Do I Have Bed Bugs Or Scabies?
WouterThe first step to finding out if you have scabies or bedbugs is to look for a rash. A bedbug rash is larger and more irritating than the rash caused by scabies. The scabies mite is microscopic and burrows through the skin. This is how it gets its name. They reproduce as long as there is blood available to feed on.
Bedbugs are small, brown, and flat insects with two pairs of legs. They crawl across your skin, feeding in the places with arteries and veins. Although bedbugs are difficult to see, they are not dangerous to your health and can be easily killed. They do not spread as easily as scabies, but they are often more difficult to detect.
Bedbug bites can appear as itchy red welts on the skin. These welts form on any exposed skin, especially the areas where you sleep. They are difficult to distinguish from other types of insect bites, but a bedbug infestation should always be suspected. Scabies are caused by the same mites that cause bedbugs.
Treatment for scabies involves applying insecticidal lotions to the affected areas. A 25% benzyl benzoate lotion applied daily for three days can be effective. Another treatment for scabies is a 5% permethrin lotion left on for eight to ten hours. If the first treatment is unsuccessful, a second treatment may be necessary seven to ten days after.
