Bedbugs
Bedbugs are tiny insects that frequently reside on beds or furniture. Although they occasionally create additional health issues, their bites can be irritating.
These Small, wingless insects only consume the blood of warm-blooded animals.
Symptoms indicating bedbug
Bedbugs may hide in various areas, including behind photos, loose wallpaper, bed frames, mattresses, clothes, and furniture.
Bedbug signs include:
- Bites often on areas of skin that are exposed while sleeping, such as the face, neck, and arms
- Blood stains on your bedding, either from bites or squashing a bedbug.
- Little brown patches (bedbug poop) on linens or furniture
The bites might cause an allergic response in certain persons. They may itch intensely and swell painfully.
Treatments for bedbug
Treatment comprises the following;
- Topical creams to reduce itching, such as cortisone
- In case an infection develops as a result of skin irritation around the bite, use an oral antibiotic
- If someone experiences a severe allergic response, corticosteroids
- Antihistamines can be used to treat allergic reactions
Most bites recover between 1 and 2 weeks after they occur.
When to seek a doctor?
Even after using treatments from a pharmacist, bedbug bites are still extremely painful, bloated, or itchy. The bites’ surrounding discomfort or swelling is also spreading. Infections require antibiotics for treatment.
Ways to get rid of bedbugs
- Wash the contaminated bedding and clothing in hot water (60C) and tumble-dry them for at least 30 minutes on a hot heat
- Place the concerned bedding and dress in a plastic bag and freeze it for three to four days
- Bedbugs can be found in clean and unclean areas, but routine cleaning will make it easier to eradicate
Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD
Page last reviewed: 16 JULY 2022