How to handle bedbug bites: treatment, drug ointments, folk remedies

Welcome to my blog! Those who have encountered such a disaster as bed bugs know that they carry a lot of problems if they are not eliminated on time.

At one time, I heard a lot of variations on the topic of how to treat bug bites, especially when there are a lot of them, they itch and cause allergies. It turned out that several effective ways really exist. Surprisingly, the banal "do not scratch" is not even one of them.

If you are in the process of combating these parasites and suffer from their bites, then for you in my article - detailed information on how to make your life easier!

Treatment of bedbug bites

A bed bug bite is very similar in symptoms to a mosquito bite. If it was not possible to prevent a bug bite, then having found a red spot on your body, appropriate measures must be taken to treat it.

Indeed, if you do not treat the bug bite with special means, then in addition to allergic reactions, it can provoke serious consequences, especially with regard to massive skin lesions.

Bedbug treatment

The man himself practically does not feel the bite during its commission, because the bug bugs in with his proboscis and can suck out blood in the required amount.

As soon as the insect is saturated with blood, it is then that the first unpleasant symptoms begin to appear: itching, burning, and the skin takes on an unaesthetic appearance.

How to treat bedbug bites on the human body, as well as what are the main alternative drugs to reduce the risk of serious consequences? Learn about this in detail in the material.

How to determine a bug bite

Before starting treatment of an unpleasant manifestation on the skin, you need to make sure what caused this irritation.

After all, the bites of these small bugs are similar in many respects to ant, mosquito and cockroach. Bedbug bites are almost painless due to the injection of a special anesthetic into the victim’s wound. Therefore, at night, when the parasite bites a person, the victim in 70% does not notice this until the very morning.

Only in the morning places of bites of blood-sucking parasites are detected, manifested in the form of itching and redness of the skin. A single skin lesion by such a bloodsucker does not pose a particular danger to a person, which cannot be said about a mass attack.

If a person has an individual intolerance to a substance that injects an insect into the victim’s body, then the consequences can be fatal if timely assistance is not provided.

The bedbug bite can be characterized by the following symptoms:

• Redness of the bite, which is the formation of a red spot with a slight swelling and a small dot in the center.
• The place of a bite can be single, but this is a very rare occurrence, often bugs feed in several places on the human body, so in the morning you can find up to 10 red dots from one insect.
• The main places on the body that affects the insect are: neck, face, inside of the hands, back, that is, where the skin is the thinnest.
• Every day the amount of such damage to the skin can increase, which indicates the presence of a bed bug in the apartment. The photo below shows the type of bite of a bed bug.

As soon as you find unpleasant symptoms of insect bites, you must immediately take measures to destroy the parasites before they multiply.

To avoid such unpleasant consequences, after an insect bite, it is necessary to immediately take medical measures. What are the methods of treating bedbug bites, find out in more detail.

Home Remedies

What needs to be done initially if you find a bite on your body? If this phenomenon causes discomfort, then you can initially take a pill of a sedative medicine.

Treatment procedures should be started with washing the skin in warm running water (with laundry soap), which will reduce the symptoms of itching and scabies. Then you can use the following types of tools:

1. Ice. After washing the place of the bug bite, you need to attach a piece of ice or something cold to it. Ice will help relieve swelling and freeze the wound, which will accelerate the healing process.
2. Table vinegar. It is possible to treat itching with the help of vinegar, which is available in the arsenal of each mistress. Vinegar is required to moisten a clean gauze or cloth, and then rub the skin at the site of damage to their insects.
3. Black or green tea. It is necessary to brew black or green tea as strong as possible, then moisten gauze in it and apply to the site of a bug bite. Such compresses help relieve swelling and get rid of the symptoms of itching.
4. Medical alcohol. Surely in the medicine cabinet everyone has a bottle of ethanol, which must be used to treat the affected areas of the body. A single treatment of the skin is enough to prevent infection from entering the wound. During the use of alcohol, signs of burning may be felt, which is normal.
5. Tincture of calendula or propolis. Wounds can be treated with tinctures of medicinal herbs, but be careful, as the symptoms of skin burning are not excluded.
6. Soda solution. If there is no alcohol in the kitchen, soda is allowed. First you need to prepare a soda solution, which moisten the affected areas of the skin 2 times a day.

