Explore bed bug bites pictures and learn how these small bugs can cause unwanted marks on your face, ankles, legs chest, or back. I will also examine bed bug bites in babies and advise you on how to eradicate the bite marks.
It is worth noting here that bite marks are one of the earliest symptoms of a bed bug infestation.
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How to Tell Bed Bug Bites
Do you know how to identify bed bug bites? If not, then look for these symptoms and signs of bed bug bites.
Some of the common symptoms include itching and burning, raised, red swellings similar to mosquito bites, and straight lashes of numerous bites.
In life-threatening conditions, bed bug bites may lead to difficulties in breathing, large blisters, anemia, fever, irregular or changes in heartbeat, and swollen tongue.
Bed Bug Bites Bumps
For people whose skin is sensitive to insect bites, there will be a certain reaction known as bed bug bite bumps. The main skin indications are typically swollen red bumps.
The appearance of this bed bug bite symptom resembles a papule, a welt, or a wheel, another word for inflamed skin area.
Bed bug bites can cause itchiness. First, a victim can notice a minor burning sensation. Afterward, the scorching area grows red bumps.
On severe occasions, bites can turn into skin inflammations similar to a blister or swell dramatically.
It takes about 12 hours for bumps to appear after being bitten. However, quite often, the bumps swell to full size 24 to 48 hours after being bitten with some itch.
The intensity of the itch may increase after like 36 hours after the occurrence of the bed bug bite. Moreover, there can be the appearance of a rash as well. Learn more about bed bug bites bumps.
Are Bed Bug Bites Itchy or Painful?
The degree of skin reaction to bed bug bite varies. The response depends on many influencers including how many times the victim is bitten.
Human skin is pierced with elongated beaks when bed bugs bite. Initially, bed bug bites are not that painful and the victim may notice after several hours or days after the bite.
That lets the pests extract blood for like 10 minutes per bite.
Most bed bug bites heal after one or two weeks after the bite and may not lead to any long-term problems. However, it can take longer or about three weeks for people with stronger sensitivities to bug bites to heal.
CHECK: Best Bed Bug Mattress Covers on Amazon
Can a Bed Bug Bite Through Clothes
The question of whether bed bugs can bite through clothes is amazing. It’s a fact that wearing a long outfit that shields the better part of your skin can be a perfect way to protect your body against bed bug bites.
The sucking mouthpart or sucker of the bed bugs is not as long as it would be required to pierce through clothing to draw blood via your skin.
Therefore, bed bug bites cannot penetrate through both the skin and clothes to get entry into your bloodstream.
Consequently, if your home or house is bedbug-infested, you can confidently get some protection from bed bug bites by wearing certain kinds of protective garments.
You can read more on bed bug bites through clothing in this article.
Bed Bug Bites Compared to Other Pests
Comparing bed bug bites versus other insect bites is the main reason contributing to medical consultations.
While some pest stings and bites may only persist for a couple of minutes, others can last for days or even weeks.
The insect stings or bites that last for more than the expected time is commonly linked to an allergy.
According to Terminix, exposed skin is the most common area where bed bug bites happen. These skin exposure areas include shoulders, arms, neck, back, feet, and upper body.
Bed Bug Bites vs. Flea Bites
A comparison between bed bug bites and flea bites is very important when it comes to treating insect bites.
At first, it may be very challenging to understand the variance between the two sorts of bites.
Ordinarily, flea bites randomly spread on the victim’s body. On the contrary, bed bugs have a habit of biting more deliberately in line patterns.
While bed bug bites are usually scattered across the body, flea bites, on the other hand, are frequently positioned on the ankles and legs. That is because these body parts are easier for bed bugs to get to.
Both bed bug bites and flea bites cause swelling and allergies to humans and animals.
Bed Bug Bites vs. Mosquito Bites
Some of the major factors one should look out for when discussing bed bug bites vs. mosquito bites include the reaction time and appearance and location of the bites.
Mosquito bites begin to itch immediately and are instantly visible. This pests’ bite leads to a raised white welt coupled with red and oddly shaped boundaries.
It takes one day or so for mosquito bites to become a red bump. Furthermore, mosquito bites typically resolve on their own faster.
In contrast, whereas nearly everybody bitten by a mosquito reacts, some people bitten by bed bugs don’t have reactions at all. Also, bed bug bites may take considerable time to show up.
People with bed bug bites develop red, flat welts that usually don’t itch at first. However, with time, they will react.
Concerning the look of pest bites, only cuts from bed bugs are likely to line up with the sheet edge or the point where the mattress meets your body.
Bites by bed bugs tend to occur in a row or line formation.
Mosquito bites, instead, are often isolated and random. Besides, mosquito bites cannot penetrate clothing. Only bed bug bites that go through clothing because they can crawl under the clothes to reach your body.
