Health Risks of Bedbugs and How to Treat Bedbug Bites
bedbugs are blood-sucking parasites, which mean they will bite you and suck your blood.
They are drawn to their victims by the carbon dioxide exhaled as you breathe, the warmth of your body, and by the pheromones you give off.
bedbugs usually feed every five to ten days and they do this by crawling, or dropping, on to you and then piercing the skin with two feeding tubes, one of which injects its spit made up of anaesthetic and anti-coagulant chemicals while the other tube allows it to suck your blood.
After a good five-minute feed, the bedbug returns to its hiding place and waits for the next time it needs to feed, usually within ten days.
Many people will not react at all to the bedbug bites, but about 50% of people do react.
Bedbug bites
Cimicosis is the name of the skin condition that is caused by bedbug bites.
The symptoms of this are red lumps or red welts, often accompanied by intense itching.
Cimicosis is an allergic reaction to the chemicals in the saliva of the bedbugs.
It’s easy to confuse a bedbug bite with a mosquito or flea bite but they differ from these in so far as they do not have a darker, red dot in the centre.
bedbug bites are also usually larger than mosquito or flea bites.
Psychological effects of bedbugs
Very severe bedbug infestations can lead to stress and sleepless nights.
In extreme cases, sufferers can develop a psychological condition whereby they become completely obsessed by bedbugs.
Anaemia due to extreme bedbug infestation
In extreme cases of untreated bedbug infestation, the constant feeding of bedbugs can lead to anaemia in patients.
Secondary bacterial infections can also occur on skin that has been badly bitten by bedbugs.
Extreme reactions to bedbug bites
Some people may react strongly to bedbug bites and this can cause asthma, hives or even the life-threatening anaphylaxis.
(The picture on the right shows the large, red welts and lumps on the face and neck of a victim of severe bedbug bites/cimicosis).
bedbugs and disease transmission
Throughout history bedbugs have been accused of transmitting diseases but there is no evidence that this has ever occurred.
Treating bedbug bites
- There are a number of ways to treat bedbug bites but the right treatment regime will depend on the severity of the reaction to the bites.
- Hot water can help to relieve the itching and inflammation associated with bedbug bites. However, make sure the water is not too hot (above 50C/120F as this can aggravate the condition).
- bedbug lesions can be treated with calamine lotion or a topical or oral corticosteroid.
- Anti-histamine creams, gels or oral anti-histamine medication are all effective at reducing and relieving inflammation and itching.
- If a bedbug bite becomes infected, for example, if it weeps or the area around it develops red streaks, then immediate medical advice should be sought and your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to deal with the infection.
- Although there are numerous ways to treat the symptoms of bed bug bites, the most important action to take is to deal with the infestation itself.
How to prevent and get rid of bedbugs >.
