Bedbugs have appear worldwide and these blood-sucking insect are a problem in many homes and hotels. Fortunately, bedbugs aren’t known to spread contagious diseases while bedbug bites causes redness and itching on your skin, which may develop into blisters ans wide-spread rashes later. Allergic reaction including atopic dermatitis (eczema), asthma, psoriasis may occur to people who get the bite. However, it is difficult to eradicate an infestation and you will want to take steps to prevent bringing bedbugs home. Learn how to identify and treat these pests.
Symptoms
Bedbug bites appear as tiny itchy raised red areas on your skin and any part of your body, usually a few days after the bite. Some people dont develop a reaction to the bites at all.
The most common symptoms of the bites may appear in patterns as below:
- A rash
- A red area
- A raised skin area
- A line of bites
- A cluster of bites
It can become a skin infection if you scratch the area. A severe allergic reaction to the bites would produce larger welts, blisters, or anaphylaxis. Bedbugs can also trigger allergic asthma and getting repeated bites could lead to anemia. Anxiety, insomnia are common due to the stress of seeing bed bugs.
Diagnosis
A diagnosis of bedbugs is made by the appearance of the bites and finding bedbugs in your houses. The bites are often not distinguishable from other insect bites. A doctor will consider conditions including scabies , allergic rashes, staph infection, eczema, antibiotic reactions, and chickenpox.
You can identify a bedbug infestation by checking bedding, mattress seams, furniture, and wall fixtures for the bugs or their traces. Each bedbug is about the size of an apple seed, about 1/4 inch long. You will often see their droppings instead, which are tiny brown or red specks. You may also see small blood stains on sheets or mattresses when a bedbug has been crushed after feeding. Eggs about the same size as the adults might be seen in seams or cracks and you will also see their molted exoskeletons.
Treatment
Treating bedbugs includes caring for the bites and eliminating the infestation. The bites will heal naturally and nothing will speed that up. You can use over-the-counter products to relieve the itching but you may need a prescription if you develop a skin infection from scratching. Common treatments include:
- Topical anti-itch and anti-inflammatoryointment or medication such as calamine lotion, Cortaid (cortisone) cream, and diphenhydramine cream
- Oral antihistamines, such as Benadryl ( diphenhydraminehydrochloride) or Atarax (hydroxyzine), a prescription strength antihistamine
- Topical antiseptic or antibiotic lotion forskin infections such as bacterial infection or oral antibiotics
Treating bedbug bites isn’t difficult, actually the removal of the bedbugs is another story. A professional exterminator can help kill the bugs in your house. You will need to discard infested mattresses, bedding, and pillows. You can heat treat or cold treat items such as clothing by laundering or freezing. However, the room itself will need to be treated to eliminate bedbugs that can live in cracks in walls, floors, and furniture.
To minimize your risk, you can:
- Buy new furniture instead of usedwooden furniture
- Put your mattresses inside a bug-proof cover
- Call an exterminator to help with pest control