Ticks are small, and you might not notice when they bite, but the diseases they carry can dramatically harm your health.

Each year, deer ticks alone cause an estimated 476,000 new U.S. cases of Lyme disease, which can do long-term damage to a person’s joints, heart and nervous system. You may be hearing about the lone star tick, as well – it can trigger Alpha Gal syndrome, which can leave infected people allergic to red meat and its byproducts, including certain vaccines, medications and products with gelatin.

Several other tick-borne illnesses, including Heartland virus disease, Powassan virus disease, babesiosis and anaplasmosis, can cause serious health problems and, in severe cases, even death.

2026 has been a tough year, with emergency room visits linked to tick bites running high going into summer.

So how can you avoid getting bitten, and what preventive measures actually work? I’m the co-director of the Tick-Borne Disease Center at Binghamton University. Here are some of the questions my team hears – and some advice:

1. Why should I worry about ticks, and how do I know if I’ve been infected?

Ticks can really pack a punch when it comes to how sick they make you. Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, both caused by bacteria that deer ticks can carry, are the most common tick-borne diseases we see in the U.S.

About 70% to 80% of people with Lyme disease will see a rash develop that often looks like a bull’s-eye, and they’ll experience flu-like symptoms, such as a fever, chills, body aches and fatigue. Antibiotics can control the infection, but only if the disease is quickly treated.

As Lyme disease progresses, a patient can get severe headaches; Bell’s Palsy, involving loss of muscle tone or droop in one or both sides of the face; severe arthritis; heart palpitations; and episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath. Some people who are diagnosed with acute Lyme disease and treated still develop chronic symptoms.

Anaplasmosis symptoms can be similar to those of Lyme disease, including fever, headache, fatigue, lethargy, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. A rash is very uncommon for anaplasmosis infections, however. Severe cases can cause tingling........

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