Unpacking during your vacation in your new hotel room? Before you toss your suitcase on the bed or start hanging up clothes, doctors say there’s one crucial thing you need to do first.
“When I first enter a hotel room, I typically leave my luggage at the entryway while I do a quick check for bed bugs,” said Dr. Brianna Olamiju, a dermatologist at Spring Street Dermatology.
That’s right: Those tiny, crawly critters could be lurking underneath the crisp white sheets of your bed.
“When you enter a hotel room, make sure you immediately place luggage in the bathtub or on a tiled surface upon entry, then thoroughly inspect the mattress seams, headboard and furniture using a flashlight for bugs or dark stains,” said Dr. Kefah Al-Ramahi, an internal medicine physician at Hartford HealthCare.
“Bed bugs and their evidence can be visible to the naked eye — adult bugs are about apple-seed sized — but you’re often spotting clues like tiny black “ink-like” fecal dots, shed skins or small blood spots on sheets,” said Dr. Tiffany Libby, the Director of Mohs Micrographic and Dermatologic Surgery at Brown Dermatology in Rhode Island.
These stains are located mainly along the seams, piping, tufts and corners of mattresses and box springs. Bed bugs could also hide in electrical outlets, under loose wallpaper, or at the corner of the wall and ceiling.
Unfortunately, bed bugs may be difficult to spot during the day, as they only appear at night. If you check once during the daytime upon check-in to the hotel, do a second inspection around nighttime as well, as that is usually the best time to visualize bed bugs, according to Olamiju.
“If you find evidence of bed bugs, I’d request a different room far away, not adjacent, above or below, or consider changing hotels depending on the situation and response,” Libby said.
Leave your suitcase at the door or in the bathroom so you can check for bed bugs upon your arrival.
What To Do If You Encounter Bed Bugs
If you are experiencing bed bug bites or recently were exposed to bed bugs, first shower, and change your clothes immediately.
“Seal luggage, wash and dry clothing on high heat as soon as possible, and consider heat-treating items that can tolerate it,” Libby said. The dryer is key as washing clothes alone may not kill bugs or eggs, she added.
As you travel out of the hotel, make sure to keep your luggage sealed in a plastic bag. Once you get home, try to keep them in a garage or shed until they can be cleaned.
To clean your luggage, vacuum the suitcase or bag thoroughly, specifically focusing on zippers, seams and pockets. Make sure to wipe surfaces with alcohol to kill all bed bugs and eggs.
Bed bug bites may still occur without seeing or feeling the bed bugs. “Usually they tend to feed during the night once or twice a week,” Al-Ramahi said. Most commonly, bite marks tend to present as 2–5 millimeter red bumps, he said.
If you suspect that you have been bitten by bed bugs, check for the “breakfast, lunch and dinner” pattern. This corresponds to a linear pattern of three or more small, itchy bite marks, Al-Ramahi explained. Other co-occurring symptoms of bed bug bites include itchiness, rash, burning sensation, fluid filled blisters, and mild pain and discomfort.
To reduce discomfort, place a cool, damp cloth over areas of irritation. “From a skin standpoint, treat bites with topical corticosteroids and oral antihistamines if itchy. Avoid scratching to reduce the risk of secondary infection or scarring,” Olamiju said.
Additionally, bed bug bites may not appear immediately. They may appear one to three days after exposure. This is not to be confused with mosquito bites, which are more randomly scattered and often improve within a day or two, Olamiju said.
Some people may experience an allergic reaction to bed bug bites with more severe itching, hives or even anaphylaxis.
“Hypersensitivity reactions may develop in some who become sensitized to bed bug saliva,” Al-Ramahi said.
If you develop a secondary infection or if your bedbug bites don’t heal within a couple of weeks, visit your medical provider for further guidance.
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