Because tick bites aren't painful, most people don't notice when they've been bitten. As such, it's important to watch carefully for signs and symptoms of bites when you've been in a habitat friendly to ticks. Deer ticks are carriers of Lyme disease, which if untreated can cause severe health problems. Often symptoms won't present themselves until several days or weeks after a bite.
Flu-like Symptoms
One symptom of a tick bite can be aching muscles, fatigue, nausea or joint pain. Because this often looks like a case of the flu, you need to be aware and inform your doctor that you were exposed to a tick bite or to an environment where you may have been bitten by a tick.
Numbness or Loss of Feeling
Ticks release a neurotoxin in their bite that acts as a local anesthetic preventing the bite victim from detecting their presence. In some individuals this toxin can react with their body chemistry to cause paralysis or muscle weakness. Once the tick is removed the toxin soon wears off and normal function returns.
Rash
Occasionally a tick bite victim will notice a rash around the bite area. Seek medical attention if the rash grows daily or is combined with other symptoms.
Confusion and Palpitations
If a tick bite victim shows signs of confusion or suffers from heart palpitations even days or weeks after suffering a tick bite, seek medical attention immediately. These are symptoms of Lyme disease, which often takes several weeks after a bite to develop.
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