Can Bed Bugs Make You Sick?

Have you recently visited abroad? Alternatively, have you been looking for a new apartment?

Then there is one unwanted guest you do not want to live with, and that is a bed bug.

Bed bugs are a nuisance and expensive to get rid of once they move into a place. However, the biggest concern is if these pests can make you sick, such as causing an allergic reaction from a bite mark.

We already need to deal with many other disease-spreading insects like mosquitoes and ticks so what about this irritant.

In the article, we will inform you how bed bugs impact the mental to the physical health of humans, but if you need to get rid of bed bugs fast, check out this post.

Do They Carry Diseases?

Bed bugs are mischievous critters that you cannot always see with the eye. A fact is that they hitch a ride with you when sleeping at a hotel as bed bugs live on bed sheets and sometimes clothing. Alternatively, they get into your items when you relocate as well.

Furthermore, they also remain living on the floor and walls as well. So as a pest how dangerous are they for humans?

A fact is that this beastie does carry harmful diseases. However, it only becomes a problem when they come in contact with animals and people when they can sometimes cause health problems.

Therefore, the bed bug is no exception and do carry diseases as any other insect and it is worth knowing the health risks. When compared to the tick or mosquitoes, the bed bug does not transmit disease but can leave you with severe bites. The bite marks are usually visible on your skin and can sometimes lead to secondary skin infections.

There are no cases available that show that bed bugs carry diseases that are life-threatening to humans. Researchers found up to 45 pathogens in the feces, saliva, and stomachs of bed bugs.

However, there is still no proof that these pathogens transmit to humans through the bed bugs bite. At least you can feel better if you are dealing with this stressful infestation.

So can bed bugs get inside your body?

The answer is no, and the bed bug does not dig into your skin as you only find them on the surface of the skin.

Furthermore, they use your body to feed then hide in the room. Therefore, if you are encountering a small pest in your skin the likeliness is it is a tick or flea. Check out my other post, where I have more bedbug pictures.

Secondary Infections Caused by Bed Bug Bites

A fact is that you will not even feel a bed bug biting you. While they do not transmit diseases, they can affect your health.

In some cases, the bite of the insect can cause infections when you scratch, and the skin breaks causing bacteria getting into the wound.

If you have a minor infection, you can treat it at home by cleaning the bite and applying antibiotic ointment. Furthermore, you can get the cream without prescription as well. Also try and avoid excessive scratching.

However, if it worsens, you need to get medical help from your health care provider if you notice any red streaks coming from the wound or have a fever.

The likeliness is that the infection has spread and can become dangerous. You will need antibiotic treatment to help remove the contagion.

So what other ailments can bed bugs cause?

Another risk that can develop from severe bed bug infestation is that you can develop anemia from blood loss with repeated bites. So if you have noticed bites on the scalp or body and feel tired, then it can be the cause of bed bugs. Therefore, bed bugs can make you feel tired. Read more about symptoms of bedbugs in hair.

Children are more likely to suffer from the ailment as their bodies are not as resilient as adults. So if you noticed bed bug bites, you might want to have your doctor run some tests.

The symptoms of anemia are:

• A fast heartbeat
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Leg cramps
• Shortness of breath
• Sleeplessness

Bed Bugs Can Cause Skin Allergies

Bed bug bites can be puzzling as you can sometimes not notice it on some people. On the other hand, in some cases, it is more noticeable on other people as they have red and itchy spots.

While these small vampires feast on you and leave itchy blotches, some humans can have a severe allergic reaction caused by the bites.

In most cases, this is rare but can happen. The difficulty is to prove that it is the cause of the bed bug as it is hard to pinpoint.

There have been many people with hives suspecting it to be the cause of bed bug bites, but not a guarantee.

Some researchers feel there are cases where the insect causes severe hives leading to anaphylactic shock.

Allergy signs to look out for?

Having bed bugs sharing your room causes worry as it is your safe sanctuary. Just the thought of sharing your space with these small critters sneaking around and crawling over you leaves you with no sleep.

Furthermore, it can affect your health as it leaves you:

• With a burning and painful skin sensation
• Leaves the skin with raised itchy bumps with a transparent center due to reaction to the bites
• Can leave the surface with a dark center with swollen surroundings around the hive
• You can get small red bumps with a line or zigzag pattern
• Sometimes the bite mark rash is surrounded by blisters

Furthermore, not only do they leave you feeling dizzy or tired, just the thought of the cost to get rid of them leaves you frustrated.

Maybe you have heard from an exterminator how difficult it is to rid your home of these critters and feel extremely emotional trying to fight the infestation.

Furthermore, you do not want to tell other people that you are dealing with bed bugs. Why because as with lice the beg bug also has a stigma and feel people will think you are dirty.

You feel ashamed! Do not think that way as having bed bugs does not mean your house is not clean. By realizing this may help with your mental health to deal with these critters.  

Feeling tired, overwhelmed, and stressed is typical and there is a solution available to solve the problem. You can find different products available on the market from Lysol, Raid, to Borax to take care of the problem.

Protect your health

One of the most stress-inducing and annoying insects you can find in the home today is the bed bug. These sneaky critters are hard to spot and are good at hiding.

Furthermore, they reproduce quickly, and you can have a full-blown infestation with a blink of the eye. However, there is good news, and that is, they cannot transmit any serious diseases.

On the other hand, they cause you discomfort when feeding on you at night. While the long-lasting health problems are not severe, they do cause temporary issues for you both emotional and physical.

So if you are not sure if you do have a bed bug infestation, the best way to solve the problem is to call in a professional exterminator to help. You can find local pest control companies in online directories such as Yell etc, however if you want to save some money and do your own pest control, check out my page about bed bug sprays. If you do go down this route, it is important to spray all the places that bed bugs live and wash all linen and clothing thoroughly, unless you want to help the bed bugs make you sick again.