Bedbugs

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Definition Symptoms Causes Risk factors When to seek medical advice

Tests and diagnosis Complications Treatments and drugs Prevention Lifestyle and home remedies

Definition

How many times have you heard, "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite"? This lighthearted rhyme doesn't diminish the creep factor of bedbugs, tiny six-legged insects that hide during the day and feast on your blood at night.

The common bedbug is a reddish-brown insect that doesn't grow much longer than 0.2 inches (0.5 centimeters). Bedbugs inject an anticoagulant to keep your blood flowing as they suck, along with a numbing agent to keep you from feeling them when they're at work.

Bedbugs aren't known to spread disease to humans, although they may be host to the organisms that cause hepatitis B and Chagas' disease. Treatment of bedbug bites usually involves self care, but in more severe cases you may need to see your doctor.

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Symptoms