Lyme disease – NHS

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks. It’s usually easier to treat if it’s diagnosed early.

Symptoms of Lyme disease

A circular or oval shape rash around a tick bite can be an early symptom of Lyme disease in some people.

The rash can appear up to 3 months after being bitten by an infected tick, but usually appears within 1 to 4 weeks. It can last for several weeks.

The rash can have a darker or lighter area in the centre and might gradually spread. It’s not usually hot or itchy.

The rash may be flat, or slightly raised, and look pink, red, or purple when it appears on white skin. It can be harder to see the rash on brown and black skin and it may look like a bruise.

The rash may look like a bullseye on a dartboard.

Credit:

CDC/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/95650/view

Sometimes the edges of the rash may feel slightly raised.

Credit:

LARRY MULVEHILL/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/259371/view

Some people also get flu-like symptoms a few days or weeks after they were bitten by an infected tick, such as:

• a high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
• headache
• muscle and joint pain
• tiredness and loss of energy

Other symptoms of Lyme disease

Some people with Lyme disease develop more severe symptoms months or years later.

This is more likely if treatment is delayed.

These more severe symptoms may include:

• pain and swelling in joints
• nerve problems – such as pain or numbness
• heart problems
• trouble with memory or concentration

The chance of getting Lyme disease

Not all ticks in England carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

But it’s still important to be aware of ticks and to safely remove them as soon as possible, just in case.

Ticks that may cause Lyme disease are found all over the UK, but high-risk places include grassy and wooded areas in southern and northern England and the Scottish Highlands.

What are ticks?

Credit:

SINCLAIR STAMMERS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/263611/view

Ticks are tiny spider-like creatures that live in woods, areas with long grass, and sometimes in urban parks and gardens. They’re found all over the UK.

Ticks do not jump or fly. They attach to the skin of animals or humans that brush past them.

Once a tick bites into the skin, it feeds on blood for a few days before dropping off.

How to spot and remove ticks

Important

Tick bites are not always painful. You may not notice a tick unless you see it on your skin.

Regularly check for ticks on your clothes and skin, and on children and pets after being outdoors.

To remove a tick safely:

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool. You can buy these from some pharmacies, vets and pet shops.
2. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
3. Slowly pull upwards, taking care not to squeeze or crush the tick. Dispose of it when you have removed it.
4. Clean the bite with antiseptic or soap and water.

The chance of getting ill is low. You do not need to do anything else unless you notice a rash or become unwell.

How to remove a tick safely.

Credit:

Shotshop GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo Image no longer available for purchase but license expires: 09th May 2028

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

• you’ve been bitten by a tick or visited an area in the past 3 months where infected ticks could be

and you have:

• flu-like symptoms – such as feeling hot and shivery, headaches, aching muscles or feeling sick, or
• a round or oval shape rash

Tell them if you have recently been in forests or grassy areas.

What happens at your appointment

The GP will ask about your symptoms and consider any rash or recent tick bites you know about.

Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose. It has similar symptoms to other conditions and there’s not always an obvious rash.

2 types of blood test are available to help confirm or rule out Lyme disease. But these tests are not always accurate in the early stages of the disease.

You may need to be retested if you still have Lyme disease symptoms after a negative result.

Treatment from a GP

If a GP thinks you might have Lyme disease, they’ll prescribe a course of antibiotics.

The antibiotics you’re given will depend on your symptoms, but you may need to take them for up to 28 days. It’s important to finish the course, even if you start to feel better.

Some people with severe symptoms will be referred to a specialist in hospital so antibiotics can be given directly into a vein.

Most people with Lyme disease get better after antibiotic treatment. This can take months for some people, but the symptoms should improve over time.

People with symptoms of Lyme disease that last a long time after treatment may be referred to a specialist in hospital for advice and more blood tests.

Important

Some websites offer tests and treatment for Lyme disease that may not be supported by scientific evidence.

Speak to a doctor for advice before buying tests or treatment online.

