Most people don’t require significant treatment for bed bug bites, though occasionally anti-itch creams are recommended or treatment might be necessary if bites are scratched and become infected. What is more concerning when people get these bites, which aren’t always identified as arising from bed bugs, is that they may indicate infestation in a home. While the bites, themselves don’t always need much treatment, infestation needs to be considered and people might require the services of an exterminator to remove these bugs from their homes.
People might notice bed bug bites especially after rising from bed in the morning. Sometimes a sequence of bites is found, indicating that a bug or more than one may have been feeding on a person’s blood during the night when these pests are most active. A single bite may or may not indicate presence of bed bugs. Bites can resemble spider or mosquito bites. Repeatedly waking up with bites is more suggestive of bed bugs in the home.
In most cases, people don’t have to do much to alleviate any discomfort associated with bed bug bites. If bites itch, anti-itch creams can be used. Effective ones could contain diphenhydramine, an antihistamine, or hydrocortisone, a steroid that can reduce swelling.
The most important thing to remember with bed bug bites is to avoid scratching them. This may result in infection because it’s easy to transfer bacteria from under the fingernails into broken skin. If bites turn into open sores, appear to be leaking pus, or are extremely swollen, people should get medical attention; skin infections can easily turn into blood infections, which can be very serious.
A few people have more significant reactions to bed bug bites and are thought to have allergies to elements in the saliva of the bugs. This means instead of having small red bumps, they may develop large bumps that are much more itchy. Should this occur, people may again want to seek out medical help, though general advice might be to take an oral antihistamine to reduce reaction.
The second stage of treating bed bug bites is to locate and remove infestation, and this can be challenging. Larva can collect anywhere in a home, and bugs are very good at hiding. Still, working with a knowledgeable exterminator is recommended to get rid of the bugs. Though ultimately, it isn’t shown that bed bugs are particularly harmful to the longterm health of humans, only annoying and uncomfortable, infestation may proliferate without intervention.