Both mosquitoes and bed bugs prefer biting exposed skin.
Bed Bug Bites Compared To Spider Bites
Since you now understand the variances amid bed bug bites vs. mosquito bites, what of spider bites?
While bed bugs usually bite at night, spider bites happen at any period of the day. Moreover, bed bug bites usually itch whereas spider bites are normally painful.
Bed Bug Bites Pictures
Bed Bug Bites on Face
Here, you will see a wide collection of pictures of bed bug bites on the face. The photos depict a varied range of symptoms victims of the bed bug bites exhibit.
The bites frequently occur on the face. Bed bugs look for exposed skin to bite. That makes a face their prime target.
Symptoms may vary from one victim to the other. The picture above indicates a slight reaction to bites.
Similarly, the bites illustrated in the picture underneath lead to a more grave allergic skin response with raised red swellings.
Bed Bug Bites on Arms
Bed bug bites on arms are also very common. Arms are other favorite targets for bed bugs.
If you slept with your arm resting on the infested mattress’s seam, there will be the appearance of a straight pattern or line of bug bites.
Separate bites can as well arise from a small skin area.
Bites by bed bugs can be a fairly itchy bit diminish on their own after a couple of days. 
The picture above depicts a slight bed bug bite reaction on the arm. Other photos may conversely demonstrate bed bug bites with stronger marks of an allergic reaction.
Bed Bug Bites on Feet
Bites on feet are possible since feet are one of the exposed skin parts when people go to bed. The MayoClinic suggests that bed bug bites on feet tend to appear in a cluster or a line.
Moreover, one does not necessarily have to be still or lie down to get a bite. That is because bed bugs are by nature stealth and generally get out at night to feed.
According to Gangloff-Kaufmann, sleeping makes people vulnerable to bites.
Bed Bug Bites on Legs
Any reaction to a bite by these pests is just an allergic reaction called hypersensitivity. Sometimes people bitten by bugs for the first time seldom react, and if they do, it can be a small reaction.
Bed Bug Bites on Babies and Toddlers
Babies and toddlers prone to bed bug bites are those who sleep in different environments. It is because they are unprotected from and exposed to several possible bed bug habitats.
One can know if bed bugs bite the baby or toddler if the child is rubbing or scratching their legs or arms against something.
Bites on babies start as small bruises before becoming red bumps on exposed body parts. That includes the face, chest, legs, and arms.
Sometimes, there can be clustered shapes of about three bites in a row, popularly called,
“Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” It may take approximately two weeks for self-resolution from the bug bites. Dark skin areas may be left on the skin, also known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Bed Bug Bites at the Back of Neck
These are at the back of the neck because that is part of the body part which is in direct contact with the mattress.
Since bed bugs like to hide in mattresses for easier access to your skin, the neck becomes a vulnerable target.
The picture below depicts how bed bugs bite at the back of the neck look like.
Bed Bug Bites on Back
Do bed bugs bite on the back? Well, bed bugs also like to feast on their victim’s back, plus any other uncovered body part.
Since bed bugs seldom penetrate clothing to bite the skin, they often look for body parts that are exposed including the back.
Some of the above-shown pictures indicate what may occur if you fail to cover up your back. The bed bugs will simply crawl and bite your back leaving some itchy marks.
How to Treat Bed Bug Bites
Bed bug bites can be treated through a variety of approaches.
What is important to note before embracing a given treatment regimen is to understand whether one is treating the itching or the swelling that occurs afterward.
To treat bed bug bites, you can use over-the-counter anti-itch products containing antihistamine to relieve the itching or burning effect. For the associated swelling, corticosteroid creams work best.
Some of the creams one can buy include:
FAQs on Bed Bug Bites
Some of the commonly asked questions about bed bugs have been addressed under this section.
We strive to be as exhaustive as possible. However, if you find that a certain question has not been addressed, do contact us, and we will update the article.
How long for bed bug bites to appear?
In most cases, bed bug bites do appear within 1 to 2 days of the bite. However, in some rare cases, patients have reported seeing bed bug bites 14 days after they were bitten by the bed bugs.
How long do bed bug bites last?
On average bed bug bites last for about 10 days if nothing is applied to them. However, if you need to make them go away fast in like 5 to 7 days, you would have to apply corticosteroid creams or take antihistamine pills.
How long do bed bug bites itch?
The itching is usually caused by the allergic reaction created by the bed bugs’ poisons. The itch can last up to 7 days. However, you can relieve the itching by using anti-itch lotions and creams.
References on Bed Bug Bites
- 1: Bedbug bites: What you need to know – LiveScience
- 2: Bites and Infestations: Pictures of Bug Bites, Stings, Allergies, and Infections – OnHealth
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