If you’ve come home and discovered that you may have bedbugs, then you’re probably freaking out right now. Let me tell you, I know how you feel because it happened to me too. The thought of having bedbugs is scary enough but the thought of spreading them around your house with every article of clothing and belonging is a nightmare. In reality, just the body heat of a human alone will cause bed bugs to scatter from the closest vicinity—typically within 6 feet—to find a more suitable home. You know how to kill bed bugs. You do that already, right? But wait.. don’t kill the bed bugs yet! You should make sure you have bed bugs first. If you want to learn how to kill bed bugs properly, as well as how to prevent getting them in the future, then read on. I’ll also give you some tips on recognizing the signs of a bed bug infestation.Have you ever been itching like crazy but could not figure out why? Maybe you thought it was just dry skin. Maybe you thought ants were biting your ankles. Or maybe, just maybe, you just got bit by a bed bug. But if I told you the ones you have been itching all over might be bed bugs, would the that information change things?

How To Kill Bed Bug Bites

Wash the bites with soap and water.

• Wash the bites with soap and water.
• Soap and water are a good way to clean the area and remove any bed bugs that may be present on your skin, which can help reduce itching and pain.
• Using soap after washing off any excess blood also helps prevent infection from bacteria or viruses that you may have been exposed to.

Apply an antiseptic cream or lotion.

When you get bed bug bites, a good first step is to apply an antiseptic cream or lotion that contains benzocaine. This will help numb the area, reduce itching, and reduce swelling and pain.

Benzocaine works by temporarily blocking nerve endings in your skin. By doing this it can also prevent your body from releasing histamine—which causes many of the symptoms we associate with bug bites (itching, swelling, etc.).

Take an antihistamine to reduce itching and burning.

You can take an over-the-counter antihistamine (such as Benadryl or Zyrtec) to reduce itching, burning and swelling.

• To relieve itching and swelling: Take 25 mg of oral antihistamine such as benadryl or Zyrtec every 4-6 hours while awake until your symptoms improve.
• If you don’t see relief after 30 minutes: Try taking a smaller dose (half the prescribed dose).

Use a topical steroid to reduce swelling.

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Put ice on the bites to relieve swelling.

The following steps will help relieve swelling and itching:

• Freeze a clean cloth or paper towel in the freezer for 20 minutes. Once it’s ready, remove the cloth and wrap it around the bites. Secure it with tape or an elastic bandage if necessary. Alternatively, you can place an ice pack against your skin to get similar results.
• Leave the ice on for about 10 minutes; remove it for 5 minutes before repeating this process again until your symptoms are gone (or until you pass out from hypothermia).

Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve pain and inflammation.

Over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen are useful in treating bed bug bites. Acetaminophen is better at reducing pain, while ibuprofen is better at reducing inflammation (swelling), so you may want to take both if you have a lot of bites or swelling. Acetaminophen can also be used to reduce fever caused by bite reactions, but it will not prevent or treat anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic reaction).

If you have been bitten by a bed bug, taking either drug as soon as possible afterward can help relieve the symptoms associated with the bite until your body gets rid of them naturally over time.

There are several things you can do at home to treat bed bug bites, from washing them with soap and water to applying topical creams.

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