This is a list of the main ways by which you can quickly and effectively get rid of unpleasant symptoms after a bed bug.

Drug ointments

How else to treat bedbug bites if improvised means do not cope with this task? Having provided first aid in the form of improvised means, you can use more serious drugs.

These drugs include medication ointments that have a quick healing effect and relieve itching symptoms. These drugs include:

• Fenistil-gel. The ointment Fenistil-gel is based on an active substance called dimethindenate maleate. Few people say that, but it is this substance that helps to instantly relieve itching and burning of the skin. If the body has multiple bug bites, then such an ointment will be very useful.The ointment is very effective if applied immediately after a bite.
• Psilo-balm. If the means used do not help, then Psilo-Balm comes to the rescue. The basis of this medication is another active substance that allows you to reduce swelling and relieve a person of burning sensations and itching. Proper use of the ointment can reduce unpleasant symptoms after bites on the second day.
• Bepanten. Bepanten baby cream is not intended for the treatment of bites, but thanks to the active substance called dexpanthenol as part of the drug, it is possible to accelerate healing and relieve swelling of the skin.
• Elidel. Elidel cream is used when there are signs of a severe allergic reaction, manifested in the form of eczema or dermatitis. The drug is quite powerful, so it should be used strictly according to the instructions. The duration of use of the drug is no more than 2 days.
• Afloderm. The ointment has not only anti-inflammatory, but also anti-allergic property. Such a drug is hormonal, so you need to read the instructions for use and contraindications.
• Ointment "Asterisk". This ointment is based on only natural plant extracts and essential oils, which can relieve swelling and itching.
• Hydrogen peroxide. Using such an affordable remedy, you can clean and disinfect a wound that itches. Peroxide blocks the penetration of infections into the wound, preventing unpleasant consequences. Often, peroxide is used in combination with hydrocartisone ointment.

If you choose the right ointment, you can quickly and effectively prevent the appearance of unwanted skin reactions to bites of domestic insects.

Drug treatment

Exceptional cases when an allergic rash appears after bedbugs require a more alternative treatment.

Initially, you need to see a doctor who will prevent a serious deterioration in well-being. You can get rid of signs of allergies with specially selected antiallergic drugs.

Preparations of this kind are quite effective, but their use must be approved by a qualified doctor.

If, against the background of bedbug bites, allergic reactions develop that antiallergic and antihistamines do not cope with, then the use of glucocorticosteroids will be more reliable.

These hormonal medications completely block allergens that cause agitation with insect bites. One cannot get carried away with such means, as they have a negative reaction in the form of addiction. Do not use such medicines for children and pregnant women.

How to treat bug bites on the human body that cause pain? Cases where the bite causes severe pain are very rare, but appropriate. Such medicines as: will help get rid of pain sensations:

1. Ketanov;
2. Segan;
3. Ibuprofen;
4. Aspirin.

Bedbugs are brought to serious consequences in the form of deteriorating human health in rare cases, which is mainly possible with a mass attack.

If you do not tolerate bedbugs and are afraid of them, then no medicine will help to cope with the feeling of fear until you destroy the night creatures to the last.

Folk remedies

Alternative methods of treating bedbug bites are sometimes much more effective compared to chemical drugs.

Traditional medicine has always been at its best, as it saved in ancient times from many diseases, including serious ones.

