An allergic reaction to bed bug bites is a response from the immune system. Study the symptoms carefully, compare your bites with those in the photo, and get timely treatment. Don't put yourself at risk. Entrust your treatment to a professional immunologist.
Allergies are spreading more and more throughout the world. Many people experience swelling after being bitten by bedbugs, which may be the first sign of an allergy. Even if it is a very small amount of poison, the human body can react in the worst case so strongly that it leads to circulatory collapse, also called anaphylactic shock. Under certain circumstances, this condition can also be life-threatening.
Common reaction to a bug bite
Bed parasites feed on human blood. When the insect is hungry, its body is flat, light brown and measures 3-8 mm in size. It is extremely difficult to kill hungry bedbugs due to their body structure. It is much easier to destroy a well-fed one when his body becomes larger, longer, and expands. It absorbs an amount of blood twice its weight. The larvae of the parasites are small, the body is transparent. The larvae also drink blood, after which a drop of blood is visible in the transparent body. Bed suckers are active at night from 1 am to 6 am.
The bedbug's jaw allows it to pierce the skin and suck blood. Having pierced the skin, he looks for a capillary and unerringly chooses the place where he feels the vibration of the blood. The upper and lower jaws look like piercing, unsegmented bristles and form two canals: a wide one for receiving blood and a narrow one for secreting saliva, which acts as an anesthetic. Bedbug bites are painful: adults secrete saliva into the wound, but larvae do not.
Domestic insect bites often cause an allergic reaction. However, the occurrence of serious complications is less than 1%. Frequent bedbug bites provoke a number of complications. In humans, nocturnal insect bites look like swelling.
What does an allergy to bedbug bites look like, photo
An example of what bedbug bites look like is clearly demonstrated by a series of photographs on thematic forums. An insect allergy is not the result of a bite. The allergic reaction is associated with insect saliva.
At the moment of contact with a blood-sucking parasite, a person does not feel anything, since bedbugs bite absolutely painlessly. Insect saliva contains an anesthetic and an anticoagulant that prevents blood clotting. A person discovers a bite mark after contact, when the anesthesia stops working. At the same time, redness and itching can be a signal of a night attack.
This cannot be said about the larva of a bloodthirsty insect. The larva does not contain a coagulant in its saliva, so its bite is more sensitive. The external manifestations of a nymph's bite are similar to those of adult bedbugs.
Blood-sucking parasites are selective. Bedbugs prefer those with thin skin, usually choosing women and children, and they bite on the inside of the arms, legs or neck. After examining the bed bug bites in the photo, do not confuse them with other blood-sucking insects such as mosquitoes.
What causes allergies
Allergy is a protective reaction of the body that occurs due to the introduction of an allergen into it. It can develop not so much from a bedbug bite, but from its waste products. Many victims of bedbugs experience their rejection, but children suffer the most severe bites. Infection of a child’s body, in addition to burning and itching, is accompanied by a number of other symptoms.
It turns out that the saliva secreted by a bug during a bite is toxic to humans and becomes a provocateur of the body’s inflammatory reaction. This reaction is activated when a foreign protein is ingested. It is especially difficult for those people who live in disadvantaged conditions and do not lead an active and healthy lifestyle. The environmental situation is also important.
Allergies are caused by genetic predisposition, weak immunity, bad habits, stress, uncontrolled use of medications, the presence of chronic diseases, frequent acute diseases, and allergies.
Main signs of allergies
Domestic insect bites often cause an allergic reaction. The occurrence of serious complications is less than 1%. For a longer stay in the house, apartment bugs provoke a number of complications. In humans, insect bites look like swelling.
The first signs of allergic reactions in the body appear within six to twelve hours after contact with insects. Each person's reaction is purely individual. But it is an undeniable fact that for allergy sufferers, bedbugs are a serious health problem.
If you find the characteristic spots, you should carefully inspect exposed areas of the body, as bed bugs do not bite through clothing. Examine the body as quickly as possible. The appearance of the bite changes very quickly, and within a day or two the redness may spread to the entire limb.
