Bed bugs feed on human blood, leaving bites, redness and causing a lot of discomfort on the skin. The itching from the bite deprives a person of a good night's sleep, makes him aggressive, nervous, and reduces concentration. But, in addition to this, bed bugs can cause really serious health problems. Let's figure out how dangerous bed bugs are for humans and why you need to immediately not only start removing them , but also take a number of health measures.
How a bug bites
Bedbug bites are often confused with mosquito bites, so they are not given much importance. But upon careful examination, it is still possible to distinguish bedbug bites. The bug attacks a sleeping person alone and at one time it makes several bites all over the body. As a result, a kind of trail of red spots forms on the skin. Bedbugs especially love children's skin. It is thin, easy to bite through, and the vessels are very close to the surface. Therefore, children most often suffer from bedbug bites. Meanwhile, adults living in the same apartment may not be touched by insects.
When biting, the bug secretes an enzyme that prevents blood from clotting. At the same time, it numbs the puncture site, so the person does not feel anything and does not wake up during the bite. Almost immediately, blisters appear on the skin, redness and swelling appear, which can increase over time.
Allergic reaction to bedbug bites
In addition to the local reaction, the immune system responds to the enzyme by releasing histamine. Its task is to activate leukocytes and dilate blood vessels. Opening of blood vessels provides greater permeability and accelerates the work of immune cells, which must neutralize the allergen. Coughing and sneezing appear - through them the body tries to remove the irritant.
Allergy as a reaction to the bug enzyme manifests itself in most people, even those who were not prone to it earlier throughout their lives. Any allergy is dangerous in itself. Impetuous frequent contractions of the bronchial muscles can lead to swelling of the mucous membranes of the throat, nose and suffocation, and a sharp dilation of blood vessels can lead to a drop in blood pressure to a critically low level.
If severe swelling appears, in particular on the face - swelling of the tongue and eyes, pouting and drooping of the upper lip, severely swollen and swollen ears - you need to immediately call an ambulance! These are the first signs of advancing Quincke's edema. Failure to act quickly can result in death.
To prevent the worst manifestations of allergies, immediately upon discovering the first bites, take any antihistamine - they are always in the family medicine cabinet. Most likely, they will be needed until the problem with bedbugs in the house is resolved. But it is best to consult an allergist as soon as possible.
Bedbugs are carriers of many diseases
Bedbugs are fast migrating insects. They run from apartment to apartment along the ceilings, crawling from the street into open windows. During these movements, the bug's body gets into the mud and picks up small debris. At the same time, insect droppings can contain all kinds of bacteria. When a bug bites a wound in the skin, dirt, bacteria and viruses can pass through it into the blood from the bedbug's paws, body or proboscis. And any contact with human blood is a risk of infection. In addition, during its life cycle, the bug comes into contact with the blood of different people and transfers viruses from sick to healthy people. Therefore, even one bite can be fatal and lead to the development of diseases such as:
- Typhus;
- Tularemia;
- Tuberculosis;
- Yellow fever;
- Syphilis;
- Hepatitis B;
- HIV.
It is important to identify the presence of bedbugs in the house as soon as possible and begin to combat it. In the previous article , we already looked at how to detect that bedbugs have appeared in your home, and also found out where they get into the apartment from. If you are convinced that there are bedbugs in your apartment, it is better to contact a professional pest control service!
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