Can Bed Bugs Kill You?

Living with bed bugs under your roof can be scary. They’re often thought of as dirty pests that can be compared to mosquitoes or roaches. While bed bugs have been tested to contain numerous diseases, they’re not transmitters of it.

It is clear that, thankfully, bed bugs cannot kill you. However, they can cause a few other unpleasant problems when not taken care of.

Itchy Skin and Blisters

Bed bugs prefer to feed at night and target exposed areas such as the face, neck, hands, and arms. Bite marks get swollen and red. Most insect bites do have those effects, but with bed bugs, the area will have a dark spot at the center. It’s also possible to see lines or clusters of bites. 

These quick critters can bite without you noticing. They excrete a tiny amount of anesthetic in their saliva before feeding. They then go on feeding for minutes. It can take days before you notice any bites on you because of this anesthetic property.

While an infestation may be gross and irritating, the worst that a bite can do is develop into uncomfortable fluid-filled blisters.

Infection

Another worst-case scenario happens when bites are not taken care of properly. If you’re already living in an unsanitary environment, a bite can turn into a secondary skin infection when not adequately treated. People with frail immune systems can also be subject to an infection caused by a bite.

Symptoms of an infection include inflammation of the skin surface caused by fungus and bacteria. These bacteria gain access to your skin because the bite provides an entry into the layers beneath the epidermis.

Sleep Deprivation

Since bed bugs mostly crawl out at night, it can cause fear and stress. It’s hard to sleep knowing that there’s a possibility of getting bitten. This paranoia progresses into anxiety, which can lead to insomnia. The fear and lack of sleep can even trigger depression.

Mild Anemia

In sporadic cases, bed bugs have been known to cause anemia. It’s a condition when the body starts to lack red blood cells. This condition leads to weakness and a feeling that you’re always tired. Mild anemia often happens when the bitten person also has underlying health problems, which adds to an overall weak immune system. However, note that the risk of anemia from bed bugs is low. You’d need multiple bites before you become anemic. And even then, mild anemia isn’t fatal by itself.

Professional Heat Treatment Is The Answer

To avoid any health issue caused by bed bugs, you shouldn’t handle an infestation by yourself. Aside from that, it can be costly and inefficient. 

Bed bugs are resilient creatures. They find cracks, seams, and small areas where they can hide and go on without feeding for weeks—making it seem like they’re gone. They also lay eggs and multiply when not taken care of. Home remedies often won’t cut it.

Bed bugs dislike hot temperatures, and they perish when exposed to heat for long periods. Because heating equipment is expensive, you’re better off hiring professionals who have the tools. They also have the experience as they’ve wiped out numerous infestations in the past. They know how to handle the equipment and know just how long it takes before bed bugs are killed.

If you’re looking to end an infestation, seek professional help at Bed Bug Barbeque, located in Lakewood, Ohio! We use heat treatment to eradicate bed bugs and we offer entire home sanitation heat treatments. This safe, effective treatment is completed in less than 12 hours, and Bed Bug Barbeque, LLC offers a 60-day warranty for you to verify for yourself that your bed bugs are fully eradicated. Contact Bed Bug Barbeque, LLC today for a FREE quote at (216) 221-1227 or through our website, and check out our other bed bug informational resources on identification, prevention, and eradication.