How Can You Tell If Your Rash Is From Bedbugs?
Bedbug bites look like many other common bites from ants, spiders, mosquitoes, and chiggers. Several hours after an attack a small, raised patch of red, exposed skin will appear. The bug pumps an anesthetic into the skin as it draws blood, so the victim won’t notice that its dinner time. When the anesthetic wears off in a couple of hours, the red patch of skin will itch like crazy!
Don’t scratch it!
Scratching can make the rash worse and may lead to infection. Some reports warn of allergic reactions occurring after bedbug attacks, and anaphylaxis (anaphylactic shock) is an on-going concern with any kind of allergic reaction.
The first thing you should do after a bedbug attack is wash the rash with an anti-bacteriological soap, and then cut back your fingernails so that inadvertent scratching while asleep won’t make it worse (sorry, ladies!)
Cut your fingernails!
Treating the rash is far easier than getting rid of the pests. There are over-the-counter steroid topical creams and lotions, like 0.5% and 1% hydrocortisone. 2% hydrocortisone is available with a prescription. Non-steroid calamine lotion is another popular over-the-counter anti-itch medication. If your rash has become infected, some doctors recommend oral antihistamines, such as Benadryl (over-the-counter) or Atarax (prescription).
If you have an unexplained rash, you may suspect bedbugs for the following reasons:
*You or someone in your family has traveled recently. Bedbugs can invade your luggage
or crawl onto your clothing in an infested hotel/motel room. Always keep your luggage and your clothes off the floor when you’re staying at a hotel/motel.
*You recently bought a used mattress or other used furniture. Mattresses and bed frames are
the bedbug’s main habitat, but they’ll settle for other hiding places 10 – 15 feet from your bed.
Mattresses and box springs can be encased in vinyl, but an entire couch is another story.
*You live in an apartment building or college dorm where bedbugs could have infested another apartment/dorm-room and have moved over into yours. You should alert the building management immediately, and usually they’ll take measures to eradicate the pests.
*You or someone in your family finds new bites each night that can’t be explained by other
circumstances, such as having a dog with fleas, or living in an area at high risk for mosquitoes.
Don’t worry about a bedbug communicating disease — the little beasts are harmless in that way.
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Posted in Detection Methods