As COVID restrictions ease and more people head outdoors, there are new concerns about an old problem - tick season.

Spring is tick season on Long Island, and experts say now is the time the tiny nymph ticks really bite in the Northeast.

Lyme disease is a major concern, since contracting it can bring along a host of other medical problems.

Ticks can also carry other diseases, like alpha-gal, which gives the patient an allergy to meat products.

Olivia Marie says she was at death's door five years ago after she was bitten by a tick and diagnosed with Lyme disease.

"I lost 21 pounds, I developed meningitis, sepsis and Bell's palsy," Marie said.

She says she does not know how or when she was bitten but has since recovered.

Some of the symptoms from a tick bite can also mimic COVID-like symptoms.

Dr. Luis Marcos of Stony Brook Medicine says to always check for ticks and take a shower after spending the day outside. He also encourages people to use repellant.

If you do find a tick on your body, doctors say to remove it very carefully with tweezers. They say if you can, bring the tick with you to the doctor so they can identify it. 

Stony Brook Hospital runs a tick help line for questions about ticks. That number is (631) 726-TICK. Click here for more.