An allergy to bedbug bites appears in every person, but the intensity of manifestations depends on the individual characteristics of the organism. In some people, bedbug bites go away on their own within a week without special treatment, while others require the use of antihistamines, the use of antiallergic ointment.
On a note!
Of all types of bugs in our area, bed parasites are the most dangerous, but unlike triatom bugs, they do not pose a threat to life.
What causes allergies
The bug, like any blood-sucking insect, feeds only on blood.... With each bite, he inserts a pair of tiny tubes under the donor's skin. Through one, the insect sucks blood from the wound, and through the other it injects a small amount of saliva. It contains painkillers, so that a person does not feel a bite in a dream and most often learns about it only in the morning. In addition, there are substances in the saliva of the bug that prevent blood from clotting, as a result, it remains liquid while the insect feeds. An allergy to a bug bite is caused by proteins that are contained in saliva.
An allergy occurs when the immune system overreacts to foreign bodies in the body. With each subsequent portion of the allergen, the reaction will only intensify. Insect bites are no exception. The more often they bite, the more saliva is injected into the blood, the stronger the reaction is. Moreover, it does not matter how long the break between bites was. There is a known case when a hotel guest woke up and found small specks on the skin. A year later, she returned to the same place, but this time the tiny marks turned into large blisters that itched a lot.
Important! With each next bite, the allergic reaction only intensifies.
Protein in saliva is not the only cause of allergies. In some cases, a reaction occurs to skin contact with bed bug secretions or dead insect particles. Sometimes an allergy is caused by the skins of larvae after molting, which enter the body through the mouth or respiratory tract. In this case, the symptoms of an allergic reaction will differ. The severity of bed bug allergy depends on age. According to statistics, those over 65 have practically no reaction, and 42% of people do not notice any consequences at all. At the same time, children, especially under the age of 1 year, are most susceptible to reactions to bites.... Most often, complications arise in babies.
What else are dangerous bug bites:
- infection by biting or scratching;
- anemia in case of a child bite.
These cases are very rare. Most often, the bite passes in half a day or a day. But if an allergy occurs, the treatment will take from several days to a week.
How to protect yourself from bedbugs?
Here are some simple tips to help prevent parasite bites:
- The bed should be positioned so that it does not touch walls or furniture;
- New bed linens are recommended to be steamed before use. If there are bugs in the room, then the procedure should be carried out every 3-4 days;
- The pillow and blanket should be dry-cleaned to eliminate bedbugs;
- It is necessary to make the bed so that the sheet and blanket are at the maximum height from the floor;
To prevent bedbugs from crawling into your bed, move the bed away from the wall and cover the sheet and blanket higher
- Place containers of water near the bed to scare off parasites.
Bed bug allergies can lead to unpleasant and dangerous symptoms. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out pest control on time in order to prevent the appearance of a colony of parasites in the apartment.
See also: You need to know about bed bugs!
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Symptoms
Allergic reactions to a bite are divided into two large groups: local and general. Most often, the whole thing is limited only to local symptoms, for example:
- slight swelling at the site of the bite;
- redness of the skin;
- itching.
These symptoms, even in the case of allergies, most often go away on their own without medication. You can speed up the process with cold or antipruritic ointment. It is important in no case not to scratch the bite site, infections can penetrate into the wounds.
In some cases, the reaction to bedbugs living in an apartment is more pronounced, especially if this is not the first case of bites, and the person has already suffered from allergies earlier. A microscopic dose of the allergen is sufficient for symptoms to appear. Common manifestations include:
- runny nose;
- redness of the eyes and watery eyes;
- spasms in the bronchi, which can cause suffocation if not taken care of;
- Quincke's edema, if it affects the throat, it can also lead to suffocation and danger to life;
- hives in the form of a red itchy rash;
- anaphylactic shock with a sharp drop in blood pressure, without medical attention can lead to death.
As for a runny nose and watery eyes, these symptoms can appear without any bites, it is enough for the bugs to live in the apartment. So if you get these symptoms when you return home for no apparent reason, it might be worth checking for insects. Long-term allergy of this type without treatment sooner or later leads to bronchial asthma.
General manifestations of an allergic reaction are dangerous during pregnancy, since they must be treated with antihistamines. In addition, if the mother has difficulty breathing, it can damage the baby as well due to the lack of oxygen. If this happens, you must immediately consult a doctor, especially if there have already been reactions to the bites of various insects before.
Tired of pest control?
Are there cockroaches, mice or other pests in the country or in the apartment? We need to fight them! They are carriers of serious diseases: salmonellosis, rabies.
Many summer residents are faced with pests that destroy crops and damage plants.
In such cases, our readers recommend using the latest invention - the Pest Reject..
It has the following properties:
- Eliminates mosquitoes, cockroaches, rodents, ants, bedbugs
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How to treat
Before choosing a method of treatment, it is necessary to carry out a diagnosis. Research usually includes the following:
- visual inspection in a specialist's office;
- collection of anamnesis (whether there were such cases before, whether sensitivity was manifested, how long ago the bite happened, etc.);
- skin tests using the allergen and monitoring the reaction;
- a blood test, which is necessary to detect the concentration of eosinophils and the presence of immunoglobulin.
An allergist can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment. Only a specialist decides which diagnostic methods to use.If the patient has had anaphylactic shock after being bitten, skin tests are strictly prohibited.
Allergy treatment includes two main methods:
- elimination measures;
- drug treatment.
