what bug leaves a long straight scratch while sleeping? I know it is not bed bugs.?

hi_balloffire,
The animal parasites of the human skin may be divided into two classes, namely those which live on the skin, and those which live in the skin. The clothes-louse, or body- louse The habitat, or place of living of the insect, is the clothes, in the folds and seams of which the eggs are deposited, appearing as little yellowish-white shining dots. It feeds by biting the skin — principally those parts nearest its haunt : namely, where the clothes come in most immediate and constant contact with the cutaneous surface. According to the numbers present, and the cutaneous sensibility of the individual infested, will be the amount of irritation produced, and the consequent amount of scratching. At first the slight itching occasions only streaks of white or red from the marks of the finger-nails, but afterwards excoriations are seen from the further injury of the skin. Scabies is a skin condition caused by a mite (like a tiny insect) called Sarcoptes scabiei. The female mites tunnel into the skin and lay eggs. The eggs hatch into mites after a few days. Mite tunnels (burrows) may be seen on the skin as fine, dark, or silvery lines about 2-10 mm long. The most common areas where they occur are the loose skin between the fingers, the front of wrists, and the hands. However, they can occur on any part of the skin. You may not notice the burrows until a rash or itch develop. The itch is often severe. The Itch tends to be in one area at first (often the hands), and then spreads to other areas. The itch tends to be worse at night and after a hot bath. A rash usually appears soon after the itch starts. It is typically a blotchy, lumpy red rash that can appear anywhere on the body. The rash is often most obvious on the inside of the thighs, parts of the abdomen and buttocks, armpits, and around the nipples in women. The look of the rash is often typical of scabies. However, some people develop unusual rashes which may be confused with other skin conditions. Scratching sometimes causes slight skin damage. In some cases the damaged skin becomes infected by bacteria – a ‘secondary’ skin infection. If skin becomes infected with bacteria it becomes red, inflamed, hot, and tender. The itch and rash of scabies are due to an allergy to the mites. These symptoms usually take 2-6 weeks to occur after you are first infected (as the allergy develops). The itch and rash can develop on any part of the skin, away from where the mites are actually burrowing. So, at first, you may not know that you are infected until a widespread itch and rash develop. You may pass the mite on to others before you have any symptoms. It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between the rash caused by scabies and some other skin conditions. Therefore, a scraping from the skin is sometimes sent to the lab to look for mites under the microscope if there is doubt about the diagnosis. Bed bugs bite and suck blood from humans. Bed bugs are most active at night and bite any exposed areas of skin while an individual is sleeping. The face, neck, hands, and arms are common sites for bed bug bites. The bite itself is painless and is not noticed. Small, flat, or raised bumps on the skin are the most common sign; redness, swelling, and itching commonly occur. If scratched, the bite areas can become infected. A peculiarity of bed bug bites is the tendency to find several bites lined up in a row. Infectious disease specialists refer to this as the “breakfast, lunch, and dinner” sign signifying the sequential feeding that occurs from site to site.These are the three likely causes. You would be advised to try to obtain a sample of one, if possible, for identification, as there are other possible parasites that may be the cause, depending on your geographical location.

ALL ANSWERS SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY RESEARCHED, IN ANY FORUM AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS ONE. – MANY ANSWERS ARE FLAWED.

It is extremely important to obtain an accurate diagnosis before trying to find a cure. Many diseases and conditions share common symptoms.

The information provided here should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

I add a link with details of this subject

http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Body_louse

http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Scabies

http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Bedbug

Hope this helps
matador 89

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