Ticks are the leading carriers (vectors) of diseases to humans in the United States, second only to mosquitoes worldwide. It is not the tick bite but the toxins, secretions, or organisms in the tick's saliva transmitted through the bite that causes disease.
Ticks are arthropods, like spiders. There are more than 800 species of ticks throughout the world. Many organisms that bite humans for a blood meal are not ticks and should not be confused with ticks.
Some common examples are bedbugs and fleas (both are insects, not arthropods). If it is possible to bring into the doctor's office what has caused a "bite," the physician may be able to determine what potential vector caused the "bite."
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