Bed Bugs Bite
Bed bugs are a nuisance in part because they bite and do so in places where you just want to relax. These bites can cause red bumps and welts on your skin, which usually appear within a few days of an attack. These bite marks look similar to those from mosquitos, but they last much longer. There have been reported cases of people having allergic reactions to bed bug bites, some of which are very severe. In most cases, however, the bites are not dangerous in and of themselves. Sometimes it takes longer for these symptoms to develop, but the fact remains that when they do, they tend to cause severe and prolonged itching. When something itches, we all scratch. That’s where the danger can set in.
All of that scratching eventually causes damage to the skin. When your skin becomes damaged, you open yourself up to allowing more infectious organisms to enter your body. These infections can range from relatively mild to very dangerous. That’s why it’s important to refrain from scratching any bite as much as you physically can. If you have persistent irritation or other indications of an infection, seek out a doctor immediately.
Interestingly enough, bed bugs as a species have not been found to carry diseases that are transmittable through bites. So, while you can get sick from a bed bug-related incident, you won’t necessarily get sick from bed bugs themselves.