Bed bugs can sneak up any where and infest your home. These tiny blood suckers are master travelers that can go around the world looking for their next meal. Then, the next morning, you wake up with some itchy, red, raised bumps that look like a mosquito bite. Learn more about bed bug bite symptoms, treatment and prevention.

Symptoms

A typical mosquito bite will be felt instantly like a sting. You will feel the mosquito suck your blood and feel itchy immediately. But in case of a bed bug bite symptom, you will not feel the bed bug bite for about one hour. The bed bug has anesthetic saliva that contains anticoagulant and anesthetics that prevent the blood from clotting. This bed bug bite rash feels itchy after about an hour and in some cases after a few days or weeks. The appearance of rash depends on the response of the body to the chemicals secreted.

The next bed bug bite symptom is the red, small and round bumpy rash on the skin. This rash is more swollen than mosquito bites. You will observe this itchy rash on your arms, shoulders, legs in straight rows as opposed to the other insect bites. The bed bugs tend to move away with the slightest twitch of their victim. They begin feeding again that result in bites in a row.

Treatment

Bed bugs feed for about 3 to 15 minutes, sucking on the blood from the human flesh. They can bite around almost anywhere on your body, arms, legs, torso, neck and face. You can breathe a sigh of relief as the bed bug bites does not transmit any disease. The only complication that can arise from the bed bug bite is if the person bitten is sensitive to the bite. The saliva of the bed bug may cause an allergic reaction in the person’s body. The bed bug bite treatment involves alleviating the itchiness. You need to apply calamine lotion to help the itching stop. You may also take Benadryl to help get some relief. If you develop some allergic reactions or infection due to continuous itching, visit the doctor immediately and seek medical guidance for treating bed bug bites.

Prevention

You cannot prevent being bitten by a bed bug, but you can prevent an infestation. You need to wash your bed lines regularly in hot water. Vacuum your house properly. Vacuum not only the floor, but the mattresses, cervices in the bed frame, furniture and wall. You can cover your mattresses with a plastic cover and check your bed for bed bugs regularly. You can call in pest control to help get rid of bed bugs permanently. There are many insecticidal sprays available in the market that will help you in getting rid of bed bugs.