4 Types of Tick Bite Illness and How to Use Holistic Support

With temperatures rising every year, ticks and their bites are becoming more prevalent in the United States. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 31 million people are bitten by ticks annually, with about 3.4 million people seeking health care treatments for tick bites. While not every bite will lead to a trip to the hospital, knowing what to look for can help you feel prepared and empowered as you enjoy the great outdoors. We’ve compiled a list of the four types of tick bite illness to watch out for and how to approach them holistically. Any herbal support should be used alongside necessary medical care.

Note: There are several more examples of tick-borne illness not included in this article. The information provided is a sneak peek into our Holistic Approach for Tick-Borne Diseases Course (Save $100 + 2 gifts with purchase through June 3!), where we dive even deeper into what to expect and how to take holistic herbal action if you or someone you know finds themselves with a tick bite or a tick-borne illness.

And, for more info, join our FREE webinar! After the Bite: What You Need to Know About Tick-Borne Diseases with free replays through June 3. Save your spot.

4 Types of Tick Bite Illness

Tick-Borne Allergies

Most people associate tick bite illness with microbial infections, but allergic reactions shouldn’t be ignored. Allergies from a tick bite can range from a localized response in the tissue to a serious systemic allergic reaction like alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) or even anaphylaxis.

Which Ticks Cause Allergies?

The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) is believed to be the main culprit for transmission of AGS. It is a large, hard-bodied tick that is reddish-brown with a singular white spot on females and white streaks on males.

Symptom Overview

• Skin: Hives, itching, flushing, swelling of the lips, face, or throat
• Respiratory: Shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, throat constriction, difficulty swallowing
• Cardiovascular: Dizziness, light-headedness, rapid or weak pulse, low blood pressure, fainting
• Gastrointestinal: Severe abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• Other: Joint pain and swelling or  mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS)

Note: In some cases, alpha-gal syndrome can lead to the development of an allergic reaction or even anaphylaxis from red meat consumption, particularly beef, pork, lamb, and venison.

Herbal Support for Tick-Borne Allergies

• Skin: Calendula (Calendula officinalis) flower, chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) flower, plantain (Plantago spp.) leaf
• Cardiovascular: Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) berry, blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) berry and leaf, linden (Tilia spp.) flower and bract
• Gastrointestinal: Ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome, chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) flower, fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed
• Joint Pain: Baikal skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) root, Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) root
• MCAS: Nettle (Urtica dioica) leaf

Tick-Borne Bacterial Infections

Tick-borne pathogens are passed to humans through the saliva during a bite from an infected tick. Lyme disease is the most common tick bite illness, but there are others to be aware of, including anaplasmosis disease and ehrlichiosis disease.

Which Ticks Cause Bacterial Infections?

The blacklegged tick or deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) and western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) are known to carry Lyme disease, anaplasmosis disease, and ehrlichiosis disease. These are small, hard-bodied ticks that have reddish-brown bodies, dark black legs, and a distinctive black shield behind the head. The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) mentioned above is also known to carry ehrlichiosis disease.

Symptom Overview

Lyme disease:

• Skin: Circular rash that may look like a bullseye
• Cardiovascular: Heart palpitations, arrhythmias, chest pain, shortness of breath, lightheadedness or syncope, irregular heartbeat
• Other: Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, body aches, joint pain, neuropathy

Anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis:

• Skin: Petechial rash
• Gastrointestinal: Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, appetite loss
• Other: Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, body aches

Herbal Support for Tick-Borne Bacterial Infections

Lyme Disease:

• Skin: Calendula (Calendula officinalis) flower, chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) flower, plantain (Plantago spp.) leaf (if itchy or painful)
• Cardiovascular: Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) berry, blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) berry and leaf, Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) root
• Other: Ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome, ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) leaf, cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa) bark

Anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis:

• Skin: Calendula (Calendula officinalis) flower, plantain (Plantago spp.) leaf, arnica (Arnica spp.) flower
• Gastrointestinal: Ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome, marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) root, peppermint (Mentha x piperita) leaf
• Other: Elder (Sambucus nigra, S. canadensis) flower, ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome, yarrow (Achillea millefolium) aerial parts

Tick-Borne Parasite Infections

While ticks are external parasites to humans, they can also transmit internal parasites to us. This type of tick bite illness includes babesiosis, which is the third most common tick-borne disease in the United States.