• Soda paste. The easiest way to prepare a folk remedy for treating a bug bite is to make a soda paste. The recipe is simple, you need to pour water into the container, and add baking soda, stirring it slightly.The pasta will be ready only when it takes on a mushy shape. Such a mixture must be applied to areas of the skin that have been attacked by bugs, then rinse off under running water after 15-20 minutes.
• Lemon and St. John's wort. From St. John's wort, you need to prepare a decoction, bay dry leaves with boiling water. After preparing the decoction, it is necessary to moisten the tissue in it, then drip lemon juice over it, and then apply it to the places of insect bites on the body. Such a tool is quite effective, since in addition to reducing the rash, it also speeds up the healing process.
• Chamomile extract. You can prepare a decoction of chamomile, and then apply it by applying compresses. It is possible to achieve calming of the skin, reducing the symptoms of itching, as well as burning and swelling.
• Aloe juice. There are many pleasant rumors about the juice of such a popular plant as aloe. With its help, it is possible to cure diseases such as rhinitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis, etc. It is also used to treat bites of various insects, and bedbugs are also included in this list. For its use, it is enough to cut off the aloe leaf, after which treat the affected area of ​​the skin with juice, and then wrap it with a plastic bag. Already in one night it will be possible to remove inflammation, swelling and redness of the skin.

Any method of treatment has its advantages and disadvantages, but how to use it in your case depends on you.

You can go to the doctor, but often no one does this until there is a deterioration in well-being. Having tried several methods acceptable to you, you can verify the effectiveness of a particular drug or agent.

If you do not treat bites, what does it threaten

Bed bugs can cause a person to become infected with various serious diseases, which happens in extremely rare cases.

If you do not carry out the simplest steps to cure bedbug bites, then this may be just that rare case of the appearance of an ailment.

The feeling of unpleasant consequences after a bite, manifested in the form of a general malaise, a strong allergic reaction, and soreness, suggests the need for an integrated approach to solving the problem.

If you know in advance that bedbugs live in the apartment, then you can protect yourself by spraying toilet water, deodorant or perfume on your skin. Bloodsuckers do not accept a pungent smell, so for one night you can protect yourself.

It will not work to protect yourself from bedbugs by wrapping yourself in a blanket with your head, as these small parasites creep into any crevices.

In addition, they feel the person, so they will not be able to hide from them. The only way not to become a victim of night bloodsuckers is to conduct a thorough and effective disinsection of the entire apartment or house.

Preventative measures

The effectiveness of the treatment of bug bites will be equal to zero if appropriate preventive measures are not taken to develop new lesions on the skin.

It is necessary to give up maximum efforts to destroy parasites, otherwise they will appear, and remind themselves every night.

Do not trust advertisements that recommend special ultrasonic repellents, as this is only one way of a safe night not to become a victim of bedbugs.

You can destroy bedbugs yourself using a variety of modern insecticides, but a more effective, although expensive, method is to call special services.

What helps from bug bites

Faced with domestic bloodsuckers, many people think about how to treat bedbug bites in order to prevent complications, reduce intolerable itching and remove swelling.

Traditional medicine and pharmacy offer many options. Choosing a method, it is necessary to compare its effectiveness and safety.

Bedbug treatment

One of the first signs of a bloodsucker occupying an apartment is the appearance of bites. Sores look like traces of mosquitoes or other insects. However, there are isolated symptoms:

1. a hole is visible in the center of the red dots, which leaves the bug with a proboscis;
2. fresh bites are found in the morning - parasites prefer to hunt at night;
3. puncture punctures are located "path".

If all the signs coincide, then it is highly likely that pests are wound up in the house - it is necessary to soon begin treatment for bedbug bites. Timeliness of the measures taken will reduce unpleasant symptoms and avoid complications.

Bedbugs in adults, children cause:

• discomfort at the puncture site, itching;
• allergic manifestations: fever, swelling;
• iron deficiency - anemia is more often observed in children;
• inflammatory process - combing the lesion can lead to infection and abscess.

The larger the area of ​​damage to the body, the more pronounced the symptoms. It is necessary to treat the bites of domestic bugs immediately, and at the same time, measures should be taken to destroy the population of arthropod pests.

How to relieve itching from bedbugs

Multiple wounds provoke skin irritation with pronounced itching. Do not expect that the burning sensation will quickly disappear, you must immediately decide what to remove the itching and start using the remedy.

