When to See a doctor in case of Tick bite .
If you've been bitten by a tick and have symptoms
Only a minority of tick bites leads to Lyme disease. The longer the tick remains attached to your skin, the greater your risk of getting the disease.
If you think you've been bitten and have signs and symptoms of Lyme disease — particularly if you live in an area where Lyme disease is prevalent — contact your doctor. Treatment for Lyme disease is more effective if begun early.
See your doctor even if symptoms disappear.
Consult your doctor even if signs and symptoms disappear — the absence of symptoms doesn't mean the disease is gone. Untreated, Lyme disease can spread to other parts of your body for several months to years after infection, causing arthritis and nervous system problems. Ticks can also transmit other illnesses, such as babesiosis and Colorado tick fever.
Early signs and symptoms of Lyme
A small, red bump, similar to the bump of a mosquito bite, often appears at the site of a tick bite or tick removal and resolves over a few days. This normal occurrence doesn't indicate Lyme disease.
However, these signs and symptoms can occur within a month after you've been infected:
Rash. From three to 30 days after an infected tick bite, an expanding red area might appear that sometimes clears in the center, forming a bull's-eye pattern. The rash (erythema migrans) expands slowly over days and can spread to 12 inches (30 centimeters) across. It's typically not itchy or painful but might feel warm to the touch.
Erythema migrans is one of the hallmarks of Lyme disease, although not everyone with Lyme disease develops the rash. Some people develop this rash at more than one place on their bodies.
Other symptoms.
Fever, chills, fatigue, body aches, headache, neck stiffness and swollen lymph nodes can accompany the rash.
Later signs and symptoms
If untreated, new signs and symptoms of Lyme infection might appear in the following weeks to months.
These include:
Erythema migrans. The rash may appear on other areas of your body.
Joint pain. Bouts of severe joint pain and swelling are especially
likely to affect your knees, but the pain can shift from one joint to
another.
Neurological problems. Weeks, months or even years after
infection, you might develop inflammation of the membranes surrounding
your brain (meningitis), temporary paralysis of one side of your face
(Bell's palsy), numbness or weakness in your limbs, and impaired muscle
movement.
Less common signs and symptoms
Several weeks after infection, some people develop:
Heart problems, such as an irregular heartbeat
Eye inflammation
Liver inflammation (hepatitis)
Severe fatigue