People with allergies experience the following symptoms. Already on the second day, an allergic reaction may appear in the following form:
- itchy rash;
- bronchospasm;
- swollen eyelids and larynx;
- anaphylactic shock.
A child reacts more painfully to a beetle bite, since the parasite does not immediately dig into the body, but “tastes” every area until it finds the “tastiest” place. The delicate skin of children immediately reacts to damage with burning heat, dense tumors and unbearable itching.
The first thing to do when a child or adult is bitten by a bedbug is to prevent scratching so as not to spread an infection to the affected areas.
Allergy symptoms, consequences and complications
In addition to itching and discomfort, the consequences of insect bites can be much more serious. If you scratch a wound, it will most likely get infected.
As a result of infection in the body, the following is found:
- general deterioration;
- body temperature rises;
- scratching the wound causes skin erosion.
One of the consequences is an allergic reaction. Most often this complication occurs in children.
Symptoms of an allergic rash:
- itching;
- causes discomfort;
- the child's body temperature rises;
- weakness appears;
- dizziness.
Bed bugs deprive people of normal sleep and rest. Constant bites are a major factor in stress and decreased productivity. There are known cases of up to 500 bites on the body during the night.
The prolonged presence of bedbugs has other consequences. For example:
- neurosis;
- sleep disorders;
- irritability;
- fear
This is also associated with the development of hysteria and depression. At the first signs of illness, you should consult a doctor.
Good news! Bed bugs do not tolerate tularemia, smallpox, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, or HIV. The virus does not persist in the insect, cannot multiply in its body and simply dies.
Prevention
It is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it. When it comes to bedbugs, the same rule should be followed. It is necessary to carry out dry and wet cleaning of the room on time, clean upholstered furniture with a vacuum cleaner and detergents, and change bed linen more often. Bedding should be washed at a temperature not lower than 40-60 degrees. At lower water temperatures, bedbugs survive. You also need to iron them after washing. You also need to regularly ventilate the room.
For prevention, you can sometimes treat your sleeping area with a weak solution of vinegar essence. Wet cleaning with the addition of a decoction of wormwood or tansy to the water is also sometimes recommended. Bedbugs are known to be intolerant of these odors. Fresh sprigs of plants such as peppermint, tansy and wormwood, placed around the apartment, also effectively repel not only bed bugs, but also ants, fleas, lice and other insects.
If after sleep you notice even a small bite mark or several (similar to pimples) on yourself or your child’s body, then replace the underwear with fresh ones. If red spots remain on your underwear after sleeping, then you need to take more serious measures.
Difference from other diseases
Insect bites - what they look like, symptoms and differences - is a topic worthy of careful study. Sometimes it is not easy to distinguish a bedbug bite from the symptoms of atopic dermatitis.
Bedbug bites look like an accumulation of microdamages on the skin, stretched out like a path along the path of the insect, which on sensitive skin is expressed by prolonged redness and swelling. Often this is the most characteristic sign that a beetle has bitten a person.
Itching from bites is one of the most unpleasant consequences. These damaged areas itch incessantly, and the person suffers from pain when touching them. The bite itself swells greatly in people with delicate, sensitive skin. Most exposed parts of the body (face, neck, shoulders, arms) can be affected by night attacks, which causes embarrassment and discomfort when you have to appear somewhere in a public place or at work.
You can try to identify the differences between insect bites and common allergies yourself. If you carefully compare a photograph of an insect bite and an allergic reaction due to another cause, you may notice significant differences. If the redness is not continuous, if it is localized in the form of several redness in a line or in islands, then most likely you have suffered from a bed monster. The rash is different in that it does not have as pronounced swelling as a bloodsucking bite, but the skin around the outbreak site is constantly red.
Experts' opinion
Based on the results of numerous clinical studies, La-Cri products, including cream for sensitive skin, are recommended by the St. Petersburg branch of the Union of Pediatricians of Russia.
The effectiveness, safety and tolerability of the products have been proven by a clinical study. The cream is also suitable for daily skin care of children with mild to moderate forms of atopic dermatitis and during remission, accompanied by a decrease in the quality of life of patients. As a result of therapy, a decrease in the activity of the inflammatory process, a decrease in dryness, itching and flaking was noted.