How to avoid tick bites

To reduce the chance of being bitten:

• cover your skin while walking outdoors and tuck your trousers into your socks
• use insect repellent on your clothes and skin – products containing DEET are best
• stay on clear paths whenever possible
• wear light-coloured clothing so ticks are easier to see and brush off

Ongoing symptoms of Lyme disease

A few people who are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease continue to have symptoms, like tiredness, aches and loss of energy, that can last for years.

These symptoms are often compared to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

It’s not clear why this happens to some people and not others. This means there’s also no agreed treatment.

Speak to a doctor if your symptoms come back, or do not improve, after treatment with antibiotics.

The doctor may be able to offer you further support if needed, such as:

• referral for a care needs assessment
• telling your employer, school or higher education institution that you require a gradual return to activities
• communicating with children and families’ social care

Page last reviewed: 05 July 2021
Next review due: 05 July 2024

Bedbugs – NHS

Bedbugs are small insects that often live on furniture or bedding. Their bites can be itchy, but do not usually cause other health problems.

Check if it’s bedbugs

Bedbugs can be dark yellow, red or brown. Adults are around 5mm long.

Credit:

Jeff March / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-common-adult-bedbug-bed-bug-cimex-lectularius-on-end-of-cotton-swab-29728437.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=ADBD1DCD-A904-46BA-9689-0574F458EB3D&p=39747&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dBMA6WW%26qt_raw%3dBMA6WW%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d32846%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d1%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d

Bedbugs can hide in many places, including on bed frames, mattresses, clothing, furniture, behind pictures and under loose wallpaper.

Signs of bedbugs include:

• bites – often on skin exposed while sleeping, like the face, neck and arms
• spots of blood on your bedding – from the bites or from squashing a bedbug
• small brown spots on bedding or furniture (bedbug poo)

Bedbug bites can be raised and itchy. They’re often in a line or grouped together.

Credit:

Otto Pleska / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/bites-of-insect-on-male-body-bed-bugs-or-flea-image188883911.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=6D6557DB-9F90-49E4-A4CE-668DCA245C3F&p=549478&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dMY8B9Y%26qt_raw%3dMY8B9Y%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d32846%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d1%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d

On white skin, bedbug bites usually look red. On black or brown skin, they may look purple and may be harder to see.

Some people have a reaction to the bites. They can be very itchy and there may be painful swelling.

A severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) is also possible but rare.

How you can treat bedbug bites

Bedbug bites usually clear up on their own in a week or so.

Things you can do include:

• putting something cool, like a clean, damp cloth, on the affected area to help with the itching and any swelling
• keeping the affected area clean
• not scratching the bites to avoid getting an infection

A pharmacist can help with bedbug bites

You can ask a pharmacist about:

• mild steroid cream like hydrocortisone cream to ease bedbug bites (children under 10 and pregnant women should get advice from a doctor before using hydrocortisone cream)
• antihistamines – these may help if the bites are very itchy and you’re unable to sleep

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

• bedbug bites are still very painful, swollen or itchy after trying treatments from a pharmacist
• the pain or swelling around the bites is spreading

You may have an infection and need treatment with antibiotics.

How to get rid of bedbugs

If you think you have bedbugs, you should contact your local council or pest control service.

It’s very difficult to get rid of bedbugs yourself because they can be hard to find and may be resistant to some insecticides.

There are some things you can try yourself, but these are unlikely to get rid of bedbugs completely.

Do

• wash affected bedding and clothing on a hot wash (60C) and tumble dry on a hot setting for at least 30 minutes

• put affected clothing and bedding in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer for 3 or 4 days

• clean and vacuum regularly – bedbugs are found in both clean and dirty places, but regular cleaning will help you spot them early

Don’t

• do not keep clutter around your bed

• do not bring secondhand furniture indoors without carefully checking it first

• do not take luggage or clothing indoors without checking it carefully if you have come from somewhere where you know there were bedbugs

Information:

Find your local council

You can find your local council on GOV. UK.

Page last reviewed: 02 August 2022
Next review due: 02 August 2025

how they look on the human body with a photo and how to treat them

Bedbugs are quite tenacious and dangerous insects. Scientists have long proven that these blood-sucking parasites can be carriers of various infections, including brucellosis, tularemia, Chagas disease and even hepatitis ¹ . Also, approximately 80% of people have allergic reactions to bug bites ¹ .

