Flea Bites Vs. Bed Bug Bites : Symptoms, Treatment, Pictures, Home Remedies

Flea bites vs. bed bug bites : Symptoms, Treatment, Pictures, Home Remedies. Fleas are tiny black colored bugs which can cause painful bites. It is difficult to control them without the help of professional team. You are more prone to flea bites if you have pets at home than others. These tiny black or brownish insects about 1/12 inches long but can jump easily to any height and are capable of reproducing in no time. They mainly live on cats and dogs in your home and can easily bite you without your knowledge.

Flea bites can be itchy and painful and you may have signs of red spots on the affected skin, rashes, and swelling around the bite. Flea bites can cause distinctive reddish halo in the site. Apart from these problems fleas can easily transmit diseases like plaque and Typhus. Often, your legs and ankles are vulnerable places of flea bites apart from wrist, armpits and groin.

If you observe your dogs/cats licking and scratching a lot, it could be due to flea bites. Mild flea bites can be managed with home remedies like Aloe Vera gel, ointments and ice packs but severe forms have to be treated medically if HIVes are formed in the skin. It is true that fleas are able to store volumes of blood measuring about 15 times of their weight.

When compared with fleas, bed bugs would not have wings and both are tiny oval shaped insects. Color of both bed bugs and fleas are of brownish black or reddish black. Bed bugs feed on humans and animals like that of fleas. The symptoms of flea bites and bed bug bites are similar. Bites of both these insects would produce swelling on the skin with tiny red spot on the affected site. It can also cause hives and blisters in severe cases. Like fleas, areas like arms, legs and face and other exposed parts of body, are highly vulnerable for bites of bed bugs.

Symptoms :

Both fleabites and bed bug bites have similar symptoms of itchy feeling and tiny red blisters on the skin.

Symptoms Of Flea Bites :

Very itchy

The skin becomes sore and painful

Red spots with a halo is seen

Rash or hives on the skin

You cannot control scratching of skin if you are attacked by fleas

Swelling of skin in the place of bite

Symptoms Of Bed Bugs Bite :

Symptoms are mild and many times it gets unnoticed

Bed bugs bite resemble mosquito bite in many cases

Mild itchy feeling several days after getting bitten

Tiny red lesions looking like welt or raised bump

Scarring of skin after repeated bites

Disturbed sleep since bed bug bites you only during night.

Symptoms of bed bug bites may take many days to appear.

Flea bites can cause itching almost instantly and they appear in clusters. Bed bug bites are often found in rows and not in groups. Both can trigger allergic reaction in your body causing swelling and rashes.

Where Do They Live ?

Fleas are commonly found in pets in your house. If there is no pet in your house, fleas grow on the yard where you have tall grasses and piled blocks of wood.

Bed bugs are largely found in cots, pillows, mattress and the place where you sleep.

Read more on Insect Bites

Which Is More Harmful ?

Fleas are obviously more harmful than bed bugs, because it transmits disease by injecting bacteria and other micro-organisms during their bite. Bed bugs generally do not carry any parasites and they bite only to suck your blood.

Treatment :

• OTC antihistamines are effective in controlling the symptoms of flea bites.


• You can apply calamine lotion or Caladryl liberally on the area of flea bite. In case of severe itching, you can take diphenylhydramine like Benadryl for a day or two.


• Bed bug bites often needs no treatment. It can cause itchy feeling on the skin which can be managed by antihistamines.

Home Remedies :

• Apply ice packs to reduce swelling and control itching.


• Use Aloe Vera gel on the affected area daily to reduce itchy feeling.


• Alternatively, you can use Witch hazel or white vinegar on the affected skin.


• Avoid scratching of skin since it may worsen the irritation.


• Home remedies like application of ice packs are effective in getting relief from itching. Any antiseptic cream will do the job to control itchiness from bed bug bites.


• Unless you are severely bitten by bed bugs no medical treatment is needed.


• For persistent itching, you can consult your doctor to take strong antihistamines. Benadryl and similar drugs are useful in controlling itching and skin irritation.


