Help! What IS this?!

[Rachels]

Abby got a slew of what I have assumed to be mosquito bites. They're very itchy and very swollen, as hers always get. But now one of them is raised and really swollen, and there's a red ring around it that's larger than the diameter of quarter. What is it and how anxious should I be?

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bf.jpg


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[phirey]

Could it possibly be a tick bite? They have a characteristic "target lesion" and then the concern is Lyme disease.

I hope it's not!

Hugs!

From Web MD:

Lyme disease
Lyme disease is also caused by an organism spread by deer tick bites. Avoiding tick bites is the best defense. The disease has been reported in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, North Central, and Pacific coastal regions of the United States and in Europe. It is most prevalent in the northeastern states of the United States, with about half of all cases clustered in New York and Connecticut.
Symptoms
Lyme disease starts with a flu-like illness or a characteristic target-like red rash several days to a few weeks following a tick bite.
The illness consists of a fever, which can range from 100–104°F, headache, muscle and joint aches, a mild sore throat, a cough, stomach upset, neck pain and stiffness, and Bell palsy (a paralysis of the facial nerve that causes your face muscles to be uneven).
The rash is red and grows in size daily.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines the rash to be a minimum of 3.5 cm (1.5 inches) across to distinguish it from a tick bite, which usually is about the size of a dime or smaller.
The rash occurs at the site of the tick bite and can grow from the size of a silver dollar to the size of a football.
Its shape can be circular or oval.
As it grows, the rash can remain red throughout, although it often can develop a clear area and may take on the appearance of a target with concentric circles of red then clear.
The early symptoms are not as threatening as what occurs later if the infection is not treated. The organs affected later include the following: the heart (heart rhythm complications), the musculoskeletal system (a chronic arthritis), and the neurological system (brain swelling that causes learning difficulties, confusion, or coma).
Treatment
Lyme disease should be treated promptly. If you cannot see your doctor quickly, go to a hospital’s emergency department immediately.
Your doctor treats early Lyme disease with a long course of oral antibiotics. When treated early, nearly all people with Lyme disease experience rapid improvement and minimal complications from the disease.
A vaccine has been approved for people older than 15 years to prevent Lyme disease (LYMErix), but it is given only to people with significant occupational exposures to Lyme disease.

[Rachels]

Yep, I've been googling and the photos are very much what it looks like. I'm totally freaked out.

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bf.jpg


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[m448]

The good thing is you've identified it. It's only a concern if it goes on for long and no treatment is given. Let us know how she does. (hugs)

Marielle


Ian - born 10/03
&
Ryan - born 01/06

[phirey]

Rachel,

If you've googled the photos and it really looks like the target lesions, I'd go ahead and head to a children's hospital ER. Quick treatment is key. PLease keep us updated.

[spanannie]

Grace has this same thing tonight. 2in in diameter, raised red ring. No bite in the middle (that is visible); not bothering her.

Attached is a pic, but it is very hard to see in a picture.

I spoke with the on call, and they had no clue what it is. They said to draw around it with a sharpie marker, and if it gets larger than the outline, take her to the ER. They said to take her to the doctor in the morning.

Is this what Abby's looks like? Anyone know what this is?

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/34459.jpg

[Rachels]

I'm calling the ped right now. She has been on antibiotics for several days (unrelated). We've already made one ER trip this week for Ethan (siiiiiiiick); I'm hoping with antibiotics already on board this can wait until morning. We'll see what they say.

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bf.jpg


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[Rachels]

Abby has a big, observable bite in the center, but otherwise it looks kind of like that, yes. The brightness of the ring has faded since I put her to bed, and now it's vaguely white around the edge with the inside being all red. It's about the diameter of a quarter. The bite looks almost blistered.

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bf.jpg


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[spanannie]

The inside of G's isn't red at all. The ring is very red and thick, the outside and inside is her normal skin color. Any idea what this could be? It really worries me that she's sleeping and I won't know what is happening with it.

[Rachels]

Okay, I've kept reading, and you and I both need to see the doctor in the morning. The rash is indicative of Lyme Disease. It can happen at the site of a bite or elsewhere on the body, so it makes sense that she might have it with no visible bite. The good news is that it's a very early sign and that treatment very early is almost always completely successful. But what I've read suggests that the ring is diagnostic and that they'll treat based on that. I'm definitely freaking out here.

