How to Treat Bed Bug Rash

Unfortunately, identifying a bed bug's rash is not as easy of a task as one might believe. This is because
bed bug bites look exactly like any other bug bites: small, round, and red with a hint of swelling. Sound familiar? Mosquitoes, fleas, ants and lice all ironically bite in a similar fashion, creating nearly the same effect on the human skin – including rashes. This causes many victims to treat a bed bugs rash in the wrong manner.

Bed Bugs Rash: Symptoms to Look For

Despite the similar symptoms of bed bug bites and other bug bites, there are still a few ways to uniquely identify a bed bug rash:

Pattern of multiple bumps. Bed bugs rash develops from bed bugs that bite in a clustered pattern or in a single-file row. Bed bugs also like feeding on the same area more than once, so consistent biting in a select area is definitely a unique trait of bed bug bites.
Consistent biting. Not only do bed bugs bite in the same area multiple times, they do it over and over in a given amount of time. If you experience a bug bite anywhere on your body consistently over a few days or weeks, it's worth investigating whether or not it's bed bugs.
Delayed swelling. A bed bug's rash only develops once the initial bite starts swelling after a few days. There is no conclusive reason yet on why the delay occurs, but it nevertheless does and bed bug bite victims should prepare for possible infections and inflammations.
Biting at night. While many bugs have a penchant for biting during the nights (e.g., mosquitoes), bed bugs are also privy to attacking during sleeping hours. If you regularly find yourself with new bites upon waking up in the morning, it is likely they're from bed bugs.
Treatment for Bed Bugs Rash



Once you've determined that the rash is indeed a bed bug's rash, it's time for treatment. There are several ways to approach this, with the easiest being simply to wait it out. Most bed bug rashes last only a few days before slowly fading away. However, those who are allergic may need to apply reinforcements in the form of steroid creams and oral antihistamines.

If these do not work, try some do-it-yourself remedies. Apply warm water to the bites for temporary relief of the itching. Calamine lotion, which is also used for relieving poison ivy, helps protect the skin as the bed bugs rash heals. Soak the skin in a powdered oatmeal bath to calm the inflammation. However you decide to remedy a bed bugs rash, be sure to avoid causing further irritation and inflammation, as these will only prolong the existence of the rash.