Adults are just five millimetres long-as big as an apple seed-but are fully capable of almost doubling in size after a meal. Shaped like flat ovals, bed bugs are tiny. Bed bugs can hitchhike undetected on bags or shoes, unlike lice or ticks that hide in hair or stick on the skin. The reason for its surging population is unknown, but the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention have pointed to the increase in international travel as a likely factor. Its population dwindled in the 20th century because of the widespread use of pesticide but has been on the rise in developed countries since the late 1990s. The bedbug or Cimex lectularius is a global pest. It can also be helpful to check your bed with a flashlight during the middle of the night (since these crawlers tend to be more active at night.The bedtime nursery rhyme “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” is good advice indeed, as the insect can be a real nightmare. You may see the exoskeletons that bedbugs have shed as they matured, or you may notice a musty smell, both of which indicate there could be bedbugs in the area. Durham says to check along the edges of your mattress. You’ll likely only see them in their hiding spots or crawling across the floor since, unlike other insects, bedbugs cannot fly or jump. Those spots are left behind after a bedbug has been smashed. "Once you start to notice the itchy bites, the second giveaway is the presence of small blood spots on your sheets or mattress, usually resembling patches of rust,” Durham says. In most cases, the only way to say for sure whether it was a bedbug that bit you is to search for evidence of bedbugs living in your home. Finally, if it’s severe itchiness that you’re dealing with, applying corticosteroid or taking an antihistamine in pill or liquid form may be able to help. If the area is infected, he or she might prescribe an antibiotic or recommend an over-the-counter antiseptic. To treat an allergic reaction, the doctor may prescribe an antihistamine, corticosteroid, or epinephrine injection. If you experience either of these reactions or you develop blisters where the bites occurred, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with a dermatologist. Others may develop an infection where the bite starts oozing pus. Some people develop allergic reactions to bedbug bites, which can include a fever, difficulty breathing, hives, or a swollen tongue. The bites generally will heal within a couple of weeks. If the bites are itchy, pick up a corticosteroid cream at your local drugstore and apply it to the area. ( 8) Start by cleaning the area with soap and water to lower your risk of infection and to relieve itchiness. Your body will likely become more sensitive to bedbug bites over time, and if you get bitten repeatedly, it could be only a matter of seconds before your body shows a response.īedbug bites don’t normally require treatment by a doctor, though there are a few precautions you should take at home. ( 6) Some people will have an immediate reaction, while for others it could take two weeks to emerge. It’s also possible that you won’t see a reaction the first time a bedbug bites since it sometimes can take the body a while to react. ![]() Some people end up developing a rash that looks like eczema. “The same bedbug could bite two different people and one could have no reaction at all and the other can have an extreme reaction with a swollen arm or itchy rash,” says Eric Braun, a board-certified entomologist and technical services manager for the national pest control company Rentokil. RELATED: How to Identify 11 Common Bug Bites and Stingsīut the bites will look different from person to person, and some people won’t develop any reaction whatsoever. ![]() ( 4) The bites usually look like mosquito bites and will appear as a somewhat swollen red spot that might itch. The bites can appear on any part of the body that’s exposed while you sleep - places like the back of your neck, shoulders, arms, and legs are common, says Steve Durham, president of EnviroCon Termite & Pest in Tomball, Texas.įor most people, bedbug bites result in itchy bumps where the bite occurred, within a day of being bitten.
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