i was bitten by a tick ripped it out

[pernupnup]

about 2 weeks ago i was bitten by a tick and ripped it off my leg i did not know that u had to burn them out or anything like that. I just washed the bite area with soap and water.Theres a small scab in the area that has remain there and itches somewhat nothing crazy. I kind of got scared about the itching so i took a metal object and and a lighter and burned the whole scabbed are with. Since it has happend i have woken up one morningg with a red swelling in my one eye, and now im experiencing a cough and a pain in the middle of my chest. To note im leaving for the airforce tommorrow and have been drinking and partying quite a bit so this may explain why i currently am  not feeling well. And also why i have a cold and the wat may have been conjunctivitis.  the possible conjunctivitis cleared after about 3 days and the cold like feelings have been going started yesterday.  Does it mean im fine if the bite region just appears to be a normal scab but it is somewhat itchy. Are there any symptoms that i should watch out for. And are these cold/conjunctivitis symptoms a symptom of just drinking to much and staying up all night or are these possible warning signs of a more serious disease such as lymes disease?

[JackieCalifornia]

I agree with mrs_k75 -- follow up on your own to be sure you didn't pick up something from the tick.

From a couple of other military posters here, it sounds like the military docs don't believe in Lyme+ to any great extent (like a lot of civilian docs), so you might have to do the follow up on your own nickel.

It might be something other than Lyme.  I got another tick bite recently and some of my symptoms were like yours are -- it turns out I have another bacterial infection called Anaplasmosis.  So you never know till you get tested.

If you feel better quickly, then it may the stress you are under and the farewell partying getting to you; but if the symptoms linger, don't ignore them.  You're doing the right thing to ask questions and be on the look out.

Keep 'em flying.

[mrs_k75]

I was bitten bitten by a tick 20 years ago. Some people said burn it out or whatever, but I never did and we did not know of Lymes disease back then.  Now I've learn that it doesn't work to do that anyways and you can still get Lymes. When I got bitten I may have a had flu like symptoms, but I barely remember because I was 12, but the one thing I really do remember is showing my friends my bug bite because I look like a target "bullseye" with a circle about 2 inches in diameter. I've had neurological symtoms on and off since then.  You may just have a cold w/ conjunctivitis, but from what I understand you should get tested for Lyme on a regular basis Like every 3-6 months.

[patsy10]

Ticks should be pulled out with a pair of tweezers.  They should not be burned out.  There is plenty of information online regarding tick removal in case you get bit again.