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bf.jpg


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[Lovingliv]

Rachel, my neighbor came over last week and showed me where he had been bit by a tick (unbeknownst to him at the time). It sounds as though what you are describing and he was treated for lyme disease. I know you are in Mass, and that is where we are.....hope everything is ok. The MD put him on amoxicillian. It was easily treatable because he caught it!

[Rachels]

I just talked to the doctor who was not freaking out as much as me, lol. She does want us to come in tomorrow. She said that it could be an allergic reaction and to give Benadryl, which I had already done. The fact that the ring has faded a bit is a good sign, but they want to see her.

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bf.jpg


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[Lovingliv]

Spanannie, I hate to freak you out, and it is a tough picture to really see....
It does resemble my neighbor's tick bite. He was treated for lyme disease last week. Incidently he had the bite and sore for OVER a week and the MD only treated him with amox. Good luck and I hope Grace is feeling better!

[spanannie]

Reading all of this definitely does freak me out...lyme disease doesn't always go away 100%? Is this true? A lot of websites are saying this.

She had a ring like this earlier on her lower leg and it disappeared. Then this one came up. It also said something about them suddenly disappearing on another site.

I thought that ticks had to be removed? How could she be bit by a tick, and we not see it?

Sorry about the picture quality. The picture is much more clear on my computer, but I had to crop it, since I didn't want her naked body on the Net.

[spanannie]

Thanks. We're definitely going to the MD in the morning.

I'm just worried that she's not in the earliest stage?? My mom told me she noticed a bite on her the other day. This was the first I had heard of it, until the ring popped up.

I guess since she has no other symptoms, she'll still be ok?

[Lovingliv]

You know, my neighbor said that his bite was over a week old...and he said that he would be fine. My sister has lyme disease and was never treated....so she will have lasting effects!

My sister, nor my neighbor ever saw a tick on themselves. But these are deer ticks VERY tiny so you wouldn't see them. I believe they fall off on there own.

You and Rachel have caught this, so hopefully everything will work out fine. I did see a young kid (15) in the hospital for lyme disease once. He had a bite the week prior as well, and he was fine.
(I am not an MD but a dietitian).

Big hugs,,,,and remember that you are doing everything you can. Keep us updated.

[westgre]

Annie,
Any chance of exposure to ringworm? Ringworm lesions are circular, growing outward in size. The inside of the ring can look normal or have a crusty debris on the skin. Do you have any new pets or pets that go outside?

[spanannie]

Hi Gretchen,

No exposure to ringworm that I know of. No pets at all.

I thought it looked different than the pictures of ringworm online? They look crustier. This isn't crusty, blistery, or anything like that. Just a raised red circle. Weird.

I guess we'll find out for sure tomorrow.

Thanks!

[buddyleebaby]

Sending both of you mamas hugs!
I'm glad you caught it early.

[spanannie]

Thanks!

[caheinz]

A tick is best removed: if removed early, you can avoid lyme and other transmitted diseases entirely. But, it will drop off on its own, once it's engorged. (Given their size, it doesn't really take all that long.)

I've been doing field work in tick infested sites, so I've seen many (but -- knock on wood -- I seem to have used enough DEET to avoid being bitten). They're small, but you can see them clearly with the naked eye (they're much bigger than fleas, for instance).

The bullseye rash is a diagnostic. And don't worry -- it sounds like going in tomorrow will be plenty soon enough. It's scary when that rash isn't produced -- a colleague's DD had Lyme, was treated, and is fine (years later), but there was no tick noticed and no rash. The mom insisted on a blood test when other symptoms matched, despite the doc trying to dismiss her concerns.

Edited to clarify size a bit.

[dms619]

Dear Rachel,

Try to remain calm. Both my brother and father have had Lyme disease and are perfectly fine. My brother had the atypical bulls eye rash and went to the doctor ASAP (we were on a cruise at the time and I saw it on the back of his knee cap). 30 days of antibiotics and he was fine.

My father, on the other hand, did not have the rash and had gotten very sick with no explanation. He went to a doctor by his summer house in Long Island - who diagnosed him right away and put him on antibiotics. Had he gone to his regular physician in Manhattan, NY -chances are they would have NOT diagnosed him with Lyme right away. As he didn't have the rash and in the city they see very few cases, it might not have been picked up.

In your case, your daughter has a visible mark, so if it is Lyme, treatment can begin immediately. Don't worry, she WILL be FINE!

Good luck,

Debbie
Mommy to sweet baby Katie - who just turned one!

