Bedbugs, just as the name states are types of bugs that hide in beds and other furniture. [1] These bugs bite humans or animals to feed on their blood. They have a reddish-brown color and are roughly the size of an apple seed. Bedbugs are commonly found in accommodation areas like homes, hotels, and hospitals.
There are several species of bedbugs, and the ones commonly associated with human blood are the Cimex lectularius. Human blood is their primary energy source because it supplies them with all the needed nutrients, including vitamins and proteins. They also feed on the blood of animals, but they prefer warm-blooded ones.
There are several cases of bedbug bites, and they are referred to as a common household pest. They are wingless insects, so they depend on the host (human or animal) to carry them from place to place.
There is a misconception that bedbugs are attracted to dirty or clustered places only give them a place to hide until humans fall asleep.
These insects are repelled by the scent of essential oils, so placing a diffuser in your room can keep them away. [2] Symptoms of a bedbug bite are usually mild and are self-diagnosable and self-treatable. If bitten, you aren’t required to take any medical tests, and it typically resolves within a few days or weeks. Common symptoms of a bedbug bite are: [3]
- Swollen or inflamed spot(s)
- Redness
- Itchiness
- Blisters
- A cluster of bumps (hives)
- Burning sensation
Now let’s examine each of these symptoms: [4]
Swollen or Inflamed Spots
When a bedbug is feasting on human blood, they use their saliva to numb the spot so that the host doesn’t feel the effect until feeding is over. The saliva on the skin causes a reaction where the skin swells up and may take a few days to disappear. If the host is allergic to the bite of the bedbug, it can cause worse symptoms and increase the swelling.
These insects tend to feed while the host is asleep, and the common feeding sites are the exposed body parts. Most bedbug bites appear on the back, face, neck, or arms. Frequent scratching can also make the inflammation get worse. Corticosteroid creams are effective in fighting inflammation and can significantly improve the symptoms of bedbug bites.