Proven Home Therapy Options:

1. Attach an ice cube. The cold will partially relieve inflammation, itching, and provide restoration of the skin.
2. Rubbing a bite with vinegar. An adult can use undiluted 5% table vinegar, for a child, the composition must be diluted with water.
3. At home, a strong "tea leaves" somewhat muffles the burning sensation. Wiping alone is not enough, to feel the effect you need to apply compresses.

Before you remove the itch and use any of the drugs or alternative methods, wounds should be treated with soapy foam, rinsed with water, wiped.

How many bug bites go through

Many who have suffered from the invasion of domestic bloodsuckers are interested in how many bites appear, how long their consequences go.

People with a high pain threshold may not realize for a long time that they have become a victim of bed bugs. The parasite bites at night and injects an itchy enzyme. With strong immunity, a slight burning sensation in the morning disappears, and a red dot of 2-3 mm remains in place.

However, traces of punctures rarely pass quickly, most feel the consequences of the attack after 15 minutes. Particularly sensitive - children.

The child begins to sleep anxiously, tosses and turns, and in the morning a wound with swelling up to 1-2 cm may appear at the puncture site. Some people are allergic to sneezing, severe runny nose.

How long does the skin recover? There is no definite answer - it all depends on the age and health of the victim, the number of bites and the age of the attacking bug.

The younger the bloodsucker, the less it introduces an anesthetic under the skin of a person. As a result, allergic manifestations are more pronounced. In addition, young individuals are more likely to go hunting because they are not able to suck out a lot of blood at a time.

With a favorable combination of circumstances, the bites heal for 3 days. However, if you do not start a timely fight, the number of wounds will increase every day. Several nearby bites "merge" into one spot, which heals much longer.

Bedbugs during pregnancy

If the general principles of how to treat bedbug bites in a person are more clear-cut, then there are many questions and concerns about pregnant women.

The main rule during pregnancy is not to harm the baby. All actions must be coordinated with the doctor. The doctor selects the most sparing drugs without hormones and antibiotics. Preference is for medicinal ointments or alternative methods.

What to do with a bite to women in position:

• Rinse the lesion, make an appointment with the doctor.
• Before visiting the hospital, you can add aloe, garlic, grease the bite with a weak solution of vinegar.
• To soothe irritation, a warm bath with a chamomile or mint decoction is acceptable.
• Honey, laundry soap, soda solution or ice will help relieve annoying itching.

Bedbugs should not cohabit with a pregnant. The woman's immunity is weakened, the likelihood of complications from bites increases. The first signs of the appearance of arthropods are an unambiguous reason to immediately call a pest control service.

Effective treatment for bug bites

After bites of bedbugs, unaesthetic spots and redness remain, they can hurt and itch. People who are prone to allergies develop an allergic reaction, and much more serious consequences are possible. If you treat the bug bite in time, you can avoid pain, reduce swelling and relieve itching.

Usually, single bug bites on a person do not require treatment, since they do not cause any serious harm. Red dots itch for a short time and soon disappear. We have already talked about how bug bites look, now we will focus on their treatment.

Handling Bedbug Bites

There are many tools and preparations for treating bite sites, and for sure, at least one of them will be in your home.

Folk remedies

1. The most common way to treat bedbug bites is to wash the wounds with soap or dilute soda in water and rinse the damaged areas. Half a glass of water you need to take one teaspoon of soda. The use of an antibacterial soap will reduce the risk of infection.
2. If there are few blisters, they are located on one part of the body, apply a cold compress to them or make a lotion of black or green tea.
3. Any alcohol-based remedy will quickly relieve itching and swelling (tincture of propolis, calendula, plantain, St. John's wort, ammonia).
4. Well, if you have aloe growing on the windowsill, the juice of this plant will reduce itching, relieve the inflammatory process, and eliminate swelling.
5. Potato juice, garlic juice, parsley, and onion also help relieve symptoms of bedbug bites.
6. Do not forget about herbs, St. John's wort is the most effective of them. For lotions you need a spoonful of crushed grass pour a glass of boiling water.
7. Anesthetize, relieve inflammation, have an antiseptic effect - essential oils. You can use any oil - coniferous, floral, citrus, woody and herbal.

