While rest is crucial to our body, some people struggle with it because of an enermy right inside their house, known as bed bugs. Our blood is an attractive food source for these little, but annoying pests. Scientists have claimed that the most common time for you to be bitten by bed bug is around 1 hour before the sun comes out.
Bed bug bites look all the same as any other insect bites and they result in itchiness, sometimes even rashes. More dangerously, many people have allergies due to swelling and pain caused by bed bug bites.
Although you do not get any transmitted diseases because of them, it is clear that their bites cause a lot of discomforts in daily life.
Luckily, you may not need medical intervention for the treatment of bed bug bites. In most mild cases, it is possible to think of natural home remedies to get rid of bed bug bites. Nevertheless, when you notice allergic skin issues, it is important to ask dermatologists for advice.
Below are some practical tips on how to get rid of bed bug bites with natural ingredients only.
Ice
The simplest way to cope with pain and swelling due to this problem is to use ice pack. For long, people have relied on this simple method to put an end to itchiness and pain. Furthermore, you can easily stay away from swelling if you apply it regularly. Yet, it is not good if you place it directly on the skin. The coldness may ruin your skin condition, causing rashes to be worse.
Instead, you can try keeping ice cubes with a cloth or towel and press it over your swollen and painful areas. This should last about 15 minutes and you can reapply it many times per day for the best outcome.
- Lemon Juice
Lemon is such a wonderful astringent from the natural world that its medicinal applications have been well-known for long. It works as an incredible tip on how to get rid of bed bug bites by neutralizing acidic chemicals which are responsible for itchiness. Moreover, its anti-inflammatory quality is effective enough to help you overcome redness and swelling.
How to do:
Prepare fresh lemon juice
A cotton ball should be soaked into it
Then, apply the ball over your biten areas
After it becomes dry naturally, take water to cleanse this area again
It is important to note that lemon juice increases the skin’s susceptibility to the sun. Therefore, unless you want sunburn, try to avoid the sun ray in the next hours. - Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is such a popular and familiar soothing agent for every type of skin. Interestingly, it can be found in any place on Earth. Aloe vera provides a great number of amino acids and active compounds that have significant effects on itchiness. Therefore, you can use it to escape from annoyance caused by bed bug bites. Besides, once applied on the skin, aloe vera will take effects and improve our skin conditions a lot. - Witch Hazel
Have you ever heard about the use of witch hazel to cleanse face? In fact, it is one of the most common applications of this herb nowadays. However, you can also expect it to become a wonderful tip on how to get rid of bed bug bites. Tannins found in witch hazel is mildly anesthetic, which is beneficial to handle bed bug bites/
How to do:
A cotton ball can be dipped into witch hazel and applied over areas affected by the bites
10 minutes later, take the ball out
You are recommended to apply this method if necessary, up to 3 times on a daily basis. - Oatmeal
Oatmeal is another powerful tip on how to get rid of bed bug bites thanks to its anti-inflammatory and soothing effects. It is commonly used to cope with itchiness and irritations on the skin. You can easily make use of this ingredient to stay away from other skin problems, such as psoriasis or eczema as well.
Oatmeal should be dissolved in your bathwater. Otherwise, you can simply mix it with a small amount of water and rinse the areas affected by bed bug bites. It should be done within 15 minutes. - Toothpaste
Toothpaste can be applied as a tip on how to get rid of bed bug bites, which might blow your mind. However, cooling menthol in toothpaste has great effects on the prevention against burning sensations and itchiness. However, not every type of toothpaste can fulfill this task. You should go for white toothpaste only. It should be applied on the bites and about 10 minutes later, you rinse it with water. - Cucumber
Last but not least, cucumber is one of the best soothing agents for our skin. It provides both caffeic acid and vitamin C to prevent inflammation. You can simple place fresh cucumber slices on the bites and benefit from it.
Overall, bed bug bites are not a serious threat to our health. But you have to remember not to scratch the bites no matter how itchy they are. This aims to prevent worse infections.