‘Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite’ – we’ve all heard this famous rhyme at least once in our lives. Nowadays, it may sound silly, particularly for children. However, there’s more truth to these words than meets the eye, especially if you live in Nevada.
Why? Because it’s one of the most bedbug-infested states in the United States! Yes, bedbugs are still a massive problem for the Nevadans. One thing for sure, Las Vegas bed bug exterminators can’t complain about too little work.
What’s more, bedbugs are not an issue you should underestimate. Not only do these creatures cause itching and skin irritation, but their reign in your bed can also lead to more severe health problems, such as anemia or asthmatic attacks. Here are the reasons why bedbugs can be dangerous and why you should get rid of them immediately:
Table of Contents
Their Bites Can Cause Skin Allergies
Atopic dermatitis is a common skin condition that causes dryness, itching, and inflammation of the skin. Even though it is not fatal, it can have serious consequences. The worst part is that it’s difficult to diagnose this skin problem on time because the symptoms are so similar to other health issues. The most common symptoms include itching, poor sleep quality, and rashes that appear in the armpit area or around the elbows.
The main reason why the itching is so unbearable is due to histamine secretion – a substance that causes redness, swelling, and itching in the affected area. Another thing to keep in mind is that atopic dermatitis usually appears in areas where your skin touches something regularly, such as pillows or sheets.
And here’s what bedbugs have to do with it. Bedbugs are known to bite humans while they’re asleep, and when this happens, their saliva, which contains proteins and enzymes, enters your skin. These substances may cause allergic reactions, such as severe skin irritation or anaphylactic shock – a serious condition that implies low blood pressure and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, this can lead to an asthmatic attack, which means that your breathing becomes highly restricted and causes serious problems for your health.
Make Your Sleep Quality Worse
Bed bug infestation can lead to sleep deprivation due to never-ending itching, numerous bites, and increased stress levels provoked by being conscious of countless bugs crawling around your bed area and directly in your bed.
So, if you believe that sleepless nights are a normal part of life, think again! A bad night’s sleep can have severe consequences on your overall health, resulting in impaired thinking, poor coordination, loss of appetite, weakened work performance, and even more severe cases, such as the increased risk of heart problems and diabetes.
Sleep deprivation is so harmful because sleeping helps your body repair itself after all the daily activities and protect itself from new stressors. The less you sleep, the more vulnerable your body gets to stressors and diseases.
Hide in Plain Sight
Bedbugs have many hiding places – including your mattress, sheets, and pillows, making it really hard to detect an infestation. It’s almost impossible to spot bedbugs on your own unless you use a magnifying glass or flashlight to look for them at night when you observe dark spots moving around on your sheets.
The first sign of a bedbug infestation could be a few reddish spots on your mattress or sheets. Another option would be to look under the lining of your mattress or inside the seams of your pillowcases and check if there are white dots on your sheets – bedbugs’ eggs. If there is anything that looks like tiny white poppy seeds, this means that bedbugs are living on your mattress.
Bonus: Getting Rid of Bedbugs
Many people don’t even realize that bedbugs have bitten them until they wake up with red spots on their bodies. However, this is usually just the beginning of the problem – after a while, these red spots turn into itchy bumps causing severe discomfort. How can you tell if bedbugs have bitten you? There are two main signs – itching and skin irritation.
Although bedbugs are very hard to get rid of, it doesn’t mean there is nothing you can do to stop the infestation. Let us give you some tips:
- Vacuum your room thoroughly, especially your bed and area around it.
- Steam clean your bedding and mattresses regularly.
- Scrub mattress seams with a stiff brush before vacuuming – it will allow you to remove bedbugs and their eggs more efficiently.
- Treat any other objects that have been affected by bedbugs with insecticide spray – make sure to use termite insecticides since they are safe for pets and children.
- Seal every hole or crack in your walls with insulating foam or caulk to prevent further infestation.
- Clean your clothes, bedding, and curtains in hot water and dry them in the highest dryer setting.
- Consider acquiring a zippered cover to encase your mattress to prevent bedbugs from entering and infesting the bed area.
It is recommended that you combine different treatment methods, such as insecticides with steam cleaning and sealing. Our advice: follow all steps as thoroughly as possible.
Conclusion
Bed bug infestation is capable of turning sleeping in your own bedroom into a nightmare. Bedbugs are hard to spot and even harder to get rid of. However, if you have any suspicions that an infestation might have occurred, neglecting them can lead to severe consequences.
Red spots and itching are only the symptoms that signal sleep deprivation, skin allergies, asthmatic attacks, leading to severe health conditions like anemia or heart disease. Thus, if you notice any signs of bed bug infestation, start dealing with it immediately, and make sure to hire bed bug exterminators if you feel like the situation is getting out of hand.
Featured Image from Free-Photos on Pixabay
