About a week ago, I asked a friend if I could temporarily stay in his old apartment while my own place was undergoing renovations. He agreed without hesitation.

A few days after settling in, I started noticing strange, itchy bumps appearing on my skin—mostly on my legs and back. Since I hadn’t changed anything about my daily routine, including my hygiene habits, shampoo, or bathing schedule, I began to suspect the problem might be related to the apartment itself.

Before I could afford a visit to the doctor, I turned to the internet to look for possible causes. Based on what I read, one explanation kept coming up repeatedly: bed bugs.

The apartment was quite old, and the mattress had clearly been used for years.

I inspected it thoroughly but didn’t see any obvious signs of insects. Even so, I decided to take preventive measures. I left the mattress out on the balcony in direct sunlight for an entire day and covered it with several layers of bedding before sleeping on it again. Unfortunately, the bites continued, and I had no option but to keep sleeping there for the rest of the week.

According to information from the NHS, bed bugs are very small insects that often hide in bedding or furniture. While their bites don’t pose serious health risks, they can be extremely itchy and uncomfortable.

Bed bug bites often cause irritation, disrupt sleep, and can easily be mistaken for bites from other insects. Many people don’t react to bed bug bites at all, which is why infestations can go unnoticed.

Some common signs that may suggest bed bug bites include—though reactions differ from person to person:

Small, red, itchy bumps – Bed bug bites usually show up as red, inflamed spots. While they don’t spread disease, persistent scratching can damage the skin and lead to infection.

Bites on exposed skin – Bed bugs typically bite areas of the body that aren’t covered during sleep, such as the arms, legs, neck, or back.

Delayed symptoms – The itching and swelling may not appear right away. In some cases, reactions can take hours, days, or even weeks to develop.

Allergic reactions – Some individuals are more sensitive than others. Rarely, bites can cause severe swelling, pain, or very serious allergic reactions like anaphylaxis.

If unexplained red, itchy bumps suddenly appear on your skin, it’s strongly recommended to seek medical advice for proper diagnosis and treatment.