Chris Vincent, MD, is board-certified in family medicine. He is a clinical professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine and practices at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

If you have been bitten by bedbugs, the good news is that they aren't associated with any disease. You need only to avoid scratching the bites and getting a skin infection. Anti-itch creams may help. Treating your home or possessions to eliminate an infestation is more of a challenge, and you may need both nonchemical and chemical treatments. Learn how to treat your bites and get rid of bedbugs.

The treatment of bedbug bites depends on the symptoms and their severity. The bites should heal and disappear in two to six weeks whether you treat them or not. The goal is to prevent scratching the itchy rash, which can lead to a skin infection.

You can use over-the-counter (OTC) anti-itch creams such as calamine lotion or those containing diphenhydramine or cortisone. Be sure to read the product label and don't use these creams around the eyes, anus, or genitals.

An OTC antiseptic medication can be used for skin irritation that may then develop into an infection. As a precaution, do not use creams on broken or infected skin. If you have already been scratching, do not use these products on any raw or weeping areas.

If you see signs of a skin infection, such as redness, don't use these creams in that area, and call your healthcare provider.

Oral Benadryl (diphenhydramine) can also help reduce itchiness.

Zonalon and Prudoxin (doxepin) are topical creams that can be prescribed for relief from itching. The active ingredient in these products is a topical tricyclic antidepressant and seems to work against itching by reducing histamine.

Histamines are chemicals your body produces in response to injury or when having an allergic reaction. Prescription-Strength cortisone cream may also help. In some cases, a prescription antihistamine will be given. 

Antibiotics usually will be prescribed if you develop a skin infection from scratching.

Topical Bactroban (mupirocin) may be prescribed or you may be given oral antibiotics. A severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis may be treated with an injection of antihistamine, corticosteroids, or epinephrine.

The only way to stop getting bedbug bites is to eradicate them, but it will be difficult and time-consuming. You can try to address the problem yourself, but It is best to enlist a professional pest control service that can use nonchemical and chemical measures.

If you are renting, notify your landlord as other units should be inspected and the landlord may be required to assist in the eradication.

First, there should be a thorough inspection of areas that may be infested to identify bedbugs. Once a room is identified as infested, don't remove anything from the room unless it is sealed in a plastic bag.

Furniture and items that you want to discard rather than treat should be bagged and destroyed so other people don't use them. Call your trash collection agency to arrange for an immediate pickup.

Reduce the clutter in the room and discard any cardboard boxes as they can harbor bedbugs. Vacuum the area and seal the vacuum bag in a plastic bag and discard it.

Chemical treatments are available for consumers as well as professionals. Some sources say the consumer products are not very effective and it is best to use a professional service.

Effective eradication may require more than one chemical, as each works on bedbugs in a different way.

The chemicals that may be used include:

Wearing an insect repellent is not completely effective, although you might try oil of lemon eucalyptus or DEET to prevent bites. Avoid bringing home second-hand items such as used furniture, mattresses, or any item that someone has kept in a bedroom.

Launder all used clothing before storing or wearing it. Use mattress, box spring, and pillow encasements on your bed. Fill in any cracks and crevices in your bedroom.

Bedbugs can linger without feeding for several months in most environments.

When traveling, inspect the bedding prior to exposing yourself or your belongings. Seal your dirty clothes in plastic bags. You may even consider encasing your luggage in a plastic bag while you are in a hotel room. Launder your clothing as soon as you get home.

You can treat your suitcase by vacuuming, using a clothes steamer, or handwashing it with hot water and soap. You might also consider encasing luggage in a plastic bag between trips.

Being bitten by bedbugs, whether while traveling or at home, can be distressing. Many people report anxiety, depression, and loss of sleep. Although bedbugs are not associated with poor hygiene, you might be afraid of the stigma. Be sure to take time for stress relief as you deal with a bedbug infestation.

Bedbugs are spread through exposure to an infested surface, such as a hotel bed, used furniture, or luggage or a handbag. Bedbugs can also travel between units in an apartment building or hotel. Note that there's no direct evidence to back up the myth that bedbugs are caused by poor sanitation.

If you have bedbugs, you may notice the following:

Bedbugs can live for up to 400 days without food. Infestations aren't self-limiting; up to four generations of bedbugs may occur within a one-year timespan.

While the bites should heal by themselves without treatment in two to six weeks, an over-the-counter cream like calamine lotion or one containing cortisone or diphenhydramine can help relieve itching. Just be sure not to use these creams on any open wounds. If you develop a skin infection due to scratching, prescription antibiotic creams may be needed. Insect repellant such as DEET or oil of lemon eucalyptus may be helpful in preventing bites, but is not completely effective.

The easiest way to get rid of bedbugs is by enlisting a professional pest control service. Pest control will likely use a combination of chemical and non-chemical methods to eradicate bedbugs. If you're renting an apartment, be sure to notify your landlord, who may need to inspect other units in your building.

To prevent future infestations, encase your mattress, box spring, and pillow in protective covers. Avoid bringing home any used furniture items, especially in your bedroom. When traveling, seal your laundry in plastic bags, and inspect the bedding and crevices of upholstered furniture for evidence of bugs.

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