Treatment with medications is used when an allergic reaction to the bite has already manifested itself. Allergies cannot be completely eliminated with medication, but bothersome symptoms can be relieved or at least relieved. For the effectiveness of treatment, several groups of drugs are used at once. First of all, these are numerous antihistamines. They block the activity of histamine, which is the main cause of allergic reactions such as swelling and itching. Modern generations of these drugs have fewer side effects. They do not cause lethargy, drowsiness, dry eyes, and have a longer lasting effect compared to the drugs of the previous generation. As a result, such drugs do not need to be taken too often, once a day is enough. Such funds are available in several forms:
- ointment;
- spray for topical use;
- cream;
- drops;
- tablet form.
Here is a list of the most popular allergy pills and ointments:
- Cetrin;
- Tavegil;
- Erius;
- Suprastin;
- Zyrtec;
- Loratadine;
- Claritin;
- Afloderm;
- Eden;
- Fenistil-gel;
- Telfast.
It is best to choose drugs on the advice of your doctor. First, he will select the required dose and the appropriate form of the medicine. Secondly, first you need to accurately determine the diagnosis - whether it is precisely the allergy to the bite, and not something else. Otherwise, you can unsuccessfully be treated for months and spend too much money in vain.
In addition to antihistamines, the doctor may prescribe hormonal agents - glucocorticosteroids. They contain adrenal hormones that have strong anti-allergenic properties. This type of drug includes:
- Hydrocortisone;
- Advantan;
- Celestoderm;
- Pulmicort, etc.
These drugs can be purchased as topical, inhaled, or pill formulations. They relieve even the most difficult symptoms, in particular, they perfectly fight shortness of breath, spasms in the bronchi, relieve nasal congestion, and remove itching. Hormonal drugs cannot be prescribed to oneself, only a doctor should do this. The course of treatment is short and is used only if conventional antihistamines have not had the desired effect. Glucocorticosteroids have a whole list of contraindications and side effects. If, of all the symptoms after a bug bite, only itching is worried, it can be removed using folk methods:
- apply gruel from ground plantain leaves to the bite site;
- rinse the bite with a soda solution (1 tablespoon for 1 glass of water);
- put ice;
- make a compress from a decoction of medicinal herbs (chamomile, thyme).
Medical treatment will be incomplete if you do not pay attention to your own home. Elimination measures are required if the allergen is in the room. First things to do:
- Carry out a complete pest control. To do this, you can use specially designed tools or call specialists.
- Clean the entire apartment thoroughly. All carpets, rugs, curtains, linens, upholstery and especially mattresses should be cleaned in full. When using a vacuum cleaner, the dust container must first be placed in a tightly sealed bag and only then thrown into an outdoor container. Do not leave the bag in a vacuum cleaner or trash can.
- Wash all textiles. All clothing and linen must be washed in hot water. Buy covers for mattresses. For at least a year, it is necessary to put on special covers on the mattresses (usually they are marked "anti-allergic" or "from bedbugs").
- Carry out repairs. Insects can live under the wallpaper, so you need to remove the old ones and glue the new ones. You should also fill all cracks and cracks with sealant, even the smallest.The floor may have to be re-finished as well.
You can get rid of bedbugs yourself, but in this case it is important to choose the right remedy. Some chemicals are dangerous even for adults, not to mention children or pets. If poison or traps are used, they must not be in the access zone for animals and a child.
You can also use folk methods, for example, wormwood broth or vinegar water. But this method will only help if there are few bugs. It is safer and more reliable to entrust the process to specialists. When there are too many bedbugs, mattresses and items that cannot be fully cleaned or washed should be thrown away. Even when the insects are completely exterminated, it is advisable to then adhere to some rules:
- clean with a vacuum cleaner at least once a week;
- regularly remove dust from all surfaces;
- Clothes and linen are best stored in airtight containers or special bags.
In order not to become a victim of bedbug bites, you need to follow preventive measures, they are very simple:
- You should not visit places where there is a risk of bites.
- It is not advisable to purchase old furniture without first checking it for bugs, their larvae or eggs.
- After long trips, it is necessary to wash all clothes - parasites could have arrived with them.
- If there is a need to throw out things infected with bedbugs, you should not allow other people to use them. It is better to spoil things so that they are unusable.
- Taking an old chair, someone else's clothes, etc., from the street, is a bad idea. Bedbugs can live in them.
If a blister suddenly appeared in the morning and there is a suspicion that this is a bite, you urgently need to wash all your clothes, bedding, curtains, etc. Regular cleaning in the house and attentiveness to your own body will help, if not prevent 100%, then at least early stages to detect the problem.
Traditional methods
Of course, folk methods are designed not so much to treat allergies as to weaken its symptoms, to reduce discomfort (itching) or the extent of redness and swelling:
- chopped juicy plantain leaves (apply gruel to the itchy area);
- baking soda solution (half a glass of water for 1 teaspoon of soda);
- lotions from tincture of a string, St. John's wort, chamomile, sage, thyme;
- ice on the itchy place.
You can often cope with a mild allergy on your own at home, using traditional or folk (or better, in combination) methods of treatment. But in order not to provoke the onset of the disease, it is best to avoid the premises where bedbugs have settled. If they start up at home, the best way of salvation would be an urgent pest control: this applies both to those cases when the allergy is not yet present, and those when its symptoms are already present.
Pest control will help get rid of bedbugs
Be that as it may, one simple truth should be remembered: the best treatment for allergies is to eliminate the allergen.
