I had never even heard of bed bugs before I experienced them, and I thought that the nursery rhyme was just a fictitious tale... I was wrong. If you've ever experienced bed bugs and their terrorizing bites, you're most likely involved in a search for a solution... I think this may help more than just a little. See, I was told many different things could help alleviate the itching sensation, the swelling and scratching that is prevalent after being bitten by one of these parasites, ranging from alcohol to anti-itch creams to Benadryl. Yes... Benadryl. And for those of you who aren't super allergic to the chemical that's injected into the skin after being bitten, they may work just fine, because you just don't itch as much or may not itch whatsoever. However, after doing some research, I picked up on some clues as to what might truly help alleviate the itch for those of us who are very allergic to these bites: ICE!

See, scratching the affected area doesn't help us one bit because: a) It increases the swelling of the bitten area and b) it increases the heat of that area, which only serves to augment the itching sensation, which will make you scratch even more. Believe me, there is no way you'll resist the urge to scratch if you're very allergic... you'll go crazy first. You can see the pattern that eventually leads to infection and further complication. Icing the affected areas down will virtually nullify the itching sensation, decrease swelling and altogether prevent you from having to scratch. In a matter of one day you could rid yourself of these agonizing little bites. Just remember that this is only one step to alleviating the whole dilemma; the best step to take against bed bugs is to prevent them altogether, which is simpler than you think.

If you're a constant traveler, always wash your clothing and dry them in a dryer, not in the air. The heat will kill any bugs that may have caught onto your clothing, however, your luggage bags are an area of concern too! Simply vacuum them down and empty the vacuum dirt bag into a dumpster and that's that. Pets, neighbors who have pets or anyone that lives close to a bed bug infested home may drag them into your home unknowingly, so it's always good to sweep every crack and crevice of the house and mop the floors down with steamy hot water and some type of detergent such as bleach or Palmolive or Pine Sol. Bed Bugs are very hard to contain once they've invaded your home, because one of these critters can lay up to five eggs daily. Extermination is costly and may only work temporarily because they can hide between walls and hard to reach areas. Always check behind and inside furniture, pictures on the wall, drawers, cracks and crevices in every part of the house and even electrical receptacles aka electric plugs.

There you have it, my solution from personal experience and some very well needed tips to bed bug prevention! Remember, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!