What is scabies? Causes, symptoms and treatment.
Skin is the largest organ of our body which works like a cloth to protect the internal organs of our body. Along with other physical problems, skin related problems are most likely to occur, hence we take more care of our skin than other body parts. There are many types of skin related diseases and infections, one of which is scabies, which is caused by a parasite. Scabies is discussed in detail in this article. Through this present article, you can know all the things related to the symptoms of scabies, causes of scabies, types of scabies and most importantly, the treatment of scabies.
What is scabies?
Scabies is a skin disease caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei var hominis mite. These tiny insects tunnel under your skin and cause small red bumps and severe itching. The itching caused by scabies spreads easily from person to person, especially among people who live together. If one family member has scabies, a doctor should examine and treat other family members and close contacts at the same time.
Scabies is a worldwide problem but occurs mostly in tropical areas and in very crowded places. In areas where this is common due to excessive cleanliness, waterlogging, long ongoing construction work and garbage.
Scabies is also known as sarcoptic mange. Animals can also get scabies, but the mites are a little different. Typically, mites that infest pets cannot adapt to living on humans. However, you may have some type of reaction to the mites on your pet.
Where do scabies mites live on your body?
Mites i.e. scabies live in the folds and narrow cracks of your skin. These parasites live in the following places of your body:-
How many types of scabies are there?
Crusted (Norwegian) :- This type often occurs in people with faulty immune systems. It forms crusted areas covering a large area of the skin. If you have crusted scabies, you may have millions of mites instead of the 10 to 15 that you have with classic scabies.
Lumpy Nodular:- This type is more common in children. The brown-red nodules may remain for a long time even after the mites are gone.
Bullous: In adults, this type of scabies can be mistaken for bullous pemphigoid, another condition associated with skin blisters.
Scalp: This type occurs on your scalp and may not cause any symptoms other than scales that look like psoriasis.
What are the signs and symptoms of scabies?
Signs and symptoms of scabies include:
In infants and young children, common sites of infection usually include:
Skull
If you have had scabies before, signs and symptoms may develop within a few days. If you have never had scabies, it may take up to six weeks for signs and symptoms to begin. You can still spread scabies even if you don’t have any signs