If you are heading on holiday abroad soon, or you have just returned, then you need to heed this Irish doctor’s warning.
Dr Niamh Lynch is a Cork-based paediatrician and mum who shares helpful advice for parents with her 213k Instagram followers and she has recently shared an important tip for holidaymakers.
Taking to Instagram, Dr Lynch told followers that there is one important thing you should check when you return from being abroad.
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What holidaymakers should check for after returning from holiday
Bedbugs have been a big problem in Europe in recent years and unsuspecting travellers often accidentally bring them home with them as an unexpected souvenir. ‘Back from holidays? Take a few minutes to check your luggage and bedrooms for signs of bed bugs,’ Dr Lynch told her followers.
Signs of bedbugs
According to Dr Lynch, the signs of bedbugs are as follows:
- Tiny black spots on mattresses or sheets
- Small reddish-brown bugs hiding in seams
- Pale shed skins or tiny white eggs
- Itchy bites that often appear in clusters
The doctor emphasised that it is important to find bedbugs early to prevent ‘a much bigger problem’.
‘A quick check now could save a lot of stress later!’ she added.
According to the HSE, bedbugs are ‘flat parasitic insects called Cimex lectularius that live in cracks and crevices in and around beds. They crawl out at night and bite exposed skin to feed on blood. Adult bedbugs are oval-shaped, flat and up to 5mm long – similar to an apple seed’.
While they ‘aren’t known’ to cause disease, they can cause itching and loss of sleep. They can, however, lead to a secondary skin infection due to scratching.
