Bed bug bites: Signs usually show up ‘close to blood vessels’ - where to look

Bed bugs are an intractable nuisance if you have them because they are roughly the size of a seed and often dwell in hard-to-reach places. Their presence does not go entirely undetected, however. Bed bugs have a taste for exposed skin and dinner time is usually while you are asleep.

As the NHS explains, a severe reaction can also cause painful swelling, although, in most cases, bed bug bites usually clear up on their own in a week or so.

There are things you can do to alleviate your symptoms in the meantime.

Putting something cool, like a clean, damp cloth, on the affected area can help with the itching and any swelling, says the NHS.

The health body also recommends:

• Keeping the affected area clean
• Not scratching the bites to avoid getting an infection.

Non-chemical treatments may include:

• Vacuuming – a thorough vacuuming of cracks and crevices can physically remove bedbugs from an area. Empty the vacuum after each use.
• Laundering – washing and drying items in a dryer on a high setting will kill bedbugs in clothing or linens.
• Freezing – Bed bugs are also vulnerable to temperatures below 0 C, but you’d need to leave the items outdoors or in the freezer for several days.

“Some professional exterminators use portable devices to raise the temperature of a room to a lethal temperature,” says the Mayo Clinic.