What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like?

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• What do bed bug bites look like?
• Where do bed bugs hide?
• When and where do bed bugs bite?
• How to treat bed bug bites
• How do you know if you have bed bugs?

When you think of annoying, common house bugs your mind probably jumps to stink bugs, flies, cockroaches, and spiders. But there’s one home invader that is very different from the rest: bed bugs. While bed bug bites might not be the most common bug bites to receive, if you’ve recently woken up with a few itchy bumps, you might want to keep reading.

The trouble with identifying a bed bug bite—as is true for a lot of insects, including mosquitoes—is that it can be hard to identify the source, as not everyone’s immune response is the same. “Everybody’s going to respond differently,” says Timothy Gibb, Ph.D., a clinical professor of entomology at Purdue University. “Same thing’s true with a mosquito bite. Some people are going to swell up and it’s going to itch. That same mosquito could bite someone else and it’s hardly noticeable.”

In fact, Gibb says some people’s skin doesn’t respond to a bed bug bite at all, which is especially the case for the elderly population. That’s why it can be difficult to determine if your bite is from a bed bug just by looking at it.

However, there are a few things that can tip you off to the fact that bed bugs are the culprit of your bites. Here’s what to know, including bed bug bites pictures to help you visualize the symptoms.

What do bed bug bites look like?

Joel Carillet//Getty Images

The key bed bug bite symptom to look for is a red, raised bump, says Gibb, similar in appearance to a spider or mosquito bite. But what sets bed bugs apart from other insects is that oftentimes, their bites will present in a line or cluster on one part or side of your body. This is the result of what’s called “probing.”

Bed bug bites show up in a line, most often in a cluster of 3 to 4 bites.

“They probe the skin in several different places, I think probably to find best access to draw blood,” says Gibb. In fact, if you have screens on your windows—thereby keeping out other insects that might bite—but are still waking up with a line of 3 or 4 bites on your arm, it’s safe to suspect that bed bugs might be to blame, says Edwin Rajotte, Ph.D., a professor of entomology at Penn State University.

Where do bed bugs hide?

Another way to determine if your bites come from bed bugs is to look for the insects themselves. They naturally like to hide in your mattress, especially in the corners, near the head end, and in the cord that goes around it. They also like to camp out behind the headboard, behind any pictures on the wall, and in electrical sockets.

Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed and are very flat from top to bottom—almost as thin as a piece of paper—with a brownish color, says Rajotte. Baby bed bugs are also brownish in color, but pinhead-sized. Another key identifier? Look for black spots on your sheets, mattress, and mattress cover, which could be bed bug feces.

John-Reynolds//Getty Images

When and where do bed bugs bite?

Bed bug bites will most commonly occur on the arms, neck, or trunk of the body, says Gibb, although they’ll bite anywhere they can find exposed skin. And—as their name suggests—bed bugs will bite you at night while you’re sound asleep.

“We’ve found it’s most active when people are most sound asleep, and that’s usually from about 2:00 to 4:00 in the morning,” says Gibb. “That’s natural for a parasite like that to do that because it’s going to protect it. People won’t see it, they won’t feel it. It makes their survivorship much more probable.”

Joel Carillet//Getty Images

According to Changlu Wang, Ph.D., extension specialist in entomology at Rutgers University, bed bugs typically feed every two to three days when a host is present, so if fresh bites appear in such a frequency, the timing could be another indicator of their presence.

How to treat bed bug bites

If you’ve been bitten and have an insatiable itch, chances are, you’re going to want to speed up the treatment process. Unfortunately, the best way to do that is also the hardest way to do it: not scratching the bite, says Gibb, which will just further irritate the area.

If you’re having trouble keeping your claws off, you can also try using an antihistamine—think Benadryl or Allegra, which are meant to curb allergy symptoms—to help mute that itchy feeling.

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And if bed bugs are the cause of your bites, realize there’s no urgent need to panic. Yes, they might cost you a pretty penny and can be a pain to get rid of, but bed bugs can’t do any serious damage to your body. “They don’t kill people,” says Gibb. “A parasite would have a hard time surviving if it killed its host, and these do not.”

In fact, they don’t even transmit anything dangerous to you. “They’ve never been shown to transmit any diseases,” says Rajotte. “Unlike mosquitoes and ticks and things, which can transmit some pretty bad diseases, bed bugs do not. And so while they’re annoying and all that, they’re not going to harm your children or anything like that. They’re just annoying and you need to get rid of them.”

