Am I At Risk of Getting Bit By a Rat While I Sleep?
Bites to humans from rats does seem to be a rather rare thing, but this could be down to the fact that many people just wouldn't report such a case. Many victims who are bitten by a rat are done so in their sleep, and sometimes they may not even be aware that they have been bitten at all. The worst cases seem to happen when the victim is a young child, and that child is sleeping when the "attack" happens. It is, however, believed that only ten percent of rat bites are reported to medical professionals, mostly because the chances of them needing medical treatment is rather rare. Even rarer than being bitten by one at all.
Rats would much prefer to run away than stand and fight you, but if they are faced with no other way out, they won't hesitate to use their razor-sharp teeth and claws against you. And again, there is only a minimal disease threat with these bites, although you should bear in mind that rare DOES NOT mean it can't and won't happen. It takes just one bite from an infected animal to pass on a disease, and you can't tell just from looking at a rat whether or not it is sick.
Some people have gone through the experience of waking up to a swell on their face or body which is caused by a rat bite. This happens because there are instances where a rat will find their way to your bed or wherever you may be staying and bite your exposed skin such as your arms, legs, feet, or hands. Sometimes, it will even be on parts of your face. However, it’s not always that rats are actually biting you even when it feels like this.
There are times when a rat will walk on your skin. Their sharp claws are enough to feel like little teeth and irritate your skin. As a result, you may have odd red swelling bumps on different parts of your body. This mostly comes from your skin feeling irritated from the feeling of these little sharp claws walking over you.
A rat bite, however, will appear differently. A rat’s teeth are rather sharp and large for their size. If you were to be bitten, it wouldn’t only inflict a simple bump but instead, it might turn into an actual wound depending on how deep the bite is. When you get bitten, it can cause bleeding but a certain level of depth can lead to serious issues.
While actually getting bitten by a rat in your sleep is not very common, this doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Even when a rat is simply walking on you, it can be rather dangerous as they could be carrying different bacteria through their claws. With rat bites, it’s quite rare to contract an infection or serious disease. However, it’s always best to be safe when you encounter this type of situation.
If you were to be bitten by a rat during your sleep, you are likely to wake up because of the pain. When this happens, be sure to immediately and thoroughly cleanse and disinfect the wound. This will prevent anything from seeping into your body because there is still a chance of infection. Be sure to contact a professional to get yourself checked, especially when you display symptoms like:
- muscle aches and joint pain
- vomiting
- headaches
- high fever
- rash
If any of these symptoms come up after the rat bite incident, it would be best to contact a doctor to ensure you haven’t contracted an infection or disease.
It’s also rather important to note that rats don’t normally attack humans, particularly when they aren’t doing anything which is why it isn’t considered a normal encounter for a rat to bite you in your sleep. However, situations may vary. Rats tend to attack and bite when they feel threatened in any way.
In the event that someone in the family experiences a rat bite, it would be best to practice different preventive measures such as frequently cleaning the house and keeping it that way as well as setting traps to catch the rats in the home. Depending on how bad the situation seems, you can also opt for professional help to identify whether the rat infestation is mild or a case that will need the help of experts.
