Several studies show that these pests degrade the quality of life. In some people, the symptoms are close to post-traumatic stress.
They are only a few millimeters long, but can ruin your life. Bedbugs are a scourge, which particularly affects large cities. Generally, it is very difficult to get rid of these pests, which can cause symptoms of anxiety or depression for people whose interiors are infested.
The psychological impact of bed bugs
In 2012, researchers from the University of Mississippi in the United States studied the psychological effects of colonization by bed bugs. They identified a series of symptoms including nightmares, hypervigilance, insomnia, anxiety, or even avoidance behavior. According to them, these signs are identical to those of post-traumatic stress. Their research was carried out through the analysis of publications and comments on websites. 81% of the messages analyzed indicated that the people suffered from psychological disorders.
The same year in the British Medical Journal, a scientific team from the University of Montreal compares the psychological state of people exposed to bedbugs with that of unexposed people. They note in the first symptoms of anxiety or even depression in some cases.
How to detect them and get rid of them?
Bedbugs do not transmit diseases, but their bites cause severe itching. The arms, legs and torso are the most commonly affected areas, where the bites are clustered in a line. For people with allergies, they can be very dangerous.
Their small size makes them difficult to detect with the naked eye, but their droppings leave dark marks on bedding and walls. To get rid of it, wash all probably contaminated bedding and fabrics at 60°C and place the items in the freezer for 72 hours. Insects cannot tolerate these extreme temperatures. It is often necessary to repeat these operations several times before they are completed. In case of failure, it is recommended to seek professional help.
A phenomenon on the rise
According to an article from Parisian, the number of places infested by bedbugs has been increasing for 5 years. In 2016-2017, approximately 200,000 sites were identified by the disinfection, disinsectization, deratting trade union chamber (CS3D). They were nearly 400,000 in 2018.
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