During the bite, the bug secretes an enzyme that prevents blood clotting, but you may not even feel the bite itself. This is due to the physiology of the creature: otherwise the bug runs the risk of being “caught”.

There is a strong opinion that bed bugs, including bed bugs, can appear in conditions of uncleanliness, among numerous dirty and unwashed things, and this is partly true. One of the common reasons for the appearance of these harmful insects is migration from already infected apartments. Bedbugs (or their larvae) can come to your house on neighbors, on their clothes, books, household items and animal hair (for example, street). So, if you find a bed bug in your house, this does not necessarily mean that you do not care enough about the order in the house. 9Bed bugs we breed they are most often found on old clothes, in unsanitary conditions, furniture, mattresses, bed linen ² What bites look like usually in the form of a “path” of small red dots on the body Why bedbug bites can be dangerous reactions to bedbug bites can be nausea, muscle spasms, severe itching, redness and peeling of the skin, fear of sleep

What bedbug bites look like on the human body?

Almost immediately after a bug bite, blisters, redness and swelling appear on the skin, which are accompanied by itching, irritation, swelling. Most often, bites can be found on the legs, shoulders, back, neck – they look like dense red dots up to 1 mm in diameter, which form a “track” ³ .

Photo: shutterstock.com

If scratched, bites can turn into large bright red and sometimes bleeding spots ³ . Also, traces of blood may remain on a person’s bed linen and clothing, coinciding with bite sites.

Bed bug bites. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org, Oliver Arend

How to treat bedbug bites

According to disinfectologist Nikolai Dubinin , bedbug bites are dangerous and painful, and also cause severe itching. To get rid of discomfort, you can apply something cold to the bite site, for example, ice. A compress with a solution of soda (about half a teaspoon per glass of water) is also suitable, or treat the bite site with an antihistamine cream or ointment, a special balm after bites ³ .

What are the consequences of bed bug bites?

Transmission of pathogens by bedbug bites is possible in theory in foci of infectious diseases, but in practice this has not yet been proven. Bed bug bites can be life-threatening and cause severe allergic reactions. After the bite, papules form, painful blisters that appear either immediately after the bite, or after 10-40 minutes. The severity of edema may increase, accompanied by severe itching and hyperemia.

Popular questions and answers

Sanitary doctor, epidemiologist, disinfectologist, pest control expert Nikolai Dubinin answers the most popular questions about bedbug bites.

Who is most often bitten by bed bugs?

– Period of parasite activity – night time. Most often, bed bugs bite people in bed, and turning on the light will not help to avoid bites. When given a choice, bed bugs choose tender skin that is easier to bite through, such as women and children ² . However, this does not mean at all that bedbugs do not bite men. Bedbugs bite all people, regardless of gender and age.

Bed bugs also prefer drunk people. The fact is that under the influence of alcohol, the human body releases more sweat and hormones that attract attention and whet the appetite of insects.

How many times does a bug bite a night?

– Bed bug bites are often called “breakfast, lunch and dinner” because they bite exactly three times. But there is more. If there is only one bite, most likely it was not an adult that bit, but a larva, which needs a smaller amount of blood to saturate.

Who doesn’t get bitten by bed bugs?

– Bed bugs choose a host with thinner and smoother skin, however, they bite absolutely all warm-blooded.

How to treat bed bug bites?

– Treatment after bedbug bites is prescribed depending on the clinical condition of the patient. Local allergic reactions can be treated on an outpatient basis, with the appointment of local or general therapy. The bite site is cooled, topical glucocorticosteroid agents are used, including combined ones, which contain an antibiotic and an antifungal agent. Such drugs help reduce itching, increase swelling and prevent the spread of infection.

How to protect yourself from bedbug bites?

– If you are a victim of bed bugs in your home, the best option to get rid of them once and for all is to have the entire room professionally disinfected. You need to disinfect the house, even if you find only one insect, because they multiply quite quickly. In addition, essential oils will help scare away bedbugs (they can be applied to the body before going to bed), perfume lotions with a pronounced aroma.

