How do i know if my tick bit is associated with lyme disease?

See a doctor: Lyme disease usually presents with a symptom complex which aids in the early diagnosis. This should be treated, most beneficially before the onset of antibody formation, the testing for which may be negative early on. The major tick to worry about is the tiny deer tick ixodes, with several species geographically distributed. Bites alone do not mean you have lyme.

Symptoms after bite: About half the time one will get a bulls-eye rash, a red ring surrounding the bite, appearing 3-30 days after the bite. This is a clear sign of lyme. Also, lyme usually causes flu-like symptoms like muscle aches, fever and headache within days of the bite. Be aware that ticks may carry other infections besides lyme, such as babesia, bartonella, ehrlichiosis and rocky mountain spotted fever.