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How can I treat a bedbug bite?

Bedbug bites should go away within 2 weeks. In the meantime, you can try an over-the-counter (OTC) hydrocortisone cream or lotion on the affected skin to relieve the itchiness and swelling. An OTC antihistamine pill or cream called diphenhydramine (brand name: Benadryl) may also relieve itchiness caused by bedbug bites.

Its important to avoid scratching your bites as much as possible. Scratching can damage your skin, which makes it more likely to get infected.

If an OTC cream doesnt relieve your itchiness, you may need to ask your doctor about a prescription-strength medicine to treat your symptoms.

If your bedbug bites become infected, talk to your doctor. You may have an infection if the skin around your bites becomes red and swollen, you have a fever, or your bites blister or become sores. Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic to treat your infection.

If you have a severe allergic reaction to a bedbug bite, see your doctor right away.

If you have bedbugs in your home, wash all of your pajamas and bedding in hot water and dry them in a hot dryer, or freeze them for at least 24 hours. Vacuum all of your furniture, especially your mattress and its seams. If your mattress is infested, either replace it or cover the mattress and box springs in plastic covers. Fix any cracks in your furniture. Fill and seal any cracks or holes in the walls or floors.

If your infestation is severe, you may need to contact a pest control professional. Ask questions about what chemicals they use, and be sure to keep children and pets away during spraying.

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Bedbugs | Treatment

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Bed bugs are tiny parasitic insects that live by feeding off the blood of warm-blooded animals, most often humans. Bed bugs have re-emerged at an alarming rate in major cities and are being found everywhere from upscale homes to movie theaters and major department stores. These tiny bugs are the size of an apple seed.

Look for any red bites that resemble mosquito bites. Bed bugs often bite three or four times in very close proximity. The bites might have a center that is darker red. According to the Mayo Clinic, bed bug bites often resemble other insect bites.

Inspect your body in the morning for any abnormal red welts that are swelling. Some people have very harsh reactions to the bites and the bites can swell to large quarter-sized red marks.

Check your bed for any abnormal dark red or brown stains. Take off the sheets and search the seams of your mattress. Because bed bugs feast on blood, their waste also looks like blood. If you find various dark stains on your mattress, couch or anywhere you tend to sit and spend a lot of time, it can be a sign of bed bugs.

Use a magnifying glass and look for tiny, thin, beetle-like insects on your mattress or couches. Bed bugs usually don't come out in daylight so you might want to check in the middle of the night. If they have not fed they are transparent. A bed bug that has just fed and is full of blood is dark red and will ooze blood if squeezed. If you find these types of insects call an exterminator for a professional evaluation.

How to Identify Insect Bites by Pictures. ... How to Identify Bed Bug Bites. Bedbugs are small insects that most commonly live...

The bed bug is a vile, bloodsucking creature that has ruined the sleep of humans throughout history. The good news? They cant...

How to Tell If You Have Bed Bug Bites. Bed bugs are nocturnal parasites that hide in the cracks and seams of...

Bedbugs are small insects that most commonly live under the covers of a bed. The pests enjoy the darkness and feed on...

Checking for bed bugs is essential if you are wake up with bites and the urge to scratch. Bed bugs are small...

What Causes Overnight Bites Besides Bed Bugs?. ... View Photos Fabulous Fireplaces for Any Style You May Like. Symptoms of Bed Bug...

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How to Check for Bed Bug Bites | eHow

Throughout human history, mankind has encountered bug bites, irritations and skin allergies. The skin being the largest external organ, it is also on the receiving end of all kinds of pollution, toxins and parasitic agents. Naturally, if you suddenly experience itchiness or an outbreak of bite like lesions on the skin, it is important to find out what is bothering you. In this guide, we will determine whether you are suffering from contact dermatitis (allergic dermatitis) or bed bug bites.