Which Ticks Cause Parasite Infections?

The blacklegged tick or deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) and western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) mentioned above are known to carry babesiosis.

Symptom Overview

• Gastrointestinal: Nausea, abdominal pain
• Respiratory: Cough, shortness of breath
• Cardiovascular: Heart palpitations, chest pain, edema
• Other: Fever, chills, profuse sweating, muscle aches, headache, jaundice

Herbal Support for Tick-Borne Parasite Infections

• Gastrointestinal: Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed, ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome, peppermint (Mentha x piperita) leaf
• Respiratory: Elecampane (Inula helenium) root, hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) aerial parts, mullein (Verbascum thapsus) leaf
• Cardiovascular: Linden (Tilia spp.) bract and flower, hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) berry, leaf, flower, motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) aerial parts
• Other: Ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome, milk thistle (Silybum marianum) seed, and reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) mushroom

Tick-Borne Viral Infections

While still uncommon, tick-borne viral infections are on the rise. This type of tick bite illness is also transmitted to humans through the tick’s saliva during a bite. Unfortunately, many tick-borne viruses are poorly understood, as most of them are relatively newly discovered, and because tick-borne viral infection doesn’t always lead to symptoms, they tend to be underdiagnosed.

Which Ticks Cause Viral Infections?

The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) mentioned above is also known to carry bourbon virus and heartland virus.

Symptom Overview

Bourbon virus:

• Skin: Rash
• Gastrointestinal: Nausea, vomiting
• Other: Fever, headache, fatigue, body aches

Heartland virus:

• Gastrointestinal: Diarrhea, vomiting
• Respiratory: Can lead to respiratory dysfunction or failure if untreated. Seek medical care immediately if this occurs.
• Other: Fever, headache, fatigue, body aches, joint pain

Herbal Support for Tick-Borne Viral Infections

Bourbon virus:

• Skin: Calendula (Calendula officinalis) flower, chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) flower, and plantain (Plantago spp.) leaf (if itchy or painful)
• Gastrointestinal: Ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome, peppermint (Mentha x piperita) leaf, and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed
• Other: Elder (Sambucus nigra, S. canadensis) flower, catnip (Nepeta cataria) aerial parts, and ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome

Heartland virus:

• Gastrointestinal: Ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome, chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) flower, and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed
• Other: Elder (Sambucus nigra, S. canadensis) flower, catnip (Nepeta cataria) aerial parts, and ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome

Preventing Tick Bite Illness

Personal protection is one of the best ways to avoid tick bites. This can include avoiding tick habitats by spending time in open, sunny areas, along with wearing protective clothing and treating your skin, pet hair, and/or clothing with an insect repellent.

Clothing choices are effective ways to reduce the chance of a tick bite. Try wearing:

• Light-colored clothing
• Long pants tucked into socks, long-sleeved shirts tucked into the waistband of pants, and sleeves that are fitted at the wrist
• Smooth, tightly woven fabrics 
• Closed-toe shoes
• Hats

Essential oil tick repellents can be supportive in low to moderate-risk environments or as part of a layered tick-deterrent strategy. Click here to learn how to make your own!

Learn More in Our New Course

Herbal Academy’s Holistic Approach for Tick-Borne Diseases Course is a self-paced, online program designed for anyone who wants to learn how to identify ticks, the diseases they carry, herbal support for tick bites, and what it means to live with a tick bite illness. This course provides a collaborative learning experience shaped by a team of deeply knowledgeable Herbal Academy clinical herbalists and educators as well as experts in the world of vector-borne illnesses transmitted by ticks.

If you register for this course by June 3, 2026, you can save $100 on enrollment and get 2 bonus gifts: our Tick ID + Symptom Checker Printable Guide, and our Tick Repellent Sprays: Expanded Recipe Collection. 

Click here for the course outline.

And don’t forget! You can also join our FREE webinar! After the Bite: What You Need to Know About Tick-Borne Diseases with replays through June 3. Save your spot.