How to avoid tick bites in your yard or while hiking in the woods, and what to do if one starts feasting on you

You don't want a lone star tick, or any tick, to get to this point if you can help it. CDC via Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images 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…