the time, says the CDC. Remember that not all ticks carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease; there are other types of rashes associated with other tick-borne illnesses. For instance, Rocky Mountain spotted fever can cause a red, speckled rash that appears first on wrists and ankles.It맥스카지노�s also important to keep in mind that rashes can be tough to distinguish from one another. The CDC has a whole page on rashes that resemble the bullseye associated with Lyme, but aren맥스카지노�t. These include large, itchy rashes, the ringworm fungus and hives. If you맥스카지노�re concerned about any rash or worried you may have been bitten by a tick (or know you have), call your doctor. In certain circumstances, doctors can prescribe a course of preventative antibiotics if Lyme disease is suspected or you live in a state with a high risk of Lyme.How to treat a tick bite First, don맥스카지노�t panic. If you find one attached to your skin, remove the tick as quickly as possible using a set of fine-tipped tweezers. Grab the tick as closely to the surface of your skin as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure. If mouth-parts are left in the skin, try your best to remove them, but if not, just let your skin heal normally, says the CDC. Then, make sure to clean the bite area with soap and water or alcohol. Dispose of the tick in a sealed bag or container wrapped up tightly in tape, or by flushing it down the toilet, says the CDC. Never crush it with your fingers, and of course, in the weeks to follow, you should keep an eye out for any lingering symptoms, like a rash. See your doctor if you experience flu-like symptoms, such as achy muscles, fever, swollen lymph nodes other unusual reactions that don맥스카지노�t feel normal.Ticks can be tiny (sometimes no bigger than a poppy seed!) and easily missed, so it맥스카지노�s important to do thorough body check after you맥스카지노�ve spent time outdoors. Be sure to look carefully under your arms, around your ears, inside your belly button, behind your knees, between your legs and in your hair. 맥스카지노�Checking yourself, kids and pets can go a long way in minimizing contact with these critters,맥스카지노� said Dill. And as always, stock up on the best tick repellents before your next outdoor adventure.