About Bedbugs Bites : How to Identify, Symptoms and Treatment

Bedbugs are insects that are miniature in size, oval in shape and are brownish in color. These are essentially wingless insects which are totally dependent on the humans for carrying them from one place to another. The bedbugs solely feed on the blood of the animals and humans. Only two species of bed bugs known as Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus feed on the blood of the humans. Over the ages, the bed bugs have evolved immensely to adapt in the human environment. Although the bed bugs are tiny still they are visible from a naked eye. The name bedbug has been given to these insects as they prefer to dwell in sofas, soft furnishings, and bed mattresses. The peak time during which the bedbugs feed ranges between midnight and 4 a.m. in the morning.

The bedbugs can be easily identified through their shape, size, and color. The bedbugs are miniature in size with the body being oval in shape. The bodies of the bedbugs are brownish in color. The size of the bedbugs is similar to that of an apple seed. Bedbugs feed on the blood of the human. The color of bedbugs changes from brown to reddish color after feeding. The bedbugs do not have the capability to fly rather they usually move on the floor, ceilings, and walls of the room. The adult grows to the size of 0.25 inches thus making it easily visible to the naked human eye. On average, a single female bedbug can lay at least 350 eggs during her complete lifetime. The common characteristics of the eggs of the bedbug are

1. The size of the eggs of the bedbugs is nearly the size of the head of the pin. They have pearl colored specks and are barrel-shaped.
2. A noticeable eyespot is developed in the eggs after a few days.
3. The eggs are generally laid at the site where the female bedbug decides to rest.

The bedbugs can generally bite any location in the entire body. However, the bites usually occur in the places that get exposed while sleeping, for instance, face, legs, shoulders, neck, and hands. The majority of the people cannot feel the bite of the bedbugs in their sleep. They can only come to know about the bedbug bite when clear symptoms of the bite start appearing. Usually, the bedbug bites cause itching, irritation, and inflammation at the site of the bite. In the majority of the cases, the symptoms of the bite appear as soon as the bedbug bites but they progress over the course of a few days.

The signs and symptoms that are experienced by a person when he/she gets bitten by a bedbug are given below

• The person would have a raised itchy bump with a clear center.
• Several small welts or bumps can be seen either in a line or in a zigzag pattern.
• The bumps are generally surrounded by hives or blisters.
• A person may also have an itchy bump with a dark center. The surrounding area of the bump would be swollen.
• A painful burning sensation would be experienced by the patient.
• Petite spots of blood from the bites of the bedbugs can be seen on the clothing or bed sheets.
• The area of the skin where the bedbugs bite usually gets inflamed.

The symptoms of the bedbug bites may vary from person to person. While for the majority of the people the common symptom is that of a red, itchy, inflamed bump on the skin but in rare cases there may be some people that experience a severe reaction from the bite. In such cases, some serious symptoms may be experienced that would require medical attention. The symptoms in which medical attention is required are given below

• Irregular heartbeat
• Fever
• Swollen tongue
• Flu-like feeling
• Difficulty in breathing
• Blisters

When it comes to uncomplicated bedbug bites there are limited treatment options available. The first line of treatment recommended by the doctor involves cleaning the wound by soap and water or an antiseptic solution. For relieving the minor symptoms the doctor may prescribe anti-itch creams. In some cases, the doctor may also recommend over the counter hydrocortisone and oral antihistamine medications. In a usual scenario, the bedbug bites heal within 7 days. If the bite of the bedbug causes severe allergic reaction then immediate medical attention would be required and the doctor would administer antihistamine, corticosteroid, and epinephrine in the injectable or oral form. If while scratching the area of the bedbug bite an infection occurs on the skin then the doctor would recommend antibiotics to be taken orally.

In order to get rid of the bedbugs, the first thing which every individual need to do is cleaning up the places where the bedbugs usually hide. The following steps need to be taken for cleaning

• Curtains, bed sheets, linens, and clothing must be washed in hot water.
• The mattress should be scrubbed with a stiff brush so that bedbugs can be combed out.
• A person needs to get rid of all the clutter around his/her bed.
• The bed and areas surrounding it must be thoroughly cleaned by vacuum. The vacuuming must be done frequently.
• The cracks in the plaster of the wall must be repaired as it is one of the places where bedbugs can easily hide.
• The mattress must be covered with a zipped cover that is tightly woven.

The second and most important step in getting rid of bedbugs involve getting a professional treatment. It is very hard for an individual to get rid of the bedbugs by himself this may lead to the infestation getting prolonged. Also getting the professional treatment nearly guarantees the complete removal of the blood-sucking bedbugs.

The bedbugs can be easily found at the sleeping place and its surrounding areas as it is one of the easiest places where they can easily feed on the blood of the humans. The flat body of the bedbugs makes it easy for them to hide in small places. Some of the places where bedbugs can be easily found in the house of a person are given below

• On the skirts of the bed
• Pillows
• Box springs
• Curtains
• Beneath the furniture
• Seam and crevices of the furniture
• Carpet
• Bed frame
• Headboards
• Cracks on the wall
• Mattresses

Apart from the house, the bedbugs can be commonly found in the

• Homeless shelters
• Hotels
• Apartment complexes
• Business offices
• College Dorms
• Hospital

In order to control the infestation of the bedbugs, there are some home tips that are required to be followed

• While purchasing furniture or any other item it must be ensured that it is not made of a material that has crevices, seams, high-weave textiles, plaster, plastic, and metal.
• The furniture should never be brought from the environment or areas that known to be infested.
• The bedding and clothing must be cleaned regularly.
• The crack seams and crevices must be filled or sealed with glue.
• To kill the bugs in the upholstered items or luggage an individual must make use of hand steamer.
• When an individual is traveling the luggage should only be placed on the racks. It should be kept away from furniture, beds, and floors.
• While sleeping it is essential to cover the majority of the skin.
• The items or the furniture which get infested must be destroyed or burned.

Nearly one out of every five people have been bitten by a bedbug at some point in his/her life. In the above article, we get know in detail about the bedbugs and their bites. There several ways in which a person can prevent getting bitten from the bedbugs. There are treatment options available for bedbugs bite as well. There are certain control methods and prevention tips which help in dealing with the problem of bedbugs and their bites.