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What to do if…
you notice a tick bite and a rash that is spreading or getting bigger

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

An expanding rash after a tick bite is a reason to get urgent medical advice today. Contact your GP urgently, or use your local urgent medical advice service; call 111 where that service is available, and say you have had a tick bite and the rash has been spreading over days.

Do not do these things

  • Do not “wait and see” once a rash is clearly spreading day by day.
  • Do not use leftover antibiotics or try internet dosing.
  • Do not burn the tick off, smother it with petroleum jelly, or apply chemicals to “make it back out”.
  • Do not squeeze the tick’s body if it is still attached.
  • Do not assume it “cannot be Lyme disease” because the rash is not a perfect bullseye.
  • Do not delay getting medical advice while waiting for tick-testing results or online test kits.

What to do now

  1. If the tick is still attached, remove it safely if you can do that calmly.
    Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool. Grip the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull upwards slowly and steadily. Clean the area afterwards with antiseptic or soap and water.
  2. If you cannot remove the tick safely, stop and get same-day help.
    This matters if the tick is in a hard-to-reach area, very embedded, near an eye, or on a distressed child. Contact your GP, use your local urgent medical advice service, or call 111 where that service is available.
  3. Take 2 quick photos of the rash now.
    Take one close-up and one wider photo. Include a coin or ruler for scale if one is nearby.
  4. Mark the edge of the rash if this is easy to do.
    Lightly draw around the outer edge with a pen and write the date and time nearby. This can make spreading clearer if you feel anxious or unsure later.
  5. Write a short timeline.
    Note when you first noticed the bite or tick, when the rash started, how it has changed, and whether you have feverish feelings, chills, headache, muscle aches, joint aches, tiredness, or swollen glands.
  6. Get medical advice today.
    Say: “Tick bite, rash expanding over days.” Mention where you may have picked up the tick, such as woodland, long grass, moorland, heathland, parks, gardens, or recent travel.
  7. Call 999 if you feel seriously unwell now.
    Do this for breathing problems, swelling of the lips, face, or throat, collapse, confusion, a severe headache with a stiff neck, or any rapidly worsening illness.

What can wait

  • You do not need to decide anything today about long-term consequences or “chronic Lyme”.
  • You do not need to keep checking the rash every hour; after you have contacted your GP or urgent medical advice service, note whether it continues to expand.
  • If a tiny tick fragment seems left behind, do not dig at your skin right now. Ask for advice if the bite area becomes increasingly painful, hot, very red, swollen, oozing, or you develop a fever.
  • You do not need to deep-clean your home or wash everything you wore unless you can still see ticks on clothing or gear.

Important reassurance

It is understandable to feel alarmed when a rash keeps growing. The useful action is not to solve the whole situation tonight; it is to remove any attached tick safely, record what you can see, and get medical advice today.

Scope note

This guide is for first steps only: documenting what is happening, removing any attached tick safely, and making the right same-day medical contact. Later decisions about diagnosis, tests, antibiotics, or follow-up need a clinician’s assessment.

Important note

This is general information only, not a diagnosis, medical advice, or professional advice. If you have an expanding rash after a tick bite, seek prompt medical advice even if you otherwise feel okay.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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