[essnce629]

Annie-- I also thought of ringworm when I saw your picture. I had a ringworm on the back of my thigh once and then another one started to pop up about a week later in another spot as well. They itched though. Does Grace scratch at hers?

***Latia
Birth and Postpartum Doula

Conner 8/19/03 (homebirthed water baby)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/aug2003angel
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif Self-weaned at 24 months!

[Rachels]

From what I understand, the rash is a very early sign, and if treated very early, Lyme is almost always resolvable.

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bf.jpg


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[kimbe]

Hugs to you both! I hope that all goes well at the Dr. today! I hope that it isn't Lyme, but if it is you've caught it early enough!!!

Big Hugs and mama relaxing vibes!

[spanannie]

Thanks Latia. The spot has not bothered her, so I don't think they itch. I will find out today what it is for sure. She's not awake yet, so I'm anxious to see what it looks like this morning.

[BeachBum]

My son had what you seem to be describing about 2 weeks ago. He had several of these bites. After freaking out totally, we determined that he is just really sensitive to bug bites. (I am pretty senstive too).
I did take him to the ped 2 days later and although she didn't immediately recognize them as bug bites, she agreed with my feeling about them. It took several days for them to go away completely, but since then he has been totally normal.
I hope that this sets your mind at ease, and it is what you are dealing with as well.

[missym]

Gwen has had ringworm, and it looked a lot like the picture. The raised area never got crusty, but it was kind of dry and scaly.

Hopefully it's something minor!

Missy, mom to Gwen 03/03 and Rebecca 09/05

** Want a penpal for your BBB kiddo? Send an email to:
[email protected] **

[trumansmom]

I guess I'll call him and tell him to go to the doc!

Thanks for posting this. I would have totally blown it off. Yikes!

Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/01 and Eleanor 4/04

[cara1]

You can also get a little cellulitis (local skin infection) from any type of bug bite, which is treatable with antibiotics. Can often look similar.
Yes, the rash of Lyme is the first stage. Yes, it's entirely treatable.

[MaiseyDog]

DD had a very similar bite a couple of weeks ago. I took her to the MD and hers was actually an infected mesquito bite. We had to use an antibiotic ointment on it. When it came to a head we had to take her in to get it drained, and then she took oral antibiotics. If I were you I would get it checked out immediately. Either way, it's better to know what you are dealing with instead of working yourself up over something that may or may not be the case.

Margaret

[dules]

Any update today ladies? Anxious moms want to know!

I noticed DD's mosquito bites fade much in the same way that the pic posted in this thread shows - they swell, then the swelling goes down except for a red bumpy ring, that stays for a day or so and fades away. I asked the pediatrician about that this morning since it's happened a few times this summer and he said that it was within norm for mosquito bites to fade that way in someone who's mildly allergic (but to watch for swollen lips, difficulty breathing, etc. as potential allergic reactions).

Anyway, I've been thinking of you and wondering what you found out today!

Best,
Mary

[s_gosney]

me too! (wandering how everyone is, that is) Hope all is okay!

[mamicka]

Any update?

Thinking of you guys - hope you figure out what it is.

Allison

[Rachels]

We took Abby to the ped and they're pretty sure she's having an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite. It's very nervewracking, because the consequences can be severe if we're wrong, but the ring responded to Benadryl and shouldn't have if we were looking at Lyme Disease. We'll be very, very watcvhful, though. This was a scare.

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bf.jpg


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[mamato1]

Glad to hear that this looks to be a minor thing. :)
Chris

Mama to Brendan (aka Boomer) 01/16/04


http://b3.lilypie.com/FnI6m5/.png

[spanannie]

I called the pediatrician this morning. The ring was gone, and they weren't at all concerned. They said that incidence of Lyme disease in our area is almost nil, and that there would have been a tick in the bite for at least 24 hrs to develop Lyme. Lyme does have a target rash, which could disappear and reappear, as DD's did, but they said that it wouldn't reappear in a different area, as hers did. They said that ringworm has a scaley, crusty appearance and would itch.

They told me not to be concerned unless she comes down with fever, starts acting ill, or has a rash that is hot, streaky, etc.

Thanks for everyones help!

[spanannie]

Glad to hear all is well!

[mamicka]

Thinking of you & Abby, Rachel. I would have been scared, too. I hope you don't see anything like that again.

Allison

[Lovingliv]

Hey Ladies, how are Abby and Grace doing? Hope it all continues to work out....and the bites are responding to benadryl.....