It has been clinically proven that La-Cri cream for sensitive skin:
- reduces itching and irritation;
- relieves skin redness;
- moisturizes and gently cares for the skin.
Sources:
- Sukolin Gennady Ivanovich, Illustrated clinical dermatology. Brief alphabetical reference book, publishing house Lux Print, 2010
- Chapman M. Shane, Habiff Thomas P., Zug Catherine A., Dinoulos James G. H., Campbell James L., Dermatology. Handbook of differential diagnosis, publishing house: MEDpress-inform, 2014
- Mancini Antoni G., Krouchuk Daniel P., Pediatric dermatology. Directory, publishing house: Practical Medicine, 2018
Hives after bedbug bites
Hives manifest as an itchy rash on the skin that is skin-colored or pale red. It develops within a few minutes and may occur several times during the day and go away again. We recommend looking at the photo.
The triggers for urticaria are still poorly understood. The immune system and allergic reactions may play an important role.
The rashes have a typical appearance, so a doctor can easily make a diagnosis. The problem, however, is to find the reason. Sometimes this cause is bed bug bites. The main treatment is aimed at finding and eliminating the cause. Therefore, along with treating yourself, you need to start “treating” your bed and apartment
In most cases, hives disappear within two days and at the latest after two weeks. If hives last more than six weeks, it is called chronic.
First aid and drug treatment against allergies
To protect yourself from allergic irritation, you need to know how to properly treat the bite site.
Before treating bites, you should disinfect the affected areas. The most important measure to prevent the occurrence of an inflammatory process and before treating bed bug bites is the use of an alcohol compress.
After an insect bite, the following measures are taken:
- Treatment of wounds with soda, soap, alcohol solution;
- Treatment of wounds with a special ointment, gel, cream for insect bites;
- Applying cold to the swollen area (cold water soaked in ice or a towel wrapped in cold water);
- Anti-histamine is used against itching (this also applies to allergy sufferers).
- Taking sorbents to reduce toxin levels and prevent insect allergies.
Once you notice the bites, you may want to first take a bath or warm shower to relieve the symptoms.
Also, to mitigate the risk of spreading dermatitis, tumors and relieve itching, you can use many of the below recommended medications in the form of gels, aerosols or sprays. For example, you can use Vietnamese Gold Star Balm to lubricate the lesions regularly. Or apply traditional methods to inflamed skin areas using rowan juice and fresh cabbage leaves.
IMPORTANT
Pregnant or nursing children should consult a doctor before taking any medications.
The emergency kit contains medications that can be taken in case of emergency before the doctor arrives. In case of shortness of breath, it is advisable to have a spray that dilates the bronchi and allows the victims to breathe again. If there are circulatory problems, adrenaline can be administered independently using an auto-injection syringe. In addition, an antihistamine and a cortisone-containing drug should be included in the emergency kit.
Patients with severe allergic symptoms should be monitored in hospital for some time as physical reactions may occur later.
Arthropod attacks on humans can have many manifestations clinically, histologically and immunologically. To be sure whether you have an allergy to insect venom or not, you can do a blood test. The doctor determines the concentration of tryptase in the serum, with this value the risk of allergic shock increases. In this case, special immunotherapy may be useful. Over the course of three years, the allergy medication is given every four to six weeks, so that after this time, many cases are no longer allergic to it.
General recommendations
Each insect bite causes a local response of varying severity. People who don't have allergies just wait for it to go away. To alleviate your condition, you can take certain measures:
- Applying ice to the bite site;
- Applying a vinegar solution to the affected area;
- Rinsing the wound under cold water (in case of stings from wasps, bumblebees, bees, etc.)2.
You should not get carried away with folk remedies, especially herbal decoctions or alcohol tinctures, which can aggravate the situation. It is recommended to avoid any foreign protein structures at the site of the allergen.
