Bed bugs may not have been proven to spread illnesses and viruses, unlike most insects or pests, but one can’t also deny that these bloodsuckers are not entirely harmless. In the United States, where bed bugs are common and are usually found dwelling in different places or environments, they survive by feeding on blood. While humans find bedbugs simply irritating, do you know that there are dangers that come with these nasty creatures?
Physical and mental health at stake with bed bugs
Bed bugs may not have been proven to spread viruses and diseases—although what people also need to watch out for is that bed bugs do spread parasites. In a specific study, bed bugs are found to particular transmit the T. cruzi parasite, which causes a deadly illness called Chagas disease.
To top that, an article claimed that bed bugs could trigger mental illness among humans. Scientists discovered that specific individuals who encounter bed bugs suffer from severe depression, anxiety, or even PTSD due to stress arising from paranoia and lack of sleep.
Pretty profound, right?
How to deal with bed bugs
One thing is for sure: if bedbugs bite you, you will acquire small red bumps on your skin, which will eventually turn into injuries—in the form of skin irritation and inflammation—resulting from your itching like crazy.
Being such a nuisance since time immemorial, bed bugs affect people negatively, so much that, according to Robert M. Jarvis (2009), nearly a dozen cases had been reported back in the 19th century about guests or tenants suing hotels because of bed bug injuries.
Stephanie Davio (2010) strongly emphasized that there is no need to be alarmed when your home gets infested by bed bugs as their bites only bring you itching, inflammation, and possible allergic reactions—which can be dealt with using medications like cream, ointments, and antihistamines. The danger comes when out of panic, you resort to spraying toxic pesticides or scratching your skin excessively, causing you an infection. In other words, it is NOT a dangerous bug, but the actions we tend to take after being bitten by it.
If you should think of the physical and emotional damage caused by bed bugs, you must, therefore, not take bed bug infestation for granted.
Bed bugs dwell in many places, such as:
- Old furniture
- Beds
- Appliances
- Behind the door
- Cracks or crevices
- Clothing
- Linens
- Bags
- Luggage, etc.
Moreover, once you detect the presence of bed bugs inside your home, you need to take measures immediately to prevent their population from increasing further. Although, using chemical control is not always the best idea. Ultimately, it is the heat treatment that can eliminate them without a trace and without leaving any negative side effects to humans and pets.
In conclusion, bed bugs are not as dangerous as other insects like mosquitoes which are carriers of deadly viruses; they can still cause irritation and infection from their bites. By hook or crook, bed bugs may transmit parasites and trigger anxiety and mental disorder in some people. To avoid this difficult situation, call your local pest control experts and bed bug exterminators for an intricate house examination before it’s too late!
