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So, the big question is can bed bugs cause anemia? In an easy to understand question let me say yes they can. In this article I will delve into what anemia is, how to recognize it, how to treat it, and just how can these parasitic blood suckers cause anemia.
Here is a little background on our friend, the common bed bug, cimex lectularius. He is know as a parasite, which means he feeds on a host for his nourishment in order to live and reproduce. They usually feed on human blood, which means we are his host.
These little blood suckers have a life cycle that goes through seven distinct stages. In the first stage the bed bug is an egg laid by it’s mother. This egg cycle lasts twelve days and then the baby parasite is born. The second cycle in cimex lectularius life is called the first stage larvae.
In this stage the larva has one job and that is to find a human host, feed on his or her blood, molt it’s skin, and hibernate til the next feeding. At this time the insect is about 1.5 millimeters long.
The third stage of bed bug life is called the second stage larvae. Here the blood sucker has one job also, to feed on human blood, molt, and hibernate. The fourth, fifth, and sixth stages of cimex lectularius is the same as the last two.
It is either feeding on human blood, growing and molting it’s skin, or hibernating. The seventh stage is the most important for the bed bugs life-cycle. In this stage the females lay their eggs and reproduce. A female can lay up to 200 eggs in her lifetime.
It takes only about fifty days from an egg into a full grown female. As you can see two bed bugs can quickly increase into a huge infestation. It is this huge infestation of blood sucking parasites that can cause anemia.
Now let’s delve into what is anemia, how to recognize it, and how it is treated.
In basic, easy to understand terms anemia is a low level of red blood cells in your blood. This is called your hemogloban level. Hemolgloben levels are different in men and women.
Men usually have a slightly higher hemoglobin level than women. A normal level of hemoglobin is higher than 13.5 gram/100ml. A normal hemoglobin levelin women more than 12.0 gram/100ml. Anything under these levels in men and women is considered anemia.
So, how do you recognize if you have anemia? Some symptoms include being tired a lot, easily getting fatigue even without strenuous activity, you may feel your heart racing at times, hair loss, having a general feeling of not being well, a shortness of breadth, and you may have heart problems. Anemia, if not treated, can cause severe health issues.
Now we know what anemia is and how to recognize it, what causes it. There are two main causes of this disease. One is a decrease in the production of your red blood cells and the other is having a loss of blood on a consistent level. Other causes are from too much alcohol(being alcoholic) and being a strict vegitarian where you are not getting enough iron in your diet.
So, if you think you have anemia how can you have it treated?
The doctor may prescribe a change in your diet or lifestyle, such as, iron rich foods, iron pills, or to stop drinking alcohol. In severe cases you may need a blood transfussion. If your anemia is caused by being bitten by bed bugs then you need to have your infestation pinpointed and exterminated.
Now we know that if you have a huge infestation of these blood sucking parasites feeding on you it can cause health issues. So, in a nutshell, yes bed bugs can cause anemia.
