Tick bite

After being bitten by a tick it is important to keep an eye at the wound in order to avoid the bacterium Borrellia.

About your visit

We have examined you and have ascertained that you have been bitten by a tick. The tick bite has left a small wound. We have cleaned the site of the bite. If you have symptoms of Lyme disease, you will have been provided with antibiotics.

When you get home

If you develop symptoms of Lyme disease, contact your general practitioner

A tick can transfer the bacterium Borrellia burgdorferi to humans. It must be treated with antibiotics. Call your general practitioner or dial 1813 to reach the medical helpline outside your general practitioner’s opening hours if you experience the following within six months after the bite:

fever
a circular red skin rash around the site of the tick bite. The rash expands gradually while becoming lighter in the middle.
prolonged headaches
decreased appetite
fatigue
flu-like symptoms
shooting pains in both arms
paralysis on one side of your face.

The bite may become infected

Be vigilant of infection in and around the site of the bite. Call your general practitioner or dial 1813 to reach the medical helpline outside your general practitioner’s opening hours if you experience the following:

heat, swelling and redness around the site of the bite
red stripes on the skin extending from the site of the bite
a thick, yellow discharge from the wound or in it
bad odour from wound

Swelling and redness around the site of the bite

It is normal for skin to become red and swollen in a 1 cm area around the bite. This is because the skin is reacting to the saliva of the tick. It does not require treatment and these symptoms will disappear after a few days.

If it happens again

Remove the tick yourself and clean the bite

If you are bitten by a tick again, you can remove it yourself. Use a pair of tweezers, a tick removal tool (from the pharmacy), or your nails if nothing else is available. Clean the bite area with soap and water. The head of the tick may remain, it will fall off within a few days and is not dangerous.

Worth knowing

Check your medical journal and test results

On www.minsundhedsplatform.dk (in Danish only) you can see a summary of your treatment programme and any future appointments and test results.

You can access all the information registered about you by the public health services on www.sundhed.dk (in Danish only). They are both available as apps: MinSP and MinSundhed. Log on to the apps with your MitID.

Tell us about your experience

We would very much like to hear from you with both praise and criticism about your stay at the hospital. You can find contact information on our website www.amagerhospital.dk. If you are considering complaining about your treatment, you can contact the hospital's patient advisors, who are impartial advisers. You can read more about the possibilities to complain at www.regionh.dk/patientrights.

Your personal data

The Capital Region of Denmark uses the personal data you share with us when you make an enquiry.

Learn more

Learn more about tick bites at www.patienthaandbogen.dk (In Danish only). Search for ’flåtbid’ or 'borreliose'.

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