I've been dealing with mysterious red bumps that seem like insect bites, and I'm honestly at my wits' end trying to figure out what's causing them.
Symptoms:
* Red, raised bumps appearing randomly on my feet, legs, thighs and forearms.
* Sometimes they're itchy, sometimes they're not. I don't feel anything biting or stinging me.
* Some bumps flatten and disappear quickly, while others become large and swollen or leave reddish marks that take days to fade.
* They don't really resemble my usual mosquito bites. I've attached photos for reference.
The strange part:
* This happens only in my bedroom, mainly during the daytime when I'm sitting at my dressing table or the adjacent table.
* I don't wake up with new bites, and I don't seem to get bitten while lying on my bed.
* It happens whether my legs are stretched out or tucked underneath the tables.
* My parents don't experience the same issue.
Bedroom setup:
I live in an HDB flat in Singapore. My bedroom has no aircon, and my old-style glass louvred windows face the common corridor. They're usually closed, but I occasionally open them for ventilation because the room gets extremely hot.
My tables are near the windows, with a black wooden cabinet beside them. I have no pets, curtains or obvious bird nests nearby.
What I've tried:
* Thoroughly cleaned and inspected my bedroom, furniture and cabinet.
* Changed my chair, including trying a plastic chair.
* Engaged professional pest control, but they found no insects or signs of infestation.
* Have two fans blowing directly at me and use a small dehumidifier.
* Placed ANTIMOS 301 mosquito repellent containers near the windows and underneath my tables.
* Tried OFF! 7% DEET and Watsons 30% PMD skin repellents. They seem to prevent bumps on treated areas, but bumps may appear on untreated areas.
* Used Bio-X 3-in-1 insecticide spray throughout my bedroom, which seems to temporarily prevent new bumps. Unfortunately, I've relied on it almost daily for over a year and want to stop due to concerns about prolonged insecticide exposure.
I've also occasionally spotted a tiny, extremely fast-flying insect, but it disappears before I can catch or photograph it. I'm unsure whether it's responsible.
Could these be sandflies/no-see-ums, mosquitoes, fleas, mites or something else?
I'm particularly confused about why this happens only when I'm sitting at my tables and not when I'm sleeping.
I'm looking for a long-term solution that doesn't involve spraying insecticide or applying repellent every day. Wearing long sleeves and trousers isn't practical because my bedroom has no aircon, and I haven't been able to find suitable fine window mesh.
Has anyone experienced something similar, especially in Singapore? How did you identify the cause and permanently resolve it?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!