Are bed bug bites itchy? Do they hurt?

Although some people will say a bed bug bite hurts somewhat—though not as intensely as the sting of a bee, for example—most complaints are due to the itching the bites cause, says Gibb. And that itching is due to the chemicals the bed bug inserts into your body during the bite, adds Rajotte.

“They’ve become what I consider the perfect parasite, because their mouthparts are kind of interesting,” says Gibb. “They will inject an anesthetic prior to biting, so people won’t feel it. And then they inject an anticoagulant that allows the blood to run easier for them to suck that up.” So while that system works great for the bugs, those left-over chemicals will usually lead to some uncomfortable itching on your end.

Joel Carillet//Getty Images

How long do bed bug bites last?

Although the duration and intensity of a bed bug bite will hugely vary from person to person, you typically won’t feel the effects of a bed bug bite—like itching and those raised red bumps—until mid-morning after a bite due to the anesthetic the bug injects, says Gibb.

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“So they certainly don’t feel it when the bite is occurring, but shortly after, probably within a day, for sure,” he adds.

The bite symptoms typically last for about two weeks, explains Wang. “Some people may still show symptoms after a month,” he says, while others may see their bites dissipate over a few days.

Ready to banish them from your home? Here’s our expert-approved, step-by-step guide to getting rid of bed bugs for good.

How do you know if you have bed bugs?

According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD), there are two main ways to know if you have bed bugs lurking in your home: Bed bug bites themselves, and signs of their existence.

First, examine your bug bites (if you have any) and determine if they appear to be from bed bugs or not. As mentioned above, bed bug bites will likely occur on the arms, neck, and trunk of the body, and often appear as a line or row of red, raised bumps on one section of the body. They can also appear in a zig-zag pattern.

Next, inspect your mattress and other furniture for signs of the bed bugs themselves. There may be small specks of blood on the mattress (be sure to look near the seams) or other upholstered furniture, according to the AAD. You also may notice small, black specks, which are excrement from the bed bugs, or tiny, white, oval-shaped specks which are eggs.

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Brielle Gregory

Brielle Gregory previously worked at Men’s Health magazine, where she reported, edited, and fact checked all things health, nutrition, and weight loss related; she currently spends her time digging into similar topics as a freelancer writer and editor. She’s a doting dog mom to a half-corgi and an aspiring world-traveler who’s probably planning her next trip right now (the dog included).

Lyme Disease Symptoms – What Does a Lyme Disease Rash Look Like?

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States, affecting up to 300,000 people a year, according to estimates from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In certain parts of the country (particularly the Northeast or upper Midwest), checking for ticks is practically a summertime rite of passage.

Experts know that Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted from the bite of an infected blacklegged tick (a.k.a. deer tick). But diagnosing the condition isn’t always so straightforward. Once inside your body, the bacteria can wreak havoc in a number of ways. Yes, that can include the classic bullseye-shaped rash. But many of the other symptoms of Lyme disease aren’t as well known, and they can be frustratingly vague.

That’s why it’s important to familiarize yourself with the signs and seek medical attention ASAP if you think you or a loved one may have Lyme. The disease is typically easy to treat as long as you know what to look for.

Early symptoms of Lyme disease

The first signs of Lyme can strike anywhere from 3 to 30 days after getting bitten by an infected tick, the CDC says.

A red rash

Getty Images

Up to 80% of people will develop a red rash (known as erythema migrans) in the days or weeks after contracting Lyme disease. It usually forms at the site of the tick bite, and the redness is basically an allergic reaction to the tick’s saliva, says Nikhil Bhayani, M.D., an infectious disease specialist at Texas Health Hurst-Euless-Bedford.

Lyme disease rashes will often be bullseye-shaped, but they can also just be a red blotch. The rash will usually expand with time and can get as big as 12 inches. It might feel warm to the touch or look a little crusty in the center where you were bitten, but it won’t be itchy or uncomfortable. While common, it’s still worth noting that some people with Lyme may never develop a rash.