Age-related features of allergies to bedbug bites
Epidemiological studies, that is, those that help determine the frequency of allergies to insect venom, are few. The tool they use is questionnaires, which are surveys asking about bites and the symptoms they cause. In addition to the questionnaire, some work includes blood tests or skin test assessments. Based on these data, the frequency of so-called general (whole body) allergic reactions is: 0.6-3.5% among adults in Europe and 0.34% among schoolchildren.
However, large-scale local allergic reactions may occur in about a dozen percent of people.
Children and bedbugs: a dangerous neighborhood
Children being at risk are explained by the following:
- not fully formed immunity, inability to resist infection by insect saliva;
- thin, almost transparent skin and closely spaced capillaries, which bedbugs bite through without much effort.
This is why allergies to bedbug bites are much more common in children. Although it manifests itself as in adults, it almost always occurs with complications. This is due to constant scratching of the bite sites and re-infection of the wounds.
Children's skin is hypersensitive to bedbug bites
How to protect yourself from bedbugs?
A few simple rules can greatly limit the incursion of bed bugs into your home.
- When you buy a used piece of furniture or clothing, inspect it carefully before putting it back, and if in doubt, treat it for bedbugs.
- Avoid old beds, mattresses or sofas.
- When moving, if you are using a rental car, you should be aware that it may be infested with bedbugs, so transport everything in protective covers.
- When staying in hotels or clubs that may be prone to bed bugs, do not allow your belongings to lie on the floor. Better leave your suitcases in the bathroom.
- If you notice bed bugs in your room while visiting, wash your clothes in hot water and first inspect your belongings in the garage or bathroom.
These few precautions can prevent unwanted guests from sneaking into your bed.
And keep in mind that allergies can occur not only to bites. Bed bugs release histamine in their excrement. Thus, in bedbug-infested dwellings, up to 100 micrograms of histamine was present in 100 mg of dust, compared with less than 2.5 micrograms of histamine per 100 mg of dust in bedbug-free dwellings. Histamine remains in homes for several months after bed bugs are eliminated. Histamine can also trigger allergies, causing redness, itching, and breathing problems.
Traditional medicine
What medical procedures are used to relieve bed bug bites? Arrangements for treatment will be required in case of severe allergies. You can take painkillers to relieve pain; to reduce itching, you can choose special creams rich in steroids; and if you have allergies, you can take antihistamines!
Painkillers are very effective in relieving the pain of an insect bite. Choose analgesics with anti-inflammatory properties so that the medicine can both facilitate and speed up wound healing.
You can take ibuprofen, aspirin, paracetamol. These medications are usually sold without a prescription.
Cortisol treatment is very effective, especially when applied locally. Rich in steroids, they fight inflammation and subsequently reduce inflammation and pain. You can purchase any corticosteroid cream or ointment at the pharmacy. If the cortisol level does not exceed 1%, a doctor's prescription is not required.
Oral antihistamines should be used if you have an allergic reaction to substances found in bed bug saliva.
Prescription of medications must be obtained from a doctor. But if the allergy is mild, applying an antihistamine cream to the irritated area may be enough.
Traditional methods
As a symptomatic treatment, you can try natural-based folk remedies. They help relieve itching, reduce irritation and have a disinfecting effect.
The swelling site can be treated with the following means:
- Plantain juice;
- Propolis;
- Chamomile decoction;
- St. John's wort decoction;
- Tea tree oil;
- “Mush” of soda and water;
- Aloe juice
Preventive measures
If you have bedbugs, in order to avoid becoming their victim, it is important to completely clear your apartment of them. If you don't do this initially, it will become more difficult every day. The Internet describes in some detail various methods that will help you.
There is no 100% chance that you will be able to prevent the bites of furniture bugs, which, as stated above, can cause illness.
How to treat?
To treat allergies after a bug bite, you can use external remedies in case of a minor local reaction of the body. To reduce unpleasant symptoms, wash the inflamed areas with soap and water, dry, and then wipe with alcohol.
Alcohol
If an allergy after a bug bite is accompanied by extensive rashes, swelling, and annoying itching, then in this case it is necessary to carry out medical treatment. This will avoid serious complications.
Drugs that are used to treat allergies after a bug bite:
- antihistamines;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory;
- antibiotics;
- glucocorticosteroids.