To prevent your home from becoming attractive to small parasites, it is recommended to regularly check furniture, mattresses, things for the presence of insects, monitor the condition of pets (especially those who are most often on the street), carry out regular wet cleaning in the house, be sure to move furniture, because you may not know about the presence of bedbug nests.

In addition, bedbugs do not like high temperatures (over 60°C), so upholstered furniture can be steamed regularly.

Sources:

1. Roslavtseva SA Modern distribution of bed bugs in the world (literature review) // Hygiene and sanitation. 2020. №3. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/sovremennoe-rasprostranenie-postelnyh-klopov-v-mire-obzor-literatury
2. Bed bugs. What to do if there are bed bugs in the apartment? Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Article dated 12/24/2020.
   https://sesufa.ru/novosti/postelnye-klopy-chto-delat-esli-poyavilis-klopy-v-kvartire/?sphrase_id=19055
3. Bed bug bites. Zarechnaya S.N. Dobrolov, article dated 18.07. 2021.
   https://dobrolov.com/info/news/ukusy-postelnykh-klopov/

Do bed bugs bite pets

• By Wil Malinoshevsky
• About bugs

Probably every third of our clients by phone asks if bed bugs bite pets – cats or dogs. And we have long found out that most often people ask this question not so much out of concern for their pets, but in an attempt to find out some other questions that they either cannot or are embarrassed to voice.

If the cat is constantly itching, then it is almost certainly bitten by fleas, but not bedbugs.

Let’s deal with this issue.

Do bed bugs bite pets?

Bed bugs can bite domestic animals, but they do so very rarely, only in cases where they cannot bite people indoors . If people regularly spend the night in the apartment and a cat or a dog lives right there, then the bugs will not bite animals here, they will bite people. They have a certain selectivity – people are more attractive to them, because they emit more smell, emit more infrared radiation than a pet.

Plus, as a rule, bedbugs can get to people faster, especially if they hide in sleeping places.

In addition, the animals are less favored by bed bugs due to thicker and longer coats and tougher skins. To bite a cat or dog, a bug with its wide body needs to somehow make its way through dense thickets of wool, which is difficult for it. Just compare the body shape of a bedbug and a flea. The first specializes in parasitizing on humans, the second bites primarily animals. The body of a flea is narrow and high, adapted for maneuvering among the hair. And in the bug it is flat, suitable for hiding in narrow crevices near human resting places, but not convenient for moving in a thick coat.

As a result, bed bugs prefer not to attack animals if they can bite people. That is, if you regularly spend the night in an apartment, bedbugs bite you, then they will not touch animals. Even if individual parasites attack a cat or dog, their bites on animals will be rare and few. They will not directly bite the pet.

When can bed bugs bite cats and dogs?

Bed bugs can really bite an animal if people left the premises and left the pet in it (for example, people went on vacation, and neighbors come to feed the cat or dog). In this case, some of the bugs begin to bite the animals, the other part spreads into the neighboring premises. And in this case, there can really be a lot of bites on an animal, they will cause severe itching and anxiety in the pet.

If people constantly sleep in the apartment, this will not happen.

How to understand which insects in the house bite both people and pets (or only pets)?

Indeed, it happens (and often happens, in fact) that indoors in the morning all people wake up bitten, and they also find that insects have bitten a dog or a cat. If the first suspicion falls on bedbugs, then when they see a bitten pet, people may doubt whether it is bedbugs. And therefore they ask if bedbugs bite domestic animals.

So, if both people and pets are bitten in the room, then there can be two options:

• First, there are a lot of fleas that actively bite both animals and people;
• Second – both fleas and bedbugs live here.

Simply put, regular pet bites are almost a sure sign that fleas live in the room. The question is if there are bed bugs with them or not. Some nuances during processing depend on this – whether it will be necessary to pickle the bedding, how carefully it should be done (if there are no bugs, then fleas rarely settle in beds and sofas, and floors, baseboards and similar objects need to be processed first of all).

Can pets bring bed bugs into the house?

It’s just that usually the discovery of bedbugs in a house is a big shock for a person, he cannot believe that the insects climbed into his renovated apartment on their own (especially if all the neighbors are well-off), and even more so does not allow the thought that the person himself brought the parasites here in a bag or furniture. And of course, he begins to sin against a cat or a dog, believing that they could pick up bedbugs somewhere on a walk and bring them home. Then a person tries to build a logical construction: if bugs bite animals like fleas, then the animal can tolerate them, like fleas.

Actually this is excluded. Dogs or cats do not tolerate bed bugs. Firstly, bedbugs very rarely bite animals, we have already found out.

Moreover, bed bugs do not bite awake animals that do not sleep, but move. Bedbugs are temporary parasites, they climb onto the host’s body only for the time of feeding, and as soon as they feel that the victim is waking up, they immediately crawl away so as not to expose themselves to the danger of detection. Therefore, by the way, many people cannot understand for months where they get bites on their bodies, because they do not see the bugs themselves, which crawl into shelters even before a person wakes up. Consequently, there are no more bedbugs on a dog or cat that woke up and ran about its business. And she can’t bring them anywhere.

Thirdly, dogs and cats do not go to places where bed bugs live. The habitats of bedbugs are apartments and houses. Your cat or dog does not go to visit neighbors who may have bed bugs? Does not go. If she walks outside the apartment, then on the street, at least in the basement. There are no bedbugs. They do not live on the street, in basements where there are no people, either. Here, a pet can bring fleas from here. Klopov can’t. Do not blame your pet, he is not to blame for the bugs)

How to tell a bedbug from a flea?

A person sees, for example, a bitten cat, and does not know whether it was bitten by bugs or fleas. Or the owner may catch an insect and not immediately understand what species it belongs to. Then he is interested in whether bedbugs bite pets, so that if they do not bite, he knows that these are not bedbugs.

So, indeed, bedbugs usually do not bite domestic animals, and if the animal is badly bitten, or it is bitten regularly, then bedbugs are definitely not to blame. Who? This is another question. It can be fleas (most likely), it can be withers, it can be bloodsuckers or ticks. It may not even be parasites, but allergies or any infectious diseases. A diagnosis is already needed here, perhaps from a veterinarian.

In any case, it is not difficult to distinguish a bedbug from a flea. Fleas are smaller, have a high body and jump very well. Bed bugs don’t jump at all. In a separate video, we talked about how to distinguish between these parasites.

But it is more difficult to distinguish a flea bite – a cat’s, or a dog’s, or a rat’s – from a bug bite. Bedbug bites often form chains, but fleas sometimes bite in this way. Fleas often bite on the legs, and bedbugs on the neck and arms. Fleas are more likely than bedbugs to bite during the day. But all these differences are not reliable. By a bite, especially a single one, it is impossible to say for sure who bit the person, a bug, or a flea. You need to look for the offender.

Is it necessary to protect animals from bedbugs if parasites are found indoors?

This is also a very common question that often worries people: if there are bedbugs in the room, they are being fought, or maybe they are only planned to be destroyed, then is it necessary to protect the animal from them – drip special drops on the withers, put on a collar, what something else to do. Still, someone can be very worried about their pet, someone has an animal that is sensitive enough, and the owner may be afraid that bedbug bites will harm the pet.

You probably already understand that you don’t need to do all this. If there are bedbugs in the house, then they will not bite the pet. 1-2 theoretically possible accidental bites are not critical and will not harm the animal. In any case, their danger will be much less than the danger of possible side effects from the use of flea products.

But in this case, something else is important: the fight against bedbugs does not need to be planned and does not need to be delayed. That is, such a situation that you found bedbugs and decided, they say, in two weeks we will kill, but for now it is necessary to somehow protect the cat or dog, is unacceptable. If you find bedbugs in the apartment, they must be poisoned immediately. Well, as a last resort, they found him on Wednesday, on Saturday, on a day off, they poisoned him.

In other words, instead of spending time and energy on protecting animals from bedbugs, it is much more reasonable to simply destroy bedbugs in the apartment during this time and with these forces.

Such options do not work, such as we put repellers and the bugs will leave in a week, or we will sprinkle with vinegar and the parasites will die in a month. All methods of really effective destruction of bedbugs are fast and allow you to exterminate them in a few hours.