Can bed bugs affect your health?

Bed bugs are a public health pest. While bed bugs have not been shown to transmit disease, they do cause a variety of negative physical health, mental health and economic consequences. Some of these effects include: Allergic reactions to their bites, which can be severe.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on epa.gov


What are the long term effects of bed bug bites?

Allergies to the bite, caused by bed bug saliva, can trigger hives, rashes, itching and burning. Bites can become infected, causing additional problems. Scarring can occur and persist for months or longer. A few patients develop severe systemic reactions including trouble breathing, severe infections, and anaphylaxis.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on smithereen.com


What do bed bugs do to your body?

Bedbugs are small, reddish-brown blood-sucking, wingless insects. Bedbug bites usually clear up without treatment in a week or two. Bedbugs aren't known to spread disease, but they can cause an allergic reaction or a severe skin reaction in some people.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mayoclinic.org


Can bed bugs get into your bloodstream?

A recent study revealed that bed bugs inject more than 45 different salivary proteins into the human bloodstream. Some of these compounds inhibit platelet formation, widen blood vessels, delay clotting, and anesthetize the skin.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on bbpest.com


What happens if you don't treat bed bugs?

Untreated, a particularly severe reaction can lead to death. anxiety A nervous disorder causing excessive uneasiness and apprehension. People with anxiety may even develop panic attacks.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on sciencenewsforstudents.org


VERIFY: Can bed bug bites be harmful to your health?



Can you get sick from too many bed bug bites?

Can you get sick from bed bug bites? ANSWER: Though not very common, experts say yes bed bug bites can sometimes lead to severe allergic reactions, insomnia and even anxiety.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on wusa9.com


Can bed bugs cause heart problems?

A new paper in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene reported that bed bugs might be able to host and transmit Chagas Disease, a chronic heart disease caused by the blood parasite Trypanosoma cruzi.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on wired.com


Do bed bugs make you tired?

People who have chronic, large clusters of bedbug bites can develop anemia, which can cause fatigue.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on verywellhealth.com


What is the main cause of bed bugs?

They can come from other infested areas or from used furniture. They can hitch a ride in luggage, purses, backpacks, or other items placed on soft or upholstered surfaces. They can travel between rooms in multi-unit buildings, such as apartment complexes and hotels.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on health.ny.gov


What kills bed bugs instantly?

The high temperature of steam 212°F (100°C) immediately kills bed bugs. Apply steam slowly to the folds and tufts of mattresses, along with sofa seams, bed frames, and corners or edges where bed bugs may be hiding.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on ngpest.com


What to do if you slept in a bed with bed bugs?

Clean bedding, linens, curtains, and clothing in hot water and dry them on the highest dryer setting. Place stuffed animals, shoes, and other items that can't be washed in the dryer and run on high for 30 minutes. Use a stiff brush to scrub mattress seams to remove bedbugs and their eggs before vacuuming.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on webmd.com


Can you live with bed bugs?

They prefer open areas of the skin to feed rather than living on them. After a bed bug feeds, it swells up into a red balloon to almost three times its normal size; hence, bed bugs cannot survive on a human body or live discreetly while swelled up to that level. Bedbugs cannot live on your body.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on medicinenet.com


Can bed bugs cause respiratory problems?

Indeed, some people can catch the lungs are often caused by viruses, bacteria and even pathogens such as fungi. However, bedbugs on the wrong bed can also cause illness through a respiratory infection, such as influenza, bronchitis that "degenerates" and subsequently settles in the alveoli of the lungs.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on pulsus.com


Can you get Lyme disease from bed bugs?

Can bed bugs also transmit diseases like malaria, West Nile or Lyme disease? Becoming a victim of a bed bug infestation is certainly devastating, but the public can rest easy knowing that these pests are not known to transmit any diseases.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on pestworld.org


Are bed bug bites serious?

Although bedbug bites are rarely dangerous, they can be very itchy. In some cases, they become infected or cause an allergic reaction.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on healthline.com


Can bugs live in your lungs?

These 'pockets' in the airways mean that mucus gets trapped. The trapped mucus doesn't get removed as quickly as usual and this allows bugs that land in the lung to stay down in the lungs. Once the bugs grow to a certain level a chest infection or flare up occurs.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on bronchiectasis.azurewebsites.net


Can bed bugs cause headaches?

Although bed bugs are tiny, they can cause major headaches because they're so difficult to find and hard to get rid of. Use the tips below to help control this stubborn pest. Understanding how bed bugs eat and live can help you get rid of them.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cchealth.org


Do bed bugs ever go away?

Bed bugs can live for as long as 4.5 months or more in an empty house before completely dying off. The two primary factors that determine how quickly or slowly the bed bugs could die off are the existence of a blood meal host, and the temperature of the house.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on dominionpestcontrol.com


What kind of diseases can you get from bed bugs?

Bed bugs, like the triatomines, can transmit Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease, one of the most prevalent and deadly diseases in the Americas, research has confirmed. The bed bug may be just as dangerous as its sinister cousin, the triatomine, or "kissing" bug.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on sciencedaily.com


Do bed bugs stay on your skin after a shower?

First things first, then: no, bed bugs can't stay on your skin if you either shower or bathe. If you didn't know, bed bugs don't infest your hair like fleas or lice. They live in your mattress or furniture, or even in cracks in the walls. They don't live in your hair or on your skin.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on bedbugsinsider.com


Should I sleep in my bed if I have bed bugs?

Do continue to sleep in your bedroom after identifying a bed bug infestation. If you move rooms or start sleeping on the couch you run the risk of contaminating these other areas of your home.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on smithereen.com


Should I stay home if I have bed bugs?

You can go to work with bed bugs, although you should try to avoid bringing any to the office, shop, or factory with you. This can be done through quarantine. Keep your work and home clothes separate (store them in a plastic zip-lock bag) to avoid taking any into the workplace.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on bedbugsinsider.com


Can I sleep in another bed if I have bed bugs?

You can sleep in your bed straight away after heat treatment with no issues. There shouldn't be any bed bugs in nearby furniture, either. So, if it was done right, heat treatment means you won't get bitten at all while you sleep at night.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on bedbugsinsider.com


How long do bed bugs live?

Under normal circumstances adult bed bugs will live for about 2 to 4 months. Young nymphs can survive without a blood meal for days up to several months. Older nymphs and adults can survive longer without a blood meal, up to a year under very favorable conditions.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on extension.umn.edu


Is Febreze good for bed bugs?

The answer is NO- or at least very, very unlikely. There is 0 evidence to support that it has any effect After speaking about this subject in a group full of bed bug experts, we all came to the conclusion that it probably doesn't even repel bed bugs.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on bedbug-inspector.com