Can Bed Bugs Make You Sick?

What are bed bugs?

These are small parasitic insects, non smaller than an apple seed. Their bodies are flat and narrow and feed primarily on the blood of humans and animals while they are asleep. Bed bugs have brownish to red color and have no wings. Their survivability and adaptability depend on the favorable living and feeding conditions they are in. 

Bed bugs are found globally in first to third-world countries. These insects have been considered a pest in high-class resorts and hotels. Their infestation isn’t determined by how clean and sanitized the area is.

They primarily infest people. These areas include hotels, hospitals, shelters, dorms, houses, commercial buildings, retail and shopping malls, and public transportation – trains, taxis, buses, airplanes, etc. 

These insects only feed at night and take shelter near their host. They usually live inside cracks and crevices, seams of your mattress, bed frames and headboards, bedside tables, and nightstands as long as they are within reach of the feeding ground. 

Do they spread disease?

Most people don’t get any serious problems when bitten by a bed bug. With others, those bite marks become blisters and itchy bumps, sometimes painful once you scratch them.

Bed bugs are not known to carry and spread diseases but can only be annoying because their bites can be very itchy afterward. When they bite, you won’t feel any pain right away because they inject an anesthetic into your skin. This numbs the skin, plus the anticoagulant that stops the bleeding. After filling themselves, they crawl back to their hiding spaces and wait until they are hungry, which takes around 4-5 days.

You will probably get skin infections from the scratching and tearing your skin because of uncontrollable itching. The only known health problems bed bugs cause are skin infections due to scratching, lack of sleep, and some anxiety. The bites can irritate your skin and cause you to scratch, which can be very discomforting.

Treating the bed bug’s bite can include washing it clean and gently with soap and water. Apply ointments, creams, and lotions to your skin and bite areas. It also depends on the kind of allergic reaction a person has. If bed bugs bite can cause severe swelling and itching, this can be very uncomfortable. You can ask your doctor how to alleviate the itch. Over-the-counter medicine and antihistamines usually work.

Avoid scratching as much as possible; remember to clean and dress the site often. The bites and itch are not contagious, so do not worry if you cross them. Your only concern is not to break or tear your skin while vigorously scratching. 

Bed bug bites won’t last more than a week but can last a few more days, depending on your immune system and your ability not to scratch.

What you should do is eliminate these insects, or you will get more bites:

Preventing bed bug bites 

• You can never prevent bed bugs from biting you. But you can control and manage your situation once you see signs of bed bugs. You can always clean and declutter your home. Vacuuming frequently and brushing carpets regularly. 
• Always clean the area where you sleep. When you think it is all cleaned up, look for cracks and crevices and repair them using glue and plaster. 
• If you share your living space with someone else, agree and make a plan on how to prevent and stop bed bugs from infesting your home. 
• When traveling, always inspect your room for bed bugs. Check the bed and chairs and the proximity.
• Before heading home, take time to check your luggage and clothes. And if you are having second thoughts, wash all of them in hot water before entering your house. 
• Minimize buying of second-hand objects, especially furniture like sofas, curtains, mattresses, and carpets. But if you do so, wash them with hot water to kill off any stowaway bed bugs.

Getting rid of bed bugs

These are the simple steps in getting rid of bed bugs:

1. Washing –  washing your sheets, clothes, blankets, and beddings in hot temperature water
2. Drying – heat drying after washing 
3. Freeze drying – use of low temperatures also kills these bugs
4. Vacuuming and brushing 
5. Steaming – steaming the mattresses, curtains, and carpets
6. Hire a professional

Ask Professional Help

Professional exterminators in the bed bug treatment firm in Portola CA have firms that are usually experts in their field. You have to know and consider that these companies should have specific experience and licenses before treating your home. Not only is it costly, but if you didn’t correctly calculate how infested your home is, you might let the exterminator do his job again. Bed bug exterminators in Portola CA suggest calling them so that they can assess the gravity of your infestation before they make the proper treatment. 

Bed bugs are very efficient pests because they know how to survive and thrive. And better yet, they know how to travel and hide. Taking steps to prevent these bugs may not be that difficult. It only takes time and patience, especially when checking and assessing your current infestation. You may not need to call the professional exterminator as long as you find out as early as possible.