What Are the Skin Symptoms After a Tick Bite?

After being bitten by a tick, symptoms such as itching, erythema, skin lesions, and pustules may appear on the skin. This condition is known as insect bite dermatitis, which is a very common skin disease in our daily lives. This disease is more prone to occur in infants and young children. Timely treatment is necessary after being infected to prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases and protect skin health.

1. Typical Symptoms: After being bitten by a tick, the affected skin will develop irritating erythema with a pustule in the center that is as big as a needlepoint. As the condition progresses, the irritating erythema will gradually fade, followed by more severe skin lesions. The number of skin lesions is variable, typically around 10, and they often appear in clusters. If the pustules are not treated promptly, bloody blisters may develop on the tips of the pustules. Scratching the blisters can lead to skin ulceration, blood scabs, and subsequent thickening and hyperplasia of the local skin.

2. Other Symptoms: In this condition, patients often experience severe itching, which typically worsens at night. The intense itching can prevent patients from sleeping. Some patients may also develop symptoms such as fever and skin edema.

3. Complications: Untreated tick bites can lead to complications such as septicemia, eczema, lichenification of the skin, fungal vaginitis, Bartholin's gland inflammation, and others. If the condition persists and does not improve, it can develop into prurigo, where the patient experiences recurrent and uncontrollable itching.