Tick Bites and Your Health: What Every New Hampshire Resident Should Know
As fall hiking season approaches, it's important to take preventative measures to reduce your risk of tick bites and illnesses like Lyme disease. New Hampshire is in one of the highest-risk regions in the country for tick-borne illness, largely because of its dense woodlands and high deer population. With areas of the Granite State creating ideal conditions for deer ticks to thrive, a little knowledge goes a long way toward keeping you and your family safe.
Understanding Tick Risk
A tick is a small arachnid that survives by feeding on the blood of animals and humans. Because ticks gravitate toward wooded areas, tall grasses and brush, you can expect to find them on hiking trails, stone walls, woodpiles and shaded, moist ground.
In New Hampshire and the greater New England region, tick season runs from roughly April through November. Tiny nymph-stage ticks are most active from May through July, while adult ticks are active in the spring and again from September through November. They can even be found on warmer winter days, so some caution is warranted year-round.
Not all tick bites result in illness, but some ticks carry disease-causing pathogens that can be transmitted to their hosts during feeding. The most common illnesses associated with tick bites include:
Lyme Disease: A bacterial infection transmitted to humans through the bite of a blacklegged (deer) tick carrying the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: A potentially serious bacterial infection caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, most commonly transmitted by the American dog tick, wood tick, or brown dog tick.
Alpha-gal Syndrome: A food allergy triggered by Lone Star tick bites that causes a reaction to molecules found in red meat and other mammalian products. While AGS is still primarily a southeastern/south-central U.S. condition, the range is expanding northward to the New England region.
Anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and ehrlichiosis: Each of these tick-borne illnesses has unique symptoms but can be effectively treated when caught early.
Preventing Tick Bites
Prevention is by far your best defense against tick-borne illness. If you're spending time in outdoor areas where ticks may be prevalent:
Use an EPA-registered insect repellent. Products containing DEET or picaridin are effective on exposed skin. For extra protection, treat clothing, shoes, and gear with permethrin.
Dress smart. Wear long sleeves and pants, tuck pants into socks, and choose light-colored clothing so ticks are easier to spot.
Stick to trails. Avoid brushing against tall grass and leaves when hiking or exploring outdoors.
Do a full-body tick check. Immediately after outdoor exposure, check you and your companions’ bodies for ticks. Pay special attention to your scalp, ears, underarms, groin and behind the knees.
Check pets, too! Pets can carry ticks indoors even if they aren't infected themselves. Routine checks of pets when they come indoors can prevent transfer to other household members.
Shower after outdoor activities. This helps wash off unattached ticks and gives you another chance to spot one.
Treat your yard. Keep grass trimmed, clear leaves and brush and consider a wood chip or gravel border between lawn and wooded areas to reduce tick migration.
Treating Tick Bites
Attached ticks aren't cause for panic, but you should act fast to reduce potential harm.
Remove the tick properly. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight up with steady, even pressure. Avoid twisting or crushing the tick.
Clean the area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
Save the tick if possible, in a sealed bag or container, and note the date. This can help your healthcare provider assess risk if symptoms develop.
When to Seek Medical Attention
The good news is that tick bites caught early typically don't lead to lasting health issues. Most bites don't require antibiotics like doxycycline, but if you're unsure about infection risk, call your primary care provider to determine the best course of action. We can help assess the type of tick, how long it was attached, and local infection rates to determine whether medical intervention is needed.
Please call Amoskeag Health at 603-626-9500 to make an appointment if you notice:
A rash at or near a bite site, even if it doesn't look like a classic bullseye (Erythema migrans)
Fever, chills, fatigue, or body aches within a month of a known or suspected tick bite, especially if you've spent time outdoors in wooded areas
Facial weakness or drooping
Joint swelling or pain that develops weeks after a bite
Heart palpitations, chest pain, or shortness of breath following a tick exposure
Neurological symptoms such as numbness, tingling, or severe headaches
Ticks have become part of life in New Hampshire, but bites and disease don't have to be. Consistent prevention habits, prompt and proper tick removal, and awareness of early symptoms will help keep you and your family healthy as you explore the great outdoors!
Contact Amoskeag Health:
603-626-9500
