What are the consequences of swallowing a bed bug?

Answer 1

Bedbugs don't rely on direct oxygenation the way mammals or even most insects do. Instead, they derive oxygen through a hybrid mechanism -- both through their exoskeletons as in the case of most insects but primarily through the consumption of human blood.

Therefore, swallowing a bedbug will not necessarily kill it. Instead, because bedbugs feed typically at night -- i.e., in darkness -- the bedbug will continue to feed at leisure on your tender and sensitive internal tissues unless or until such time as it reaches your stomach and is digested. It can leave dozens, hundreds or even thousands of bites all along the way. If you believe you have swallowed a bedbug, you should dial 9-1-1 immediately and go to the emergency room. It is most likely that a qualified physician will induce vomiting, but you must be firm and insistent. In extreme cases, the anesthetic effect of bedbug bites may cause difficulty in triggering the reflex that leads to vomiting, in which case ordinary methods of inducing vomiting, such as ipecac or nude photos of Bea Arthur may be ineffective. In such extreme circumstances, it may be necessary to request that a nurse or other medical staff member punch you in the stomach until the desired result is achieved.

Answer 2

If you swallow it, you will digest it. Better for you to eat it, than for it to eat you.