Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Getting rid of bed bugs is not an easy process, and most cases of bed bug infestation will require treatment by a pest-control expert. A variety of low-odor sprays, dusts, and aerosol insecticides can be used to eradicate bed bugs. These must be applied to all areas where the bugs are observed as well as spaces where they may crawl or hide. The pest-control company can help you determine if the mattress can be disinfected or must be discarded. Since beds cannot readily be treated with insecticides, it's often necessary to discard infested mattresses and beds.
Bed bugs are small, oval non-flying insects that feed by sucking blood from humans or animals.
Bed bugs can live in any area of the home and can reside in tiny cracks in furniture as well as on textiles and upholstered furniture. They tend to be most common in areas where people sleep and generally concentrate in beds, including mattresses, boxsprings, and bed frames.
Bed bugs are most active at night and bite any exposed areas of skin while an individual is sleeping. The face, neck, hands, and arms are common sites for bedbug bites.
A bed bug bite is painless and is not noticed. Small, flat, or raised bumps on the skin are the most common sign; redness, swelling, and itching commonly occur.
Typically, no treatment is required for bed bug bites. If itching is severe, steroid creams or oral antihistamines may be used for symptom relief.
Fecal stains, egg cases, and exuviae (shed skins) of bed bugs in crevices and cracks on or near beds are suggestive that bed bugs may be present, but only observing the bugs themselves can confirm an active infestation.
A professional pest-control company may be required to help identify and remove bedbugs from the home.
What are bed bugs? What do bed bugs look like?
Bed bugs are small, oval non-flying insects that belong to the insect family Cimicidae, which includes three species that bite people. Adult bed bugs reach 5
mm-7 mm in length, while nymphs (juveniles) are as small as 1.5 mm. Bed bugs have flat bodies and may sometimes be mistaken for ticks or small cockroaches. Bed bugs feed by sucking blood from humans or animals. Adult bed bugs are reddish brown in color, appearing more reddish after feeding on a blood meal. Nymphs are clear in color and appear bright red after feeding. The wings of bed bugs are vestigial, so they cannot fly. However, they are able to crawl rapidly. Temperatures between 70
F-80 F are most favorable for bed bugs, allowing them to develop into adults most rapidly and produce up to
three generations per year.
Where are bed bugs found?
Bed bugs were common in the U.S. before World War II and became rare after
widespread use of the pesticide DDT began in the 1940s and 1950s. They remained
prevalent in other areas of the world and, in recent years, have been
increasingly observed again in the U.S. Increases in immigration and travel from
the developing world as well as restrictions on the use of stronger pesticides
may be factors that have led to the relatively recent increase in bed bug
infestations. While bed bugs are often reported to be found when sanitation
conditions are poor or when birds or mammals (particularly bats) are nesting on or near a home, bed
bugs can also live and thrive in clean environments. Crowded living quarters
also facilitate the spread of bed bugs.
Bed bugs can live in any area of the home and can reside in tiny cracks in
furniture as well as on textiles and upholstered furniture. They tend to be most
common in areas where people sleep and generally concentrate in beds, including
mattresses, boxsprings, and bed frames. They do not infest the sleeping surfaces of beds as commonly as cracks and crevices associated with the bed frame and mattress. Other sites where bed bugs often reside
include curtains, edges of carpet, corners inside dressers and other furniture, cracks in
wallpaper (particularly near the bed), and inside the spaces of wicker
furniture.
Since bed bugs can live for months or even longer under favorable conditions without feeding, they can also be found in
vacant homes.
The word "rash" means an outbreak of red bumps on the body. The way people use this term, "a rash" can refer to many different skin conditions. The most common of these are scaly patches of skin and red, itchy bumps or patches all over the place.
Itching can be a common problem. Itches can be localized or generalized. There are many causes of itching to include: infection (jock itch, vaginal itch), disease (hyperthyroidism, liver or kidney), reactions to drugs, and skin infestations (pubic or body lice). Treatment for itching varies depending on the cause of the itch.
A number of vital tasks carried out during sleep help maintain good health and enable people to function at their best. Sleep needs vary from individual to individual and change throughout your life. Not getting enough sleep can hurt memory performance, health, and your mood.
The majority of spiders in the United States are harmless. Two exceptions include the black widow spider and the brown recluse spider. Symptoms of a harmless spider bite generally involve redness, irritation, and pain. alized symptoms of bites from black widow and brown recluse spiders may include: nausea and vomiting, fever, headache, abdominal pain, joint pain, and more. In general, a brown recluse spider bite or black widow spider bite may require medical attention. The information includes pictures of the brown recluse and black widow spiders for identification.
Ticks are known transmitters of disease to humans and animals. Tick-borne diseases include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Q fever, tularemia, babesiosis, and Southern tick-associated rash illness. Infected ticks spread disease once they've bitten a host, allowing the pathogens in their saliva and mouth get into the host's skin and blood. Tick bites are typically painless, but the site of the bite may later itch, burn, turn red, and feel painful. Individuals allergic to tick bites may develop a rash, swelling, shortness of breath, numbness, or paralysis. Tick bite treatment involves cleaning and applying antibiotic cream.
Chagas disease is an infection caused by the T. cruzi parasite. Symptoms of Chagas disease include rash, swollen lymph nodes, fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and the Romaña sign. An ELISA test is used to diagnose Chagas disease. Treatment depends upon the phase of the disease and the patient's age.
Chagas disease (also termed American trypanosomiasis)
is an infection caused by a protozoan parasite (Trypanosoma cruzi) that can
result in acute inflammatory skin changes (chagomas) and eventually may cause
infection and inflammation of many other body tissues, especially those of the
heart and intestinal tract. The disease may have three phases in an individual:
acute, with mild or no symptoms that may last weeks to about two months;
intermediate or indeterminate phase that has few if any symptoms and may last
10-20 years or longer; and chronic, with the more severe symptoms appearing from
gradual chronic organ damage (especially heart and intestinal although other
organs may be affected) with symptoms that usually remain for life. People with
Chagas disease seen in the U.S. usually have acquired it while living in a
country where the disease is endemic (Mexico, Central and South America). The
CDC estimates about 8-1...
Getting rid of bed bugs is not an easy process, and most cases of bed bug infestation will require treatment by a pest-control expert. A variety of low-odor sprays, dusts, and aerosol insecticides can be used to eradicate bed bugs. These must be applied to all areas where the bugs are observed as well as spaces where they may crawl or hide. The pest-control company can help you determine if the mattress can be disinfected or must be discarded. Since beds cannot readily be treated with insecticides, it's often necessary to discard infested mattresses and beds.
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