Treatment For Bed Bug Bites - Don"t Scratch!
Once the initial shock of discovering a bed bug infestation wears off, the majority of victims immediately become concerned about the effect that bug bites may have on their health and the best treatment for bed bug bites.
Because everyone is different the reactions to bed bug bites will differ form person to person.
There will be some people who will not even realize they have been bitten because they have had no allergic reaction to the bites which have occurred as they slept.
The bites themselves are painless because the bed bug injects an anticoagulant first to allow the blood to flow more freely.
Many others are not so lucky and do suffer an allergic reaction.
The reaction is not to the bite itself, but to the anticoagulant injected by the bug.
While the itching from these bites can be unbearable it is very unlikely that there will be any life threatening symptoms.
So what is the best treatment for bed bug bites? You could visit your doctor, however because the bites are essentially an allergic reaction and have no distinctive appearance of their own they are quite often misdiagnosed as other skin problems.
They can take the appearance of a red rash, a reddish patch on the skin or little bumps or welts.
Getting rid of the bugs has to be your first priority to prevent further bites and you can get lots of tips on this site as to how you can do this.
The first step in the treatment of bed bug bites and probably the most important: DON'T SCRATCH.
This is practically impossible I know, but if the welts start to bleed and weep, there is a risk that they could become infected.
Bathe the area of the bite with some warm water and then apply a cooling cream something like Hydrocortisone or another such cream specifically for insect bites.
You may also consider taking an antihistamine orally such as Benadryl which is available over the counter in drug stores.
Calamine Lotion is also a good option to get temporary relief, but it can be very messy! How long do you have to put up with the itching? There is really no straight answer.
In some cases the itching will stop and welts disappear in as little as a few days, while the less fortunate can suffer for up to two weeks!
Because everyone is different the reactions to bed bug bites will differ form person to person.
There will be some people who will not even realize they have been bitten because they have had no allergic reaction to the bites which have occurred as they slept.
The bites themselves are painless because the bed bug injects an anticoagulant first to allow the blood to flow more freely.
Many others are not so lucky and do suffer an allergic reaction.
The reaction is not to the bite itself, but to the anticoagulant injected by the bug.
While the itching from these bites can be unbearable it is very unlikely that there will be any life threatening symptoms.
So what is the best treatment for bed bug bites? You could visit your doctor, however because the bites are essentially an allergic reaction and have no distinctive appearance of their own they are quite often misdiagnosed as other skin problems.
They can take the appearance of a red rash, a reddish patch on the skin or little bumps or welts.
Getting rid of the bugs has to be your first priority to prevent further bites and you can get lots of tips on this site as to how you can do this.
The first step in the treatment of bed bug bites and probably the most important: DON'T SCRATCH.
This is practically impossible I know, but if the welts start to bleed and weep, there is a risk that they could become infected.
Bathe the area of the bite with some warm water and then apply a cooling cream something like Hydrocortisone or another such cream specifically for insect bites.
You may also consider taking an antihistamine orally such as Benadryl which is available over the counter in drug stores.
Calamine Lotion is also a good option to get temporary relief, but it can be very messy! How long do you have to put up with the itching? There is really no straight answer.
In some cases the itching will stop and welts disappear in as little as a few days, while the less fortunate can suffer for up to two weeks!