Bites from insects are usually easier to identify and diagnose as compared to allergic/contact dermatitis and related skin conditions. An exception to the rule is bed bug bites particularly since bed bugs are elusive creatures which we cannot see, when they are actually biting us. Typically bed bug bites occur at night when we are deep in sleep. However, the following bed bug bite patterns can help you in this matter:

In general; insect bites are characteristic puncture marks that occur due to the mouthparts of the bugs inserting our skin. Bed bug bites tend to occur only in some people that are allergic to the protein contained in the bugs saliva. All biting insects inject histamine-like-substance that works like an anticoagulant to prevent the hosts blood from clotting. This facilitates easier drinking of blood meal for the pests.

Contact dermatitis is a common skin condition that causes inflammation of the skin when the organ is exposed to an environmental agent. In contact dermatitis, the skin becomes red, itchy, swollen or inflamed when it comes in contact with certain substances. These substances can be classified into 2 types:

Allergens typically include adhesives, dyes and perfumes, nail polish, certain fabrics, metals like nickel, poison ivy, rubber, latex, gloves etc. Irritants include cement, hair dyes, pesticides, wet diapers, certain types of shampoos, weed killers and so on. Thus, the signs and symptoms of contact dermatitis vary from person to person depending upon whether s/he has been exposed to an irritant or allergen. These symptoms usually consist of one or more of the following:

If you are distinctly waking up at night with itching, swelling and red bumps on arms and legs the next morning, you must monitor the sleeping area for the pests. If you see other tell-tale signs of bed bugs, do call the Integrated Pest Control Services for getting rid of the bed bugs. Spot treatments, traps, sanitation and continuous evaluation are also necessary to prevent more bed bug bites.

If however, you do not see any signs of the pests, but are still experiencing skin issues as those presented by contact dermatitis, please do not hesitate to see a dermatologist. S/he will evaluate if the condition is pruritis (itching), scabies or an allergic reaction to some irritant. If however, s/he identifies the skin reaction as a bed bug bite, do take all necessary steps to prevent the situation from going out of control.

The doctor will generally take a complete history in order to make a diagnosis of bed bug bites vs contact dermatitis. If another member of the family is also seen with similar bed bug bites then the result is clear. Also, if a patients parent has had similar reaction after having come in contact with an allergen or irritant then it is clearly contact dermatitis.

Bed bug bites can be treated with the application of 1% hydrocortisone cream or 10% crotamiton cream which is a short term steroid. If bed bug bites are very itchy and keeping you awake at night, a sedating antihistamine may be used. For contact dermatitis, the treatment varies based on the type of irritant or allergen causing the dermatitis. Zinc based ointments or castor oil treatment is usually recommended for both types. It is important to identify the irritant and stop its use immediately. A weak (1%) hydrocortisone preparation can also be applied 2-3 times a day to the rash for a period of 4-5 days or until it improves.

We hope this guide puts to rest the debate betweenbed bug bites vs contact dermatitis.

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Bed Bug Bites Vs Contact dermatitis: How to tell the ...

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Bed bugs are tiny parasitic insects that live by feeding off the blood of warm-blooded animals, most often humans. Bed bugs have re-emerged at an alarming rate in major cities and are being found everywhere from upscale homes to movie theaters and major department stores. These tiny bugs are the size of an apple seed.

Look for any red bites that resemble mosquito bites. Bed bugs often bite three or four times in very close proximity. The bites might have a center that is darker red. According to the Mayo Clinic, bed bug bites often resemble other insect bites.

Inspect your body in the morning for any abnormal red welts that are swelling. Some people have very harsh reactions to the bites and the bites can swell to large quarter-sized red marks.

Check your bed for any abnormal dark red or brown stains. Take off the sheets and search the seams of your mattress. Because bed bugs feast on blood, their waste also looks like blood. If you find various dark stains on your mattress, couch or anywhere you tend to sit and spend a lot of time, it can be a sign of bed bugs.

Use a magnifying glass and look for tiny, thin, beetle-like insects on your mattress or couches. Bed bugs usually don't come out in daylight so you might want to check in the middle of the night. If they have not fed they are transparent. A bed bug that has just fed and is full of blood is dark red and will ooze blood if squeezed. If you find these types of insects call an exterminator for a professional evaluation.