Pharmacy products

There are no special medications for treating bedbug bites, but there are still remedies recommended by dermatologists.

• It relieves the itching that appeared due to the bites of any bloodsuckers Fenistil gel, Vietnamese asterisk, Rescuer.
• Afloderm - an ointment based on hormonal drugs has an anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effect.
• Bepanten is used to quickly regenerate the skin, it relieves itching not as well as other means, but its use is allowed for the treatment of young children.
• Ofloderm ointment in complex treatment with Tawengil will relieve allergy symptoms.
• Bites of bedbugs become the cause of inflammation, which Acriderm can remove.
• If you just need to dry the wounds, use “Tsindol”, this special talker is effective for biting various insects.
• With numerous bites and the appearance of allergies, Menovazin will help. In general, if an allergic reaction has begun, you need to take antihistamines, but taking serious medications yourself can aggravate the situation, before treating bedbug bites at home with pharmacy drugs, you need to consult a doctor.

You can’t do without going to the doctor if severe pain disturbs, the itching is so intense that it is impossible to tolerate it, the blisters are filled with blood or a clear liquid.

Treating bedbug bites and treating blisters is pointless if you do not take measures to kill insects. Approach this question responsibly, choose the appropriate tool and follow all the rules.

The best way out with a strong infection of the room is to contact the disinfection service. Fighting bugs "in haste" will not protect you from new bites that will appear on the body every night.

How to treat bedbug bites

No one is safe from bedbug bites. Contrary to popular belief, bedbugs can appear even in a perfectly clean house if they are carried on clothes, with luggage or other items. People respond to bug bites in different ways.

Some do not even realize that they were bitten, while other people may get a strong allergy to a bug bite, accompanied by a rash and itching. Before using medicines for bedbug bites, make sure that these insects have bitten you.

Identification of bug bites

Carefully inspect the bite site. Sometimes the bites of bedbugs can be difficult to determine, since they can resemble the bites of other insects, including mosquitoes.

However, bedbug bites have their own unique pattern. Although a bug can only bite you once, most often you will find a chain of 3-5 bites (the so-called “breakfast, lunch and dinner”) or a group of red swelling that resembles a rash.

Often bites are arranged in zigzags, but they can also form a straight line if the bug bit you in the morning.

As a rule, bites appear on exposed areas of the skin: on the neck, face, feet and hands. Unlike mosquito bites, bug bites rarely occur on the back of the knee and in the folds of the skin.

Swelling and rash usually go away within one to two weeks. However, if you do not destroy the insects, they will continue to bite, and you will get new bites. As long as at least one bug remains, he can bite you.

Pay attention to the bite time. Suppose you wake up in the morning and find bites, although you did not notice them before. True, the exact time can be quite difficult to determine due to the fact that people have different reactions to bedbugs.

Symptoms can occur both in a few hours and a week after a bite. Bedbug bites are characterized by a long incubation period. Visible signs of a bite (red, itchy swelling) may appear even 10 days after the bite.

Look for signs of bugs in the house. Start where you sleep. Bedbugs try to be closer to people, eating their blood. Eloquent evidence of the presence of bugs are red spots on the sheet.

These are traces of insects crushed after they drank blood, or from fresh bleeding bites.
Carefully examine the mattress, including folds and seams.

Look for sleeping and dead insects, their empty shells (outer skeletons) and excrement (in the form of small black spots).Inspect sheets, pillowcases and pillows.

It is very difficult to notice and catch a living bug. These tiny brown insects with a wide rounded body skillfully hide. Nevertheless, this is the most reliable way to make sure that you were bitten by bedbugs.

However, it is likely that the doctor will also not be able to say for certain that the bugs have bitten you, because their bites are very similar to the bites of other insects and some skin diseases.

Nevertheless, for your own comfort, it is better to visit a doctor who will assure you that bedbugs do not pose a serious danger to your health.

Your doctor may prescribe a corticosteroid ointment for external use to relieve inflammation and itching. Such ointments are more effective than those that are dispensed without a prescription.

