Bedbugs are small insects that often live on furniture or bedding. Their bites can be itchy, but do not usually cause other health problems.

Check if it's bedbugs

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Jeff March / Alamy Stock Photo

Bedbugs can hide in many places, including on bed frames, mattresses, clothing, furniture, behind pictures and under loose wallpaper.

Signs of bedbugs include:

• bites – often on areas exposed while sleeping, like the face, neck and arms
• spots of blood on your bedding – from the bites or from squashing a bedbug
• small brown spots on bedding or furniture (bedbug poo)

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Otto Pleska / Alamy Stock Photo

Some people have a reaction to the bites. They can be very itchy and there may be painful swelling.

A severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) is also possible but rare.

How you can treat bedbug bites

Bedbug bites usually clear up on their own in a week or so.

Things you can do include:

• putting something cool, like a clean, damp cloth, on the affected area to help with the itching and any swelling
• keeping the affected area clean
• not scratching the bites to avoid getting an infection

You can ask a pharmacist about:

• using a mild steroid cream like hydrocortisone cream to ease bedbug bites (children under 10 and pregnant women should get advice from a doctor before using hydrocortisone cream)
• antihistamines – these may help if the bites are very itchy and you're unable to sleep

How to get rid of bedbugs