How to Identify Insect Bites by Pictures. ... How to Identify Bed Bug Bites. Bedbugs are small insects that most commonly live...

The bed bug is a vile, bloodsucking creature that has ruined the sleep of humans throughout history. The good news? They cant...

How to Tell If You Have Bed Bug Bites. Bed bugs are nocturnal parasites that hide in the cracks and seams of...

Bedbugs are small insects that most commonly live under the covers of a bed. The pests enjoy the darkness and feed on...

Checking for bed bugs is essential if you are wake up with bites and the urge to scratch. Bed bugs are small...

What Causes Overnight Bites Besides Bed Bugs?. ... View Photos Fabulous Fireplaces for Any Style You May Like. Symptoms of Bed Bug...

Link:
How to Check for Bed Bug Bites | eHow

Bedbug bites: When bedbugs bite, you often see clusters of bites. Each cluster usually contains 3 to 5 bites that appear in a zigzag pattern. How do you know if you have bedbugs?

To find out if you have bedbugs, you need to look for two things:

Bites on your body: If you have bedbugs, youre likely to have bites. Bedbug bites usually cause itchy welts. These welts usually appear in a zigzag pattern as show in the photo above.

Youll seldom see bedbugs, so many people mistakenly believe that mosquitos, fleas, or spiders bit them. Sometimes people mistake bedbug bites for a common skin condition such as an itchy rash, hives, or chickenpox.

To make sure you have bedbugs, youll need to look for signs of bedbugs.

Although bedbugs dont usually require serious medical attention, they can cause a great deal of anxiety and restless nights. To help find bedbugs before they find you (and your belongings), dermatologists recommend looking for the following signs near places where you sleep.

Signs of bedbugs: This step is important. If you have a bedbug infestation, you need to find out so that you can get rid of the bedbugs. Getting rid of the bedbugs is the only way to stop the bites.

If you have a large number of bedbugs, you may see the bugs. Most people, however, only see signs of bedbugs. To look for signs of bedbugs, check the places that people sleep for the following:

If you see bedbugs, they will likely scurry toward the closest hiding place. Any dark place such as inside a mattress or even a picture frame makes a good hiding place.

As you watch bedbugs move, it can look like they are flying or jumping because they can crawl quickly. Bedbugs cannot fly or jump; they can only crawl.

If you find signs of bedbugs, call a pest-control company or your property manager. You should not use bug spray or a fogger. These products have little effect on bedbugs.

You should see a dermatologist for treatment if you have:

Your dermatologist may prescribe the following to treat bedbug bites:

Allergic reaction: Some people may require an injection of an antihistamine, corticosteroid, or epinephrine (adrenaline) for a severe allergic reaction.

Infection: An infection may require an antibiotic. If the infection is mild, your dermatologist may recommend an antiseptic medication that you can buy without a prescription. Your dermatologist will tell you which one to use. Your dermatologist also may recommend an antiseptic to prevent a skin infection.

Itch: A prescription antihistamine pill or liquid can help. You also can apply a corticosteroid to the bites. Your dermatologist will tell you which is best for you.

If you do not have any signs of an infection or a serious reaction, you can often treat the bites at home.

To treat bedbug bites:

Bedbug bites usually heal and go away within a week or two.

References: Leverkus M et al. Bullous Allergic Hypersensitivity to Bedbug Bites Mediated by IgE against Salivary Nitrophorin. J of Invest Dermatol. 2006;126:2364-2366. Liebold K et al. Disseminated bullous eruption with systemic reaction caused by Cimex lectularius. J Euro Acad of Dermat and Vener. 2003;17:461-463. Steen CJ, Carbonaro PA, Schwartz RA. Arthropods in dermatology. J Am Acad Dermatol 2004; 50:819-42.

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Bedbugs | American Academy of Dermatology