Contact an insect control service. This is the surest way to establish that you were bitten by bedbugs. A specialist will inspect your home and will be able to accurately determine whether bedbugs really got into it.

The specialist knows what and where to look; it will destroy harmful insects by treating your home with special tools.
Home aerosols and sprays against insects usually do not allow to destroy all bugs. To surely get rid of these insects, seek the help of specialists.

Bedbug treatment

Wash bites with soap and water. Use a mild soap; take a bar of soap and enough water to wet your hands with it. Soap your palms so that they are covered with a thick soapy foam. Apply foam in a thick layer to bite sites.

Use home remedies to get rid of itching. You will be able to relieve the bite itch caused in a variety of ways, as described below.

All of them use the usual remedies that are probably already in your home. Make a paste of baking soda and water. Gradually add water to the soda, stirring the mixture until it becomes a thick paste.

Apply the paste in a thick layer to the bite sites. Let it dry and hold on the skin for about an hour or longer, then rinse off the paste with warm water.

Moisten a piece of cotton wool with lemon juice, tincture of St. John's wort or witch hazel, which are natural astringents. Lubricate the bite sites with cotton wool to reduce itching and dry out the rash.

Apply a non-prescription steroidal anti-inflammatory ointment to the bite site. An ointment containing hydrocortisone or cortisone, such as Cortade, will reduce inflammation and itching.

An ointment containing 1% hydrocortisone can be purchased at your local pharmacy. Your doctor will advise you on the most suitable ointment.

Follow the directions for use enclosed in the medicine package. This ointment is very soft and has no side effects with short-term (about a week) use.

According to the doctor's prescription, you can also purchase a more potent corticosteroid ointment.

Use calamine lotion. To reduce itching, apply this lotion to bite sites. Calamine Lotion will also dry the rash and protect your skin while the bites pass.

Take antihistamines. These drugs, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), will help reduce the allergenic reaction (swelling and rash) caused by bites.

For the correct dosage, follow the instructions attached to the drug.Keep in mind that Benadryl can cause drowsiness, so when taking it, you should not drive. You can also try an over-the-counter antihistamine ointment, which is applied to the bite site.

Take pain medication if necessary. If pain is felt at the bite sites, you can reduce it with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory painkillers such as Ibuprofen, Naproxen, or Aspirin.

If you doubt something or are not sure that this or that drug will suit you, consult your doctor.
Ibuprofen (Advil) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

It reduces the amount of hormones that cause inflammation and pain. Ibuprofen also reduces the number of hormones that lead to fever.

Paracetamol (Tylenol) is safer than aspirin and can be taken by children. In its action, this drug is similar to aspirin. However, it does not apply to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and does not reduce inflammation.

Talk to your doctor. If the bites did not go through the prescribed period (from one to two weeks), consult a doctor. You should also visit a doctor if you have the following symptoms:

1. Multiple bites
2. Blisters
3. Signs of a skin infection (hypersensitivity, skin discharge)
4. An allergic skin reaction (redness, swelling, or rash).
5. Bites of bedbugs, like other insects, can cause infection if they are constantly combed, since a large number of pathogenic bacteria are contained under the nails. If an infection gets into the bite, it will turn red and swell, the skin will become very sensitive, and pus will start to stand out from it. Typically, body temperature does not rise unless an extensive area of ​​skin is affected by infection. If you have any of these symptoms that indicate a secondary infection, you should seek medical help. Your doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotics, or if the infection is minor, he will recommend an over-the-counter antiseptic.
6. If you experience an acute allergic reaction, your doctor may give you an injection of an antihistamine, corticosteroid, or epinephrine (adrenaline).

Tips

As a rule, bedbug bites go away on their own, without any treatment. From a medical point of view, the threat to human health from bugs is negligible.

If you find yourself bitten by bedbugs during your vacation, especially in a tropical climate, wash all your clothes in as hot water as possible before returning home. This way you prevent bedbugs from entering your home.

Warnings

You can treat bedbug bites, although they usually go away on their own in one to two weeks. However, if you do not get rid of the bugs themselves, they will bite you again and again.