Bed Bugs

If you have ever suffered from bed bug bites, you know how much of a nightmare it is to deal with the intense itching. These tiny insects feed on our blood as we sleep and turn peaceful slumber into an ordeal. This blog is a detailed guide to everything you need to know about where bed bugs come from, how they spread, as well as the treatment, management, and prevention of bed bug bites.

What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are parasites. These tiny insects depend on their human hosts to provide them with essential nutrition to survive. Bed bug symptoms occur at night because that is the time they are the most active. The most common type of bed bug is the Cimex lectularius, which is also found in the other mild climate zones around the world.

Bed Bug Habitats

As long as there is a human host within reach, bed bugs can thrive in most locations. Habitats common to bed bugs include:

  • Furniture upholstery
  • In sofa cushions
  • Seams of the mattress
  • In the mattress box springs
  • Furniture joints
  • Cracks in the wall
  • Behind headboards, baseboards, wallpaper
  • Behind electrical outlets

Bed bug skin rash is pretty common because of the abundance of multi-unit buildings. These invasive insects can move between rooms through cracks in the walls or plumbing pathways.

Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation

Common signs of a bed bug infestation are as follows:

  • Overnight appearance of bed bug bites on skin
  • Reddish brown spots on sheets (blood from crushed bed bugs)
  • Traces of shed bed bug skin (exoskeleton)
  • Traces of bed bug fecal matter
  • A sweet and musty smell

What are the symptoms of bed bug bites?

A single female bed bug is capable of laying two to five hundred eggs in a lifetime. Bed bug bite symptoms include the following:

  • Itchy and red bumps (in a line or cluster formation)
  • Inflammation
  • Irritation
  • Mild pain and swelling
  • Stinging sensation

Excessive itching of the bed bug bite may cause a secondary infection. Some people are prone to developing a delayed response to a bed bug bite. Rarely, a bed bug bite may cause a severe allergic reaction which requires a visit to the emergency room. In case of an adverse response to a bug bite in Istanbul, patients can seek a prompt evaluation at the Medical Park Hospital with ease.

Sites of Bed Bug Bites

Patients presenting with bed bug bites have raised, reddish bumps on their faces, neck, arms, legs, and back.

What causes bed bug infestations and bites?

Bedbug bites itch intensely and the resulting irritation is a significant emotional and physical burden. The complete life cycle of bed bugs takes about 5 to 8 weeks. The reasons for a bed bug infestation may be:

  • Bed bugs in clothes and luggage (hitchhiking from an infested area to your home)
  • Buying infested second-hand household items like furniture
  • Multi-unit apartments (bed bugs can travel through wall cracks and plumbing)
  • Living in crowded places (dorms)
It is important to understand that bed bug infestations do not occur due to lack of cleanliness. Bed bugs are nocturnal, so if you are not paying attention, it is easy to miss the early signs of an infestation. Bed bugs flourish because of the favorable climate conditions. Common causes for signs and symptoms of bed bug bites include:
  • Living in shared spaces
  • Sleeping on an infested mattress
  • Using second-hand furniture
  • Exposure while traveling

What are the side effects of bed bug bites?

Bed bugs tend to hide in clothing, luggage, bedding, etc. This allows them to travel long distances and spread to areas not previously infested. If you get a bed bug bite after traveling, there is a good chance that the bed bug was your travel companion. Adverse symptoms of bed bug bites may include:

  • Severe, itching, redness, inflammation
  • Secondary infections
  • Delayed reaction to a previous bite
  • Severe local allergy
  • Emotional distress
  • Anaphylactic symptoms (rare)

For bed bug infestations, professional pest control services are available. The peak season for bed bug bites is during summer and early autumn.

How are bed bug bites treated?

Bed bug bite treatment is twofold. It involves treating the individual and their surroundings. Bed bug bite diagnosis is a clinical one and requires no lab tests. The options for the bed bug bite medical treatment in Turkey include:

  • Ointments for itching (Steroids)
  • Oral antihistamines
  • Antibiotics (in case of a secondary infection)

If you are suffering from bed bug bite symptoms, then it is prudent to get a medical evaluation for proper treatment. Antibiotics for a secondary infection also require a doctor’s note.

How to get rid of bed bugs?

Getting rid of bed bugs requires the following steps:

  • Washing and drying clothes, bedding, blankets, etc., at high temperatures for 20 minutes or more
  • Sealing the infested fabrics in plastic bags and freezing (below 0°C) for four days
  • High heat steam cleaning of bed bug habitats like mattresses, and furniture
  • Hiring a professional bed bug cleaning service or exterminator (pest control)
If you have successfully dealt with a bed bug infestation, you can prevent it from happening again by sealing your mattress in a plastic cover, vacuuming regularly, decluttering your living space, closing any cracks in the walls, keeping an eye out for bed bugs while traveling, etc.