As Covid cases have declined and restrictions have been lifted, many people will be heading away on their first holiday in two years.
However, a top Irish doctor has warned holidaymakers of one vital thing to watch out for that could end up costing you thousands.
Taking to her TikTok account, doctor Niamh Lynch reminded her followers to check for bedbugs when on their holidays.
Bedbugs are small, reddish-brown parasitic insects that bite the exposed skin as you sleep to feed on your blood.
Although bedbugs aren't known to spread disease, they can cause other public health and economic issues.
They are about the size of an apple seed and hide in the cracks and crevices of beds, box springs, headboards, bed frames, and other objects around a bed.
The risk of encountering bedbugs increases if you spend time in places with high turnovers of nighttime guests, such as hotels.
Dr Lynch said: "So now that things are getting a bit more normal again and lots of people have booked holidays, and it's so exciting.
"As you know, one of my personal favourite parasites is bedbugs, and that's because I've had a personal experience with bedbugs in our house many years ago. So now I am obsessive about checking when I go into a hotel or B&B or rented house."
Dr Lynch explained how you can check for the parasites.
She said: "The way to check for bedbugs is to pick up the sheets and the undersheets and check around the piping of the mattress, particularly in the corners.
"It takes about one minute, and it's one minute well spent because if the bedbugs manage to climb into your suitcase, which they can do because they move pretty quickly, then you'll being the bedbugs home with you.
"You'll end up with an infestation in your house, and it will cost you a fortune to get it sorted because you have to get the house fumigated."
She added that they look like apple seeds.
"Bedbugs are about the size, shape, colour of an apple pip. Here are some apple pips for context. If you find them, you're in trouble."
The sites of bedbug bites usually are:
- Red, often with a darker red spot in the middle
- Itchy
- Arranged in a rough line or in a cluster
- Located on the face, neck, arms and hands
Some people have no reaction to bedbug bites, while others experience an allergic reaction that can include severe itching, blisters or hives.
If you experience allergic reactions or severe skin reactions to bedbug bites, see your doctor for professional treatment.