Flu-like symptoms

Not everyone experiences a full laundry list of flu-like symptoms. But there’s a good chance you’ll notice at least a few, Dr. Bhayani says. This potentially includes:

• Fatigue
• Muscle and joint pain
• Headache
• Neck stiffness
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Fever
• Chills

The flu-like symptoms are a result of your immune system’s attempt to fight off the bacterial infection and help you get better, says Kalpana D. Shere-Wolfe, M.D., an infectious disease specialist the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus.

Of course, these kinds of symptoms could indicate many different illnesses. One clue that a tick bite caused them? With Lyme disease, you won’t experience the coughing or congestion that often comes with the actual flu, Dr. Shere-Wolfe says.

Later Lyme disease symptoms

After a month or so, people infected with Lyme disease may start showing additional symptoms. These can include:

Larger or additional rashes

As the Lyme disease infection spreads throughout the body, your rash might start to expand even more. You might also develop new, smaller rashes nearby. Like the early rash, these might be bullseye-shaped. But they can also just look splotchy or blob-like, according to the CDC. They might even take on a slightly bluish tint in the middle.

Exhaustion, fuzzy thinking, and other cognitive problems

Borrelia burgdorferi is one of the few bacteria that can cross the blood-brain barrier and infect the central nervous system, explains Timothy J. Sellati, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer for the Global Lyme Alliance. That can lead to inflammation of the brain, which can affect your central nervous system function in a few different ways.

One of those is extreme fatigue, which affects as many as 76% of people with advanced Lyme disease, according to research. Trouble concentrating, loss of coordination, and short-term memory loss are other possible problems, occurring in up to 24% of people. In extreme cases where the disease is left untreated for extended periods, you might even develop facial weakness and behavioral changes, Sellati says.

Intense headaches

The same inflammation that causes fatigue and fuzzy thinking can also lead to headaches, which findings suggest could strike in up to 70% of people with Lyme disease.

Usually, these feel intense and more similar to a migraine than your run of the mill tension headache, Dr. Bhayani says. In addition to throbbing pain, you might also experience hypersensitivity to noise or light.

Severe pain, numbness, or tingling in your joints and muscles

Around 60% of patients will develop joint pain or even arthritis as their Lyme disease progresses, according to a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine study. Usually, it starts in the joints closest to where you were bitten and can spread from there, especially to areas like the knees. The pain isn’t usually constant, though. Experts don’t fully understand why, but “the symptoms can wax and wane over a period of weeks or months,” Sellati says.

Over time, the disease can attack the cartilage in the joints and lead to tissue damage, says Linda Yancey, M.D., an infectious disease specialist with Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital in Katy, TX.

Like many of the other problems caused by Lyme disease, this one is also triggered by inflammation. “The damage to tissues, bone, and cartilage is caused by the production of pro-inflammatory proteins, the same protein responsible for damage caused by rheumatoid arthritis,” Sellati says.

Heart palpitations, dizziness, or shortness of breath

In addition to invading the central nervous system, Borrelia burgdorferi can make its way into heart tissue. That can cause the tissue to become inflamed, leading to heart palpitations, Sellati explains. It might feel like your heart is pounding, fluttering, or beating faster than usual.

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Usually, it becomes more noticeable with vigorous exercise or stress. The problem isn’t all that common, affecting only around 11% of patients. Still, it can be serious. “If [palpitations] occur frequently, seem to get worse, or are accompanied by chest pain, fainting, severe shortness of breath, or dizziness, you should seek immediate medical attention,” Sellati says.

One thing to note: Generally, shortness of breath is most likely to strike when you’re exerting yourself, but with Lyme that isn’t always the case. “A Lyme disease patient can experience shortness of breath during normal activity that in the past might not have resulted in this response,” Sellati explains.

When to see your doctor about Lyme disease symptoms

It’s best to seek medical attention sooner rather than later. The longer Lyme disease goes untreated, the more likely you are to develop severe complications like intense joint pain, heart problems, or cognitive issues.

Lyme disease treatment: Your doctor should refer you to an infectious disease specialist, who can evaluate your symptoms and decide whether you need testing, Dr. Yancey says. If you test positive, you’ll be given antibiotics to fight the infection.

False-negatives: If your test comes back clean, but you’re convinced that Lyme disease is the culprit, ask to be retested. False negatives are common early on since it takes a few weeks for your immune system to build up antibodies to the bacteria.

