What is Tick Paralysis?

Dear Dr. Manny,
If a tick bites you, what happens? Are there many side effects for a tick bite? How do I kill a tick? If I find a tick on me, how do I get rid of it? Should I go see a doctor after I get bitten by a tick?

People who are bitten by ticks can develop tick paralysis. This is a disease that causes numbness and tingling throughout the body. It can make people weak. 

Fortunately, the treatment for this disease is very simple. Just remove the tick, and the symptoms go away after a couple of hours. The disease can be fatal, so you should get it treated quickly. Otherwise, it might affect your breathing, and cause your lungs to shut down. 

When you are bitten by a tick, and it hangs on to you for several days, the saliva releases a neurotoxin that interferes with your nervous system. 

If the tick has already fallen off, look for a red bump, which is where the bug bit. The redness is a reaction to the bite. 

Preventing tick bites is how one prevents tick paralysis. Avoid woodsy areas, grassy fields, and on hikes, stick to the middle of the trails. Wear bug spray and long pants. 

If you do end up with a tick, kill it. Remove the tick from your body with a pair of tweezers. Never use your hands so that you can be sure that you have removed the entire tick from your body. 

Or wrap the area where the tick is attached in tape. The tick will suffocate, die, and fall off your body. 

If you have been bitten by a tick, and you think you feel sick, get it checked out by your doctor.