Inflammatory Skin Conditions Spotting a Bed Bug Infestation In December 2016 and January this year, there were reports of passengers being bitten in a bug-infested coach travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. They can also be found in cinemas or concert halls. Unlike their name, bed bugs can be found in many other types of furniture and household items such as cushions or curtains. Instead, they are attracted to warmth, blood and the carbon dioxide we exhale. In fact, bed bugs have been found in five-star hotels in New York.
While commonly associated with unhygienic surroundings, the truth is that bed bugs are not drawn to dirt and grime. Keep Germs Away Breeding Spaces of Bed Bugs Sometimes, patients who were bitten previously also display an irrational fear or phobia,” says Dr Yew. “Many people can get very anxious or stressed from bed bug bites. People living with bed bugs can feel uncomfortable, embarrassed and sometimes, even too fearful to sleep. Because many patients do not seek formal medical treatment, the exact number of bed bug cases in Singapore is unclear.īut, while the itchiness may eventually subside, bed bug bites can extract a huge emotional toll. Bed bug bites usually recover within a week,” says Dr Yew. “Consulting a doctor may not be necessary unless symptoms worsen or persist after more than five days. Patients rarely develop complications, and for most cases, symptomatic treatment in the form of topical steroids or oral antihistamines can relieve the itch quickly. The good news is that treatment for bed bug bites if needed, is straightforward. Severe scratching to relieve the itch can result in infection, scarring or hyperpigmentation, says Dr Yew Yik Weng, Consultant at the National Skin Centre. While the bites do not transmit diseases and rarely trigger allergic reactions, their saliva contains an anaesthetic and anti-clotting agent, which causes intense itching. Their bites are extremely itchy and appear as clusters of red bumps overexposed areas, such as the neck, arms and legs. They are also able to survive for extended periods without food. They are most active at night when they feed by piercing the skin and drinking the blood of humans or animals, with each meal lasting between five and 10 minutes.īed bugs are wingless and cannot fly or jump, although they can crawl over 30 metres in a single night. Adults are just five millimetres long-as big as an apple seed-but are fully capable of almost doubling in size after a meal. Shaped like flat ovals, bed bugs are tiny.
Bed bugs can hitchhike undetected on bags or shoes, unlike lice or ticks that hide in hair or stick on the skin. The reason for its surging population is unknown, but the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention have pointed to the increase in international travel as a likely factor. Its population dwindled in the 20th century because of the widespread use of pesticide but has been on the rise in developed countries since the late 1990s. The bedbug or Cimex lectularius is a global pest. The bedtime nursery rhyme “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” is good advice indeed, as the insect can be a real nightmare.
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