How to Treat Bed Bug Bites

The severity of symptoms associated with bed bug bites varies for each individual. Some people might not even know they were bitten, while others may be so allergic to the bites that they develop a rash and extreme itching. Before you try remedies to treat bed bug bites, make sure a bed bug is responsible.

EditSteps

EditConfirm a Bed Bug Bite

Look at the bites carefully. Bed bug bites commonly resemble other insect bites, including mosquito bites, and so can be very hard to identify. Even a doctor cannot usually diagnose bites simply by looking at them.
- Watch for the bed bug's unique bite pattern. Although some bites may appear alone, most bites occur in a row of 3 to 5 bites.

Pay attention to when the bites occur. This can also be difficult to determine because each person's reaction time can vary significantly. Symptoms that result from the bite can manifest at any point from a couple of hours to more than a week after the bite occurred.

Check your bed and bedding for signs of bed bugs.
- Look for red spots of blood on the sheets. These may come from a bed bug was squashed after feeding, or from the bites left on you when the bug is done feeding.
- Check the entire mattress, including the seams on the sides. Look for sleeping bed bugs, carcasses, empty skins and feces.

Call in an exterminator or treat your home yourself to remove the bed bugs and prevent future bites from occurring. You can treat existing bites; but if bed bugs live in your bed, your rash will worsen nightly as you are repeatedly bitten.

EditTreat Bed Bug Bites with Over-the-Counter Medications

Apply a steroidal anti-itch over-the-counter (OTC) cream that contains hydro-cortisone or cortisone. Follow the package's directions to apply it correctly.

Use calamine lotion to dry the rash and protect the skin while it heals.

Buy a topical anesthetic OTC that contains pramoxine for pain relief and diphendrydramine for itch control.

Take oral antihistamine allergy tablets to control the swelling and rash associated with the bites. Follow package instructions for proper dosages.

Take OTC pain relievers that contain ibuprofen or naproxen as needed.

EditTreat Bed Bug Bites with Home Remedies

Make a paste of baking soda and water. Slowly add small amounts of water to baking soda powder and stir until you have a thick paste. Apply a thick coat of the baking soda to the bed bug bites. Allow the paste to dry and stay on the rash for an hour or more before washing it off with warm water.

Saturate a cotton ball with lemon juice, St. John's Wart or witch hazel, all of which are natural astringents. Dab at the rash with the cotton ball to help dry it out and control the itch.

Apply the gel from an aloe plant to bed bug bites. Aloe contains both antibiotic and anti-fungal properties.

Soak in a warm bath. Add 1/2 cup (118 ml) of any of the following to help control itching:
- Concentrated peppermint oil.
- Powdered oatmeal. You can find this in health and drug stores packaged for use a bath product.
- Baking soda, with or without a little salt added to it.
- Alka-Seltzer, but only if you are not allergic to aspirin.

EditWarnings

See your doctor if your symptoms do not clear up within a couple of weeks or continue to worsen. You should also see a doctor for diagnosis if you do not find signs of bed bugs in your bed and cannot identify the source of the bites or rash. Bed bug bite symptoms are similar to those that result from other insect bites and skin conditions.