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Noticing Irregular Skin Irritations? These May Be Bed Bug Symptoms
Identifying Bed Bug Bites
Bed bug bites tend to occur on body parts that are uncovered during sleep like the hands, feet, neck and shoulders. In many cases these bed bug symptoms occur in patterns, such as a zigzag pattern or in a line. In some cases, bites may be grouped together and cover a small area. Since bed bugs inject an anesthetic when they pierce the skin, the bites are not painful. But because you can’t feel them biting you, it allows the bug to feed for as long as 10 minutes at a time.
Skin Irritation from Bed Bug Bites
Skin irritations are one of the most visible bed bug symptoms. Individual bites typically show up as small welts that are often itchy and red. These bed bug symptoms can resemble flea and mosquito bites in their earlier stages. Not everyone will react to the bites in the same way. Some people will have no visible symptoms; others can have extreme reactions where the bites swell significantly or where they develop inflammations similar to blisters.
The number of bites a person has does not necessarily indicate the extent of the infestation. This is because a single bed bug may bite their host several times. If the person moves during their sleep, the bed bug may withdraw its beak and start searching for food elsewhere on the person's body. Bed bugs can also go a long time without feeding, which is one of the reasons that infestations are often so difficult to fight. You may not see bed bug symptoms for several nights even though there are bed bugs present.
What Causes the Skin Irritation?
When bed bugs bite a person, they inject an anticoagulant. Bed bug symptoms like welts and skin irritation are largely due to this anticoagulant. Since sensitivity to the substance varies, the severity of the bed bug symptoms will vary as well. This means that bed bug bites often look different on different people.
Infections from Bed Bug Bites
If you have been bitten by bed bugs and have irritated skin as a result, do not scratch the welts as this may cause scarring or an infection. If the irritated skin becomes infected, seek medical help immediately. This type of infection is more common among the elderly and those with weak immune systems. The good news is that unlike mosquitoes, bed bugs do not transmit diseases to humans. Most people who suffer bed bug bites recover fully with no long-term health issues. However given that bed bugs have made a resurgence in recent years, it is important to learn as much as possible about bed bug symptoms in order to take effective preventive measures. If you’re worried about bed bugs in your home, contact the pest control experts at Affordable Pest Control!