Bedbugs: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention & Risks

Bedbugs are tiny, wingless, reddish-brown insects that feed on blood. Without medical intervention, bedbug bites often go away in a week or two. Although bedbugs aren't known to transmit illness, some people may get a severe skin reaction or allergic reaction.

The size of a bedbug is comparable to an apple seed. They emerge at night to feed on their favourite host, humans and hide in the nooks and crannies of beds, box springs, headboards, bed frames, and other items around beds. 

Spending time in establishments like hotels, hospitals, or homeless shelters where people frequently come and depart at night increases your risk of coming into contact with bedbugs. It is advised to have your home professionally exterminated if you have bedbugs.

Causes Of Bedbugs

Infestations of bedbugs may be related to:

• More frequent travel
• Modifications to pest management techniques
• Resistance to insecticides

Infestations of bedbugs typically happen in or close to sleeping areas. They are located in:

• Clothes
• Bags
• Bedding Boxes
• Spring boxes
• Mattresses
• Headboards
• Things close to beds
• Beneath damaged wallpaper and peeling paint
• Under the baseboard carpeting
• In the seams of upholstered furniture
• Under electrical outlets or light switch plates

Bedbugs are capable of migrating from one location to another by means of objects including bedding, cartons, luggage, clothes, and furniture. In hotels or apartment buildings, bedbugs have no trouble moving between floors and individual rooms.

Also Read: Legionnaires: Causes, Symptoms, Transmission, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention and Complications

Symptoms Of Bedbugs

The signs and symptoms of various insect bites and rashes are comparable to those of bedbug bites. Bites from bedbugs are often:

• Reddish patches that are frequently surrounded by a darker area
• Itchy
• Arranged in a cluster or a rough line
• On the hands, arms, neck, and face
• When bitten by a bedbug, some people react normally, while others develop an allergic reaction that might cause blisters, hives, or excruciating itching.

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Risk Factors Of Bedbugs

Bedbug bites can occur in locations where people come and go frequently, like dorm rooms, hotels, cruise ships, trains, buses, apartment complexes, homeless shelters and refugee camps.

Diagnosis Of Bedbugs

If you suspect you may have been bitten by bedbugs, check your home immediately for infestations. Check for cracks in the walls, beds and furniture. If there are any bedbugs, you might need to check at night.

Watch out for these warning signs:

• Dark areas: These are excrement from bedbugs, typically found along mattress seams.
• Moulds based on skin: Bedbugs undergo five moults before to reaching adulthood. These empty, pale yellow skins.
• Rusty or reddish stains: Tiny bloodstains from squashed insects may be seen on your bed linens.

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Treatment Of Bedbugs

Treatment for bedbug bites is rarely necessary because the insects typically go away on their own in a week or two. You could use to reduce symptoms:

• Hydrocortisone-containing skin lotion (Cortaid)
• An antihistamine taken orally, like diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
• Taking care of your house
• Because bedbugs are good at hiding and can survive for months without food, eliminating an infestation can be challenging. It can be necessary for you to work with a professional exterminator, who will probably employ a mix of nonchemical remedies and pesticides.

Another way to get rid of bedbugs in your house is to:

• Use of Vacuum: Bedbugs can be eliminated from space by carefully cleaning all of the cracks, but this method probably won't catch them all. Following each usage, empty the hoover.
• The process of cleaning: Eliminating bedbugs requires immersing items in water that is at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48.9). Likewise, put them in the dryer on a hot setting for 20 minutes.
• Storing things in an enclosed car: If you live in an especially hot climate, bag up the infected items and leave them in a car that is left in the sun with the windows up for a whole day. The ideal temperature is at least 120 F (48.9 C).
• Sometimes, furniture that is heavily infested needs to be thrown away, such as couches and beds. Make it obvious that the object is useless to prevent anyone else from picking it up and coming into contact with bed bugs.

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Prevention Of Bedbugs

Following are mentioned some of the ways to prevent bedbugs:

• Cover up: It is uncommon for bedbugs to tunnel beneath garments. Therefore, wearing pyjamas that cover as much flesh as possible may help you avoid bites.
• Check used goods: Before bringing secondhand mattresses, bedding, and upholstered furniture into your house, inspect them.
• Take hotel safety procedures: Place your luggage on tables or dressers rather than the ground and inspect the seams of your mattress for evidence of bedbug activity.

Also Read: Listeriosis : Causes, Symptoms, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention

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