Quick answer: Remove an attached tick right away with fine-tipped tweezers, pulling straight up with steady pressure, then clean the area. Watch for 30 days for fever, chills, body aches, fatigue or an expanding red rash, which can be signs of Lyme disease or another tick-borne illness. See urgent care if you develop symptoms, can’t remove the tick, or the bite looks infected. Lyme disease cases have been rising in Virginia, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

Ticks are active in Virginia for most of the year, especially spring through fall. Hiking trails, parks, lakes, yards and farmland in Northern Virginia and Caroline County are all common places to pick one up.

New to PACS? Start with our complete guide to urgent care in Alexandria, VA.

How to remove a tick

  1. Grab the tick as close to the skin as possible with fine-tipped tweezers
  2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk.
  3. Clean the bite and your hands with soap and water or rubbing alcohol
  4. Save the tick in a sealed bag or container in case you get sick

Don’t use petroleum jelly, nail polish or heat to make the tick detach.

Symptoms to watch for

  • An expanding red rash, sometimes with a bull’s-eye pattern
  • Fever, chills or headache
  • Fatigue and muscle or joint aches
  • Later: facial drooping, joint swelling or heart palpitations

Not everyone with Lyme disease gets the rash. In Virginia, black-legged (deer) ticks spread Lyme disease, and other ticks can spread illnesses like ehrlichiosis and spotted fever rickettsiosis.

When to get care

  • You develop a rash or flu-like symptoms within a month of a bite
  • You can’t remove the tick, or part of it stays in the skin
  • The bite area is red, swollen, warm or draining
  • A deer tick was attached for a long time. Ask whether preventive antibiotics make sense.

Urgent care can examine the bite, treat infections and start antibiotics when appropriate. See rashes and bites, or visit PACS Ruther Glen or PACS Alexandria.

Prevention

  • Use EPA-registered repellent with DEET or oil of lemon eucalyptus
  • Treat clothing with permethrin
  • Stay on trails and avoid tall grass and brush
  • Check yourself, kids and pets after time outside

Frequently asked questions

Should I get tested for Lyme right after a bite?

No. Blood tests often aren’t positive in the first few weeks. Watch for symptoms instead.

Where can I learn more?

See the Virginia Department of Health.

Get care today at PACS Urgent Care

PACS Urgent Care – Alexandria
3481 N Beauregard St, Alexandria, VA 22302
Open 7 days a week, 8 AM – 8 PM · Walk-ins welcome
Call (571) 656-8838 · Get directions · New patient guide

This article is for general information and isn’t a substitute for medical advice. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, call 911.