How to Treat Bed Bug Bites

You must have heard about bed bugs, if not, you should know that they are tiny insects that love to live in the bed sheets, pillows, and mattresses. Well, they actually can live anywhere in your home, but since they feed with blood from humans or animals, they will stick to areas that are closer to you. So, if you notice any red, small, itching bumps on your skin, especially on your face, arms, hands, and neck, don’t take them for a common rash and call a pest-control company.

Fortunately, the bites are not deadly, and you can treat the itchiness and other side effects with these top 5 remedies.

• Steroidal Cortisone Cream

Applying steroidal cortisone cream or just cortisone cream on the bite, will immediately reduce the effects of the venom injected, such as itching and allergic reactions. The cream also stops the inflammation from spreading and will help the skin to repair faster.

• Calamine Lotion

The calamine lotion will reduce the inflammation and will prevent the toxin from spreading. Although you might not want to use this cream due to its smell, calamine lotion has proved to be one of the most effective remedies for bed bug bites.

• Topical Anesthetics

In the beginning, the bite marks are small and red, but due to constant scratching, they swell and become bigger and more painful. By applying a topical anesthetic cream, such as pramoxine that will desensitize the affected area, you will not have the urge to scratch, and you will not feel pain anymore. This type of lotion will also give your skin enough time to heal and repair.

• Homemade Remedies

If you do not believe in medication, or you simply don’t have one of the above remedies in your home in the middle of the night, don’t worry. There is a homemade treatment that you can prepare yourself. Mix some baking soda with water and apply to the affected area. This paste will quickly neutralize the toxin in the bug bite and will prevent it from spreading. The stinging sensation of this mixture will also reduce the itching and swelling.

• Oral Pain Relievers

Unfortunately, when it come to bed bug bites, it’s not enough to simply sanitize and disinfect the wound. The toxin will just continue to spread, and the pain will increase. The best and fastest way to reduce all these side effects is to apply immediately calamine lotion or cortisone cream and take pain relievers, such as Ibuprofen.

If you have bed bugs in your home, don’t panic. Just call a professional pest control company and they will take care of everything. There are several things that you can do to prevent an infestation: don’t pick up any piece of furniture that has been discarded in the street or that has been exposed to moisture, don’t buy any used furniture and regularly clean and vacuum the mattresses and furniture. Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite.