Many insect bites have different effects, depending on who is bitten. This includes bed bug bites. While some people won’t even notice the bites, others get serious allergies and develop horrific rashes. These rashes can cause quite a lot of irritation to the skin and they leave nasty scars behind if not treated correctly. This article shows you how to identify bed bug bites and begin effective bed bug bite treatment. I have some great advice on how to get rid of bed bug bites, so sit back and prepare to learn all about it.
How to get rid of bed bug bites
First you need to find out which kind of bugs you are dealing with. Bed bug bites look a lot like mosquito bites, which is why the identification process can be quite difficult. Sometimes even doctors have trouble identifying the bites. There are, however, a few signs to look for when you have been bitten.
Pay close attention to the pattern of the bites. Bed bugs bite in rows or clusters, so the bite rarely stands alone. You also need to register when the bites occur. This can of course be hard to determine, because some people react faster when bitten than others. Bed bug bites sometimes show up on your body after a couple of hours, but it may take as much as a week before you can see them. Some people get no reaction to the bites at all.
The obvious place to check for signs of bed bugs is in your bed. If you find little red spots of blood on your sheets, they may come from bugs that are squashed or the bites they have inflicted on you. You should carefully search the mattress for dead or sleeping bed bugs, skins and feces. They can be found all over the mattress, even in the seams on the sides.
When you have bed bugs and bed bug bites
Now you need to figure out how to get rid of the bed bug bites. Luckily, I can help you with that. The easiest and quickest way to do this is often to call an exterminator. They can kill the bugs and tell you how to treat the bites, but unfortunately it’s not free. If you want to try and handle the situation yourself, I have some easy and effective ways to successfully perform bed bug bite treatment at home. It is important that you get rid of all the bed bugs before you treat your bites, or else you will just keep getting bitten at night and your rashes will get worse, which may potentially lead to scarring.
3 effective ways to treat bed bug bites yourself
If you want to treat the bites yourself, there are several ways of doing so. The general ones are by using over-the-counter medication, home remedies or magic. Now the last one may sound like the most exiting one, but unless you have superpowers (like me) you should definitely choose one of the first two!
1. Over-the-counter medicines
- Cortisone cream can stop the itching. Remember to follow the instructions on every product carefully.
- Calamine lotion dries the rashes and protects your skin while it is recovering from the bites.
- Topical anesthetic containing pramoxine will remove the pain or reduce it to a tolerable level.
- Antihistamine like Benadryl will take care of the swelling or at least reduce it.
- Pain relievers containing ibuprofen or naproxen will also do the trick.
2. Home remedies
- Baking soda mixed with water produces a perfect paste for treating bed bug bites. First you need to clean the bites with soap and water. Then you make a thick and sticky paste by mixing the ingredients. Now put the paste on the bed bug bites and let it stay for an hour or so before washing it off.
- A tub full of warm water and half a cup of peppermint oil is also known to reduce the itching.
- Gel from the Aloe Vera plant works wonders with all wounds, bed bug bites included.
- St. John’s Wort, witch hazel and lemon juice can remove your desire to scratch the bites.
3. Magic!
Seriously, do you really believe in magic? Yes? Well you should! As you can see on the picture, it does exist. As far as I’ve been able to find out, the product is used to get rid of bed bugs, not bed bug bites. If you have tried this magical product, please tell us your story and let us know how it worked.
IMPORTANT! If the bed bug bite treatment didn’t get rid of your symptoms, please contact your doctor. Some people react worse to bites than others, and if yours look severe, you should seek help immediately.
If you know how to get rid of bed bug bites in other ways than mentioned, please share your wisdom in the comments section below. Thanks!
Thank you for all the tips on how to see if you have bed bugs. I have been getting small little sores on my legs and I have been wondering if I have bed bugs. I’m glad you mentioned that if all the bites are in a row or a cluster that could mean that I do have bed bugs. I will have to try some of those remedies to try to get rid of the bites and call someone for the bugs.