Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite! Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Just the thought of bed bugs feasting away on our skin while we sleep is enough to make your skin crawl.  So how do these little creatures make their way into our homes?

Bed bugs can find their way into even the cleanest of homes through old and antique furniture, cracks and crevices in floors and walls or pets.  Another common way is by returning with you from your travels.

If you have travel plans this summer, keep in mind that bed bugs thrive in tropical climates, although they can exist in any climate.  They are more likely to occur in apartments or hotels where there is high turnover versus single-family homes.  They like to live in old or antique furniture, mattresses and wallpaper, so be sure to check the seams and folds of your mattress, sheets and bed frame for the insects before climbing in for a good night’s rest.

Bed bugs are small, usually 0.2 inches, and reddish-brown in color.  If the insects themselves cannot be seen, check for evidence of their existence, such as tiny specks of blood or excrement on sheets and mattresses.  There may also be a pungent or sweet odor where there is an infestation.  When returning home from travel, be sure to check all your luggage and clothing to make sure you don’t have any stow-aways.

Bed bugs are nocturnal and are ususally most active right before dawn.  Although the bites are painless and affect only the surface of the skin, they will leave small red itchy bumps.  Try not to scratch as this can lead to infection.  In most cases, self-treatment with cortisone creams will stop the itch and heal the bite.  However, some may experience a more complicated reaction such as hives, blisters or an allergic reaction.  It is important to seek treatment from a doctor to determine that they are in fact bed bug bites and for steps on how to eliminate the infestation.  This may include use of an insecticide, daily vacuuming and freezing of the vacuum bag for 24 hours, freezing of all bed clothes, sheets, etc. for 24 hours or washing everything in water 97 degrees Farenheit or hotter, and finally a professional inspection.

Tags: bed bugs

This entry was posted on Monday, July 6th, 2009 at 6:05 pm and is filed under Skin Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.