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Marygrace Taylor

Marygrace Taylor is a health and wellness writer for Prevention, Parade, Women’s Health, Redbook, and others. She’s also the co-author of Prevention’s Eat Clean, Stay Lean: The Diet and Prevention’s Mediterranean Kitchen. Visit her at marygracetaylor.com.

7 signs of skin cancer that no one pays attention to

Everyone knows that if a mole has changed size or color, you need to urgently run to an oncologist. But it happens that the body gives much less obvious signals that may indicate a malignant skin tumor.

16,000 British people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year, and 2,500 of them eventually die, reports the Mirror. The good news is that 80 to 100 percent of cases found in stage 1 or 2 are easily treatable. How not to overlook the tumor, said dermatologist Ross Perry.

1. Unexplained scars

Basalioma. Photo © Wikimedia Commons

If out of nowhere you have a scar that grows in size, this may be a sign of a basalioma. It occurs on areas of the skin that are exposed to intense sun exposure. The scar may look like a waxy thickening. This is the most common form of skin cancer, but, fortunately, the least dangerous if detected early.

2. Eruptions on the eyelids

Basalioma on the eyelid. Photo © BOPSS

Eyelid malignancies may be brown, black, red, or flesh-colored. They can be hard to the touch, itchy and painful, or shiny and waxy. It is important to record all the changes that occur to them. To protect your eyelids from ultraviolet light, you need to wear sunglasses or a hat, and use sunscreen.

3. Black spots under nails

Subungual melanoma. Video screenshot: YouTube / The Doctors

Subungual melanoma is easily confused with a common bruise. Most often, it occurs under the thumbnail as a result of regular injury to this area. If left untreated, subungual melanoma can spread to other parts of the body.

4. Itching of the scalp

Squamous cell carcinoma. Photo © Brown University

If your head is constantly itching, take a close look at the skin under your hair. Scalp cancer is more common in men and there are three types. Firstly, it is a basalioma, but it is rare and not so dangerous. The second form is squamous cell carcinoma. It affects fair-skinned people who are often exposed to the sun, and appears as scaly red spots, open sores, rough, thickened, or warty areas of the skin, and raised, dimpled growths. But the most dangerous form is melanoma, and it looks like a normal mole.

5. Non-healing ulcers

Basalioma. Photo © Wikimedia Commons

These sores can look lumpy, dry and scaly. They can also itch and bleed. All these signs indicate the risk of developing basalioma.

6. Non-healing “insect bites”

Site of mosquito bite. Photo © Wikimedia Commons

Red bumps, which in the warm season can easily be mistaken for mosquito bites, can actually be something much more serious. If they have not gone away even after a few weeks, you should go to the doctor to rule out the risk of developing skin cancer.

7. Pale patch of skin on the head or neck

Basalioma. Photo © The Skin Cancer Foundation

These spots most often occur on the face, head and neck after prolonged exposure to the sun. If they do not disappear within four weeks, it is worth making an appointment with a dermatologist.

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The doctor named the signs of skin cancer that can be detected at home

The doctor named the signs of skin cancer that can be detected at home

Some symptoms of skin cancer at the initial stage of the disease can be detected independently by examining your body in the mirror, said British doctor Ross Perry in . .. RIA Novosti, 05/31/2021

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MOSCOW, May 31 – RIA Novosti. Some symptoms of skin cancer at the initial stage of the disease can be detected independently by examining your body in the mirror, said British doctor Ross Perry in a commentary to the Daily Mirror. For example, according to a doctor, small red bumps on the skin that are easily mistaken for mosquito bites may actually be signs of skin cancer. “The patient may decide that he was bitten by insects, but in this case, the marks on the skin will disappear within a couple of weeks and will gradually decrease every day,” the doctor explained. If he found non-healing wounds that cause discomfort, he advised to consult a specialist. Readers of the newspaper were also warned about other signs of skin cancer that can be detected on their own. Among them:

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MOSCOW, May 31 – RIA Novosti . Some symptoms of skin cancer at the initial stage of the disease can be detected on your own by looking at your body in the mirror, British doctor Ross Perry told in a commentary on Daily Mirror .

For example, according to a doctor, small red bumps on the skin that are easily mistaken for mosquito bites may actually be signs of skin cancer.

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“The patient may decide that he was bitten by insects, but in this case, the marks on the skin will disappear within a couple of weeks and will gradually decrease every day,” the doctor explained.

If he found non-healing wounds that cause discomfort, he advised to consult a specialist.