• In severe cases hydrocortisone cream is prescribed for bed bug bites. For some people, if the doctor suspects secondary infection, antibiotic ointments are given for topical application.

Ways To Prevent Flea Bites & Bed Bug Bites :

Firstly you need to check the health condition of your pets. Get it checked with a Vet who can give suitable medication to control fleas in them.

• If your dog or cat is seriously scratching then it can be a sign of fleas.


• You can seek help of professional pest control team if you have large number of fleas at home.


• Fleas are known to cause Plague, bartonellosis, Typhus and tapeworm diseases, and hence you should take enough care not to get fleas at home.


• Bed bugs are known to hide in places like upholstery, furniture, box springs, bed frames, clutter and sofa. They are also found in unclean hospitals, hotels, shelters, military barracks and in apartments. They often hide in small places and even if you are shifting your house it bites you even in the new place.


• You can identify bed bugs presence by checking for their droppings which are nothing but tiny black dots.

Throat Anatomy : Throat Parts, Pictures, Functions

Throat Anatomy : Throat Parts, Pictures, Functions






We all know that the main function of the throat is to swallow and gulp anything placed inside the mouth. But in reality throat does several functions throughout the day and night in keeping you alive. Throat serves as an excellent transport system meant for moving air, fluids and any solids. It is the trachea inside the throat that receives oxygen pushing it into the lungs. One can feel the pulse of heart by gently pressing the throat. Throat starts functioning from the minute the baby is born and continues to function until he dies.

Every organ in human body has been devised meticulously in proper shape and size suiting the way it functions. Accordingly throat is a narrow elongated part connecting your head to the shoulders. Throat begins at the back of your mouth and ends in the upper part of the stomach. As long as a person is alive throat functions non-stop helping in breathing and swallowing. And once your throat stops functioning normally you would have pain or difficulty in breathing/swallowing and if it is strangulated you would die.

Definition :

The throat can be defined as the anterior part of the neck in general terms. In the anatomical terms, it is the segment of the digestive tract that begins from the back of the mouth. A throat is very soft and delicate organ that gets easily irritated causing painful sores and ulcers.

Parts Of A Throat :

Based on anatomy, throat can be divided into 3 parts namely, the upper part, the middle part and the lower part called as nasopharynx, oropharynx and laryngopharynx respectively.

• Pharynx :

The elongated muscular tube connecting the back of the nose into the neck is known as pharynx. The function of pharynx is to transport the air from the nose into the larynx and to transport food particles placed inside the mouth to the esophagus. Pharynx is the visible part seen when you open the mouth.

• Epiglottis :

The first part of larynx is called as epiglottis. The main task of epiglottis is to prevent any food or water you eat/drink from going into the lungs.

• Larynx :

Larynx is also known as voice box without which you cannot speak or sing. Larynx is located about 5 inches below the pharynx of the throat. It is made of cartilages and muscles that transport air from the nose into the trachea. Vocal cord is present inside the larynx. Upper part of the vertical tubing of larynx can be seen in the form of Adam’s apple which goes up and down when you eat anything.

• Trachea :

Trachea is commonly called as windpipe and it transports air from the larynx till the bronchioles of the lungs. The throat divides into two parts below the larynx. One is the trachea that takes air into the lungs and the other is the esophagus.

• Esophagus :

The main function of esophagus is to empty the food particles received from the pharynx into the stomach. Esophagus includes sphincter muscles to control the backflow of substances sent to the stomach. Under normal conditions, the lower sphincter muscles close fully after eating to prevent the entry of anything from stomach. But sometimes the sphincter muscles do not function properly and it opens to push in the acid, enzymes and other digested food back into the esophagus resulting in chest burning and acidity. This condition is described as GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) in medical terms which damage the soft tissues of esophagus.

All the above organs are present at the back of breastbone.

How Food Is Sent Into The Stomach And Not Into The Windpipe?

