What to rub bed bug bites on the human body: skin products, ointments, cream, spray medicine the most effective at home

Reader Question:

Alice

After we finished the extermination, the bedbugs didn't disappear right away, they were still biting us. We had to be patient for a while. But it led to the fact that now the whole family has hard-to-heal bumps on the body. Interestingly, this did not happen before the treatment. There were red spots, but no swelling or pain. The tissues in those areas were also soft. In short, by all indications, the bites used to be no different from the usual ones, as from mosquitoes, for example.
Now I need to figure out how to remove such consequences. I am interested in what to rub on bedbug bites to make them go away faster. It's unclear where to start: treating the signs of allergy or treating the damaged skin. I have bites (hard bumps) on the bend of my elbow, with painful sensation when I move my hand. Please help me determine what is best to use in our case. Alice

The author of the portal answers the question:

Symptoms and signs of bed bug bites

We need to make sure that it is the attackers couch parasites. The main sign is the appearance of red spots in the morning. Blood-sucking insects are active only after midnight and no longer than 3-5 hours. If bedbug bite at night, by morning the color of the outer covers on that area will change. During the day and evening, the person will not see new marks. If a person is bitten by bed bugs, after 15-20 minutes a strong itching will appear. However, when larvae attack, unpleasant symptoms occur immediately, they do not yet have the opportunity to anesthetize the puncture site.

Other manifestations:

• painful sensations (occurring mainly with multiple bites);
• swelling;
• scratching - lesions on the skin that occur when bites start to itch.

What bedbug bites look like. Close-up photos of adults and larvae

The main features to recognize bites on external inspection:

• the size of hyperemic areas in most cases is 5-20 mm;
• In the center there is a red dot - a trace of dried blood;
• With a more severe manifestation, there are traces resembling urticaria burns, with swollen tissues in the areas where the redness was found;
• the bites form a line: the bedbug attacks several times in one approach, and it constantly shifts.

To make sure that these are the ones who are attacking parasites, you can tell from the external signs:

The main complications of bedbug bites

When attacked by blood-sucking insects, there is no risk of infection, which is due to the peculiarities of the structure of their bodies. But there is a possibility of developing other complications:

• secondary infection: if bites It itches a lot, the skin is traumatized by scratching, which opens up pathways for pathogenic microbes to enter, leading to infection, and at the same time, an inflammatory process develops;
• allergic reaction, with an increase in the intensity of negative manifestations: swelling increases, itching becomes intolerable, nonspecific signs may appear (sneezing, respiratory disorders, Quincke's edema).

How to relieve itching after bed bug bites

Such a sign appears in the majority of victims. But even mild manifestations can cause discomfort. In order not to traumatize the already affected skin, different methods should be used:

• antipruritic drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs often show this property, there are also cooling drugs - all of them are designed for external use;
• Folk remedies - this uses improvised means, they are more mild, for a short period, but available, always at home, an example is ice, if you put it to the bite, relief will come right away, but too long to keep the cold should not.

You have to choose what to smear with. bites bed bugs in humans. It is recommended to use pharmacy remedies for external use. These include ointments, creams and gels.

Top 10 effective remedies for bed bug bites

Some drugs work faster than others and have fewer side effects. When choosing, you should consider the principle of action of the drug, as well as the peculiarities of its application. The most effective remedies against bed bug bites are presented in the table below.

What to choose: ointment, gel or cream

Consider different forms of drugs for external use, they differ from each other in structure, properties, efficacy and speed of action:

• The ointment contains a significant amount of fatty components, so it takes a long time to absorb, at the initial stage is weak, because it takes time for the active ingredients to be delivered to the affected tissues, and the ointment stains clothes;
• cream contains a smaller proportion of fatty components, is of medium speed, can leave traces on things;
• The gel is water-based, does not stain clothes, because it does not contain fatty components, is absorbed quickly, but provides short-term relief, so it is applied more often.

Expert advice: When choosing a product, you need to consider the nature of the damage and the properties of the skin, for example, the occurrence of mucous membrane should be used gel, and for dry and flaky exteriors fit ointment or cream.

What to do if there are traces of bedbug bites on your baby's body

It is important to relieve the itching, because it promotes the appearance of scratches on children's skin. It is necessary to apply an ointment or cream to the affected areas. Additionally, it is recommended to give your child a remedy for allergies (according to weight and age). And children under 3 years are suitable drugs in the form of syrups. Often it is necessary to eliminate unpleasant signs as soon as possible, because the baby itches the skin a lot.

In this case, local glucocorticosteroids should be used.

What ointments you can make yourself

Allergic children and adults are advised to use the least toxic remedies. For this reason, self-prepared remedies are most commonly used:

In which case you should see a doctor

 Sometimes it is necessary to see a specialist right away, regardless of whether the bites itch from bedbugs. The help of a physician is required in a number of situations:

In the latter cases, the patient is called an ambulance, as the person often cannot move on his own.

Preparations for mild to moderate skin lesions

It is important to know what ointment for stings bedbugs It helps if the symptoms are moderate. There are red spots, itching, but the symptoms are tolerable and do not cause much anxiety:

Preparations for severe skin lesions

When intolerable itching, scratching of the skin, inflammation of the damaged skin, swelling, signs of allergy occur, systemic agents containing hormones are used, as well as combined drugs:

What to use for bedbug bites based on antibiotics

To protect yourself from the development of complications (swelling, inflammation), as well as to get rid of unpleasant manifestations (pain, redness), you can choose the right ointment or cream for bed bug bites. If the external skin is severely affected, it is recommended to consider antimicrobial agents for local application. The best of such preparations are:

• Erythromycin ointment;
• Tetracycline ointment;
• Baneocin.

What to do if the ointment does not help

Sometimes the bite medicine bedbugs does not provide the desired effect, it is possible, even if the most effective drug is used. One of the reasons is the development of complications. In this case, you need to consult a doctor. It also affects the compliance with the recommendations for use. Or the relief does not come if the drug used is not suitable in its potency.

When bed bug bite ointments don't help, consider other methods.

What to do and what to put on to avoid being bitten by bedbugs during the day

It is possible to prevent new bites while you are fighting the parasites. You only need to decide what to smear on to prevent bedbugs from biting you:

• It is necessary to use perfume, strong smells deter parasites;
• apply a few drops of essential oils to exposed areas of the body: on the folds of the elbows, wrists, shins, behind the ears;
• at home use a remedy based on perfume (cologne) and cloves, mix the components in equal parts, cook decoction, and then you need to smear the resulting mixture.

These remedies will help repel the parasites, but you should prepare for the discomfort, because the person will also have to endure the intense smell. Not everyone can sleep in such conditions.

Video tip (photo + video): how to treat bedbug bites, what ointment to choose, safety precautions

What to do to stop bed bugs from biting at night

Consider specialized means, as well as folk recipes, traps. If you choose a method of what to do not to be bitten by bed bugs, you should pay attention to effective options:

How to get rid of bites with folk remedies

Drugstore preparations are not always suitable for treatment. If you develop an allergy to the active ingredients or the ointment after a bedbug bite cannot be used due to a number of contraindications (for example, special means are required for children), you need to treat the affected areas of the outer skin with other methods:

1. Onion. It is anti-edematous, analgesic, and has a soothing effect. It is peeled, sliced and applied to the damaged areas, but the duration of action is at least 4 hours.
2. Compresses based on chamomile, calendula. Prepare infusion or decoction: 2 tbsp of raw materials for 1 cup of water. Soak a rag and put it on the traumatized external surfaces.
3. Vinegar (9%). It does not have to be diluted with water. Treat red spots with a cotton pad soaked in vinegar.
4. Salt. It is dissolved in cold water, the ratio of components: 4 tbsp. and 1 cup of liquid.
5. Laundry soap. Crushed detergent is used. A thick porridge is applied to the affected areas. Such a remedy is left on the skin until the symptoms disappear or the mass hardens. Then you can repeat the procedure.

Chemicals to treat your apartment for bed bugs

The preparations are used in different forms, but for destroying domestic parasites it is best to buy a spray, aerosol, concentrate or powder. As an additional means are used solid substances - pencils, for example, chalk "Mashenka". These are some of the most effective products used to keep bed bugs from biting (to kill them):

1. Tetrix. Kills insects in one application, contains cypermethrin, methafos. It is in concentrate form and diluted with water before use. The drug is toxic, so personal protective equipment should be worn when spraying
2. Combat - is a universal product that kills a variety of insects. For convenience there is a small cross-section nozzle, thanks to which it is possible to treat all cracks.
3. Get - microencapsulated liquid. The advantage of the product is the gradual release of the poisonous substance - this occurs as the shell of the microcapsules breaks down.
4. The Executioner. The form of release is concentrate. The product contains fenthion, which is characterized by prolonged action, all this time will protect the object from parasites.
5. Dichlofos Neо. This aerosol has an advantage over analogues in the same form - it is odorless.

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Expert tips

Anna

Entomologist, researcher. Work experience of 16 years.

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- If an insect bite itches and there is no suitable remedy at hand, you can first try safe body remedies: ice (something cold from the freezer will do), baking soda pulp, they are always on hand;
- If the reaction is mild without signs of inflammation, you can do with simpler medications (consider non-hormonal means, antibiotics are also not necessary);
- If the allergy persists for a long time, the skin is red and itchy, the doctor may prescribe local glucocorticosteroids.

Conclusion

For humans, any intrusion from outside the home can be fraught with negative consequences. When bed bugs appear on the property, one of the dangers is the development of allergies, which is accompanied by itching and swelling. And children react more strongly to insect-infested substances. Features of treatment:

1. Consider a comprehensive approach: taking antihistamines, treatment of the affected skin with anti-inflammatory, antipruritic drugs. Available forms of release: cream, gel, ointment, the choice takes into account the properties of the skin and the degree of its damage.
2. For children, the safest remedies are chosen at hand (baking soda, chamomile decoction). If complications develop, consider special pharmacy remedies: hormonal, anti-inflammatory.
3. To keep insects from attacking at night, repellants (essential oils) should be used. They are combined with traps.