Getting a bed bug bite can bring up many different emotions for a person. First, they can be disgusted that there were bed bugs crawling on them and biting them during the night. They may also experience stress because they do not know how large the bed bug infestation is. They can also be worried about how they are going to get rid of all of the bed bugs in the first place. Although all of these emotions are swimming around, it is important to focus on one thing at a time. The first thing a person should do is treat their bed bug bite. The bite can be itchy and painful, so it is important to treat it so it does not get scratched and infected. There are a few different ways to treat a bed bug bite, and once it is treated, you can then focus on the other tasks at hand.
You will want to first wash the bites with soap and water. Bed bugs will usually bite exposed skin and places like the hands, face, neck and back. You should wash the area with mild soap and warm water. You should wet the surface of your hands and work the soap into your hand to form a foamy lather. Rub this later onto the affected area. Repeat this process until the entire area is covered. Leave the later on and do not rinse right away. Allow this lather to dry over the bitten areas. This will help alleviate itchiness and reduce the chance of any skin infection.
There are a number of home remedies that are used for treating bed bugs bites. These are good methods to know because a trip to the doctor will cost you money, and they may tell you to do exactly the same thing. One remedy you can try is making a paste out of baking soda and water. Slowly add small amounts of water to the baking soda and stir it until you have a thick paste. Apply this paste to the bed bug bites. Like the soap lather, allow it to dry and stay on the rash or about an hour before rinsing it off with warm water.
Lemon juice, St. John’s Wort and witch hazel can also be used in the treatment of bed bugs. These are all natural astringents, which means they help relieve itching. You should soak a cotton ball in any one of these substances and dab at the rash. This will help the bite and rash dry out and it will stop the itching.
You can also use gel from an aloe plant and apply it to bug bites. Not everyone has an aloe plant in their house, so you can also use 100% aloe vera gel found at your local drug store. Aloe has antibiotics and anti-fungal properties that can help reduce any risk of infection due to scratching. It also cools the skin down and relieves any itching.
There are also many creams and lotions that you can use to relieve itching. You can use an anti-itch cream that is found over-the-counter. You should only use creams for about a week because if it used for more than a week, there could be unwelcome side-effects. Calamine lotions will also help relieve itching.
If you are swelling, or the bites are causing you an immense amount of pain, Benadryl and ibuprofen can be used to relieve these symptoms. These treatments are often not necessary because keeping the bite area clean and sanitized usually will relieve any symptoms.
There are several great treatment options that will receive the pain and itching that can be caused by bed bug bites. Using any one of them will help you take your mind off of the bite and help you focus on getting rid of the bed bugs from your home once and for all.