In severe cases of flea bites on humans, flea bites can cause serious infections. You should also check for symptoms like fever, blisters, and pus-filled boils. However, you should not panic. Just remember to keep the affected area clean and covered at all times.
More severe symptoms can include: An allergic reaction (hives, rash, shortness of breath and swelling). Infection of a disease carried by a flea (fever, headache, body aches, rashes, nausea, abdominal pain, weight loss, dizziness and weakness can accompany various diseases).
In general, fleas do not carry diseases. Small children and people who are allergic may have a bad reaction. This can include swelling and itching. The skin may become irritated and painful around the bite, and sometimes hives and a rash will appear.
Treatment for flea bites
Wash the bites with antiseptic soap to reduce the risk of infection. Apply an icepack frequently to help relieve swelling. Use calamine lotion, anaesthetic creams or similar to treat the itching. See your pharmacist for advice on appropriate antihistamine medications to reduce the swelling.
To protect yourself from fleas: Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. EPA's helpful search tool can help you find the product that best suits your needs.
In addition to bacterial infections, flea infestations can lead to a number of adverse health effects, including: Anemia due to blood loss in young puppies, kittens, and severely flea-infested animals. The most common form of tapeworms, Dipylidium caninum, is transmitted by fleas.
Another signal for a flea infestation is when not only your pets but also you become a victim of the flea bites. They can be felt like a small sting and then, the bitten spot turns into a red bruise on your skin. The bitten area will be really itchy and irritating and often can be confused with a mosquito bite.
Seek medical care if: Itch is not alleviated using over-the-counter products. The bites become infected, such as due to scratching. Blisters form in reaction to flea bites.
Doctors say that flea bites on humans typically heal within a week, as long as they are not infected and have been treated to enhance healing. You have many options for flea bite treatment, from over-the-counter remedies to natural, holistic techniques.
“Check your flea or tick medication label carefully. Giving medications labelled for dogs to your cat, or any other animal, can cause serious illness such as seizures, or even death. ” An overdose can easily occur with cats or smaller animals.
Just One Flea Can Be a Sign of a Problem
As few as 20 fleas might mean your pet is infested, while the most could be between 200 to 300. Ignoring a few fleas can quickly lead to an infestation on your dog and in your home,2 because two adult fleas could lead to hundreds of eggs and pupae.
In Australia, fleas are not known to transmit any human diseases, although this does occur in other parts of the world. Skin reactions to flea bites can appear within minutes or may be delayed over hours and even days.
The short answer is that fleas may bite people, but they won't live on you. Fleas will seek out your dog or cat as their preferred host. If you see fleas in your pet's fur, it's only natural to wonder if fleas can live in human hair, too.
Fleas in the house are typically found in sleeping areas such as bedding, carpet, and mattresses. Fleas on humans are often found in areas that are closer to the ground, as fleas tend to grab onto clothing while a person is outside.
Signs of fleas in your bedding include tiny black specks that are sometimes called "flea dirt." These are flea excrement; if you sprinkle them with a little water, they'll turn a dark-reddish brown. Another sign that fleas have invaded your bed are flea bites on your body.
Fleas bite ankles because this body area is located at the average height of their jumps. Fleas don't fly. Additionally, there's often a gap of exposed skin between sock rims and pant cuffs. Upon reaching exposed skin, fleas bite right away without wandering.
Possible Explanations for the Flea Biting Preference
The first and most common theory that a lot of people stand behind is the individual differences between the chemical makeups of human skins. In other words, different skin reactions, as well as the levels of gases, differs between humans depending on their genes.
If you do find that you still have a flea infestation after treatment, the possible causes are: The premises was cleaned or vacuumed prior to 14 days after treatment. It is possible that someone or a pet has picked up fertile fleas from other locations. Your pets were not treated for fleas satisfactorily.
In just 30 days, 10 female fleas can multiply to over a quarter million new fleas in different life stages. Female fleas start producing eggs within 24 to 48 hours after taking their first blood meal and can lay up to 50 eggs per day.
Bite frequency
Fleas bite whenever they get the chance. Bed bugs tend to feed every 3 days and may be more likely to feed at night. People who have bed bugs in their home may notice a regular pattern to bites.
In terms of being difficult to eliminate and making you uncomfortable in your home, fleas and bed bugs are equally bad. However, the potential to carry serious diseases makes fleas somewhat worse. The fact that they live on various mammals and then travel to human hosts makes them more dangerous than bed bugs.
Despite their small size, fleas are incredibly dangerous pests. The biggest danger these small insects pose is the diseases they carry and spread. Some of the most common diseases fleas carry and transmit include the bubonic plague, murine typhus, tularemia, and tungiasis.
When fleas impact humans, they may flock to the eyelashes, the eyebrows, the head, and the pubic region. Hair loss may occur on the body where the fleas are located.