It is the larynx that is responsible for diverting the food or fluids into the stomach and not into the lungs. Whenever you eat/drink something the larynx slightly rises making the epiglottis to move up and down over the glottis. This creates a tight seal over it thus not allowing food particles into the lungs. In rare cases food or fluids can enter into the trachea by mistake. But it automatically creates coughing expelling the food outside so that it does not block the airway.

Similarly food particles do not enter into the nasal cavity or block its path. A small tissue flap (uvula) found at the back of soft palate of the mouth rises up to cover the nasal path located above. Thus the larynx is built with excellent switching mechanism so that you will not send food particles in the wrong way. Even when a person stands on his head (like in yoga posture) the saliva will not enter into the trachea by this mechanism.

Functions Of Throat :

The throat is designed to perform precise events in proper timing which keeps you alive all the time. Any abnormal changes in your throat persisting for few minutes will collapse the person. Throat is considered as an excellent transportation media switching and moving tissues and cartilages to allow transfer of air and food particles at equal pace. The neck is complex organ loaded with blood vessels, nerves, tubes and cartilages. The major function of the throat lies in organizing the exchange of air and sending the food particles into the right path thus managing two separate channels efficiently.

• Coughing :

When a person coughs or sneezes he expels the irritants that have traveled in the wrong path thus protecting the windpipe and lungs. Coughing is the involuntary defense mechanism designed by the throat to catch and punish the trespasser quickly. By the act of coughing, the throat would expel the irritant material with such a force that it gets out not only from the mouth but it is thrown out a few miles away.

• Swallowing :

At the sight or smell of food the salivary glands secrete excess of saliva. Once you put some food into the mouth the saliva mixes with food and as your teeth chews it to break down the particles into small pieces. When the mouth gets filled with food the tongue pushes the mass through the throat sending it into the esophagus. Several muscles work rhythmically to push down the food through pharynx. In the meantime, the larynx closes automatically to prevent any food particles to escape into the trachea.

• Talking :

Air is pushed down with force through the larynx when a person talks. The larynx or voice cord consists of several folds of tissue that produces vibration in response to the pressure of air applied on the folds. Volume and intensity and nature of voice vary according to the air that is pushed into the larynx. Continuous stretching and relaxing of folds of tissue on the larynx produce noise and that is how we talk or sing.

In What Ways Throat Gets Damaged?

The throat is the only way for transporting air and food and hence it becomes the primary target for micro-organisms. The throat is constantly invaded by millions of bacteria and fungi. The thick mucus blanket lining and the tonsils helps in moving them away from the throat. But sometimes the invaders are more powerful than the parts of throat causing irritation of the lining resulting in Sore Throat.

Among the parts of the throat, larynx becomes the target for major pollutants and invaders. Any type of smoke, fumes and automobile exhausts can affect the larynx causing Laryngitis. The voice gets damaged making it hoarse. Larynx is at risk of developing cancer when a person smokes a cigar. If your voice is not normal for more than a week you need to check with your GP to prevent any complication.

Protecting Your Throat :

• Since the throat is one of the complicated organs of human body it is necessary to keep it safe. Overuse of any organ leads to damage and tear. The same thing applies to your throat also.


• Keep your throat protected from fumes and smoke of any kind. You can wear a protective mask whenever you drive in motorbikes to prevent automobile exhaust from entering the nostrils.


• You can wear thick scarf covering the neck, when going outside during winter months which can protect the throat from cold weather outside.


• Plenty of allergens are found everywhere you go ready to attack your lungs and airway. Hence take suitable precaution to keep your throat safe.


• If you sense any irritation in the throat due to exposure to smoke or fumes you can use lozenges.


• If you are a speaker or singer then you need to take more safety measures than others. Stay away from cigar smoke since it can cause heavy damage to the mucus lining of the throat.


• Do not overstrain yourself by talking too much or singing all the time. Give rest for the tissues and cartilages inside so that it can get back to normalcy.


• If you have sore throat, wait for a couple of days by trying simple home remedies. If the symptoms are not improving visit your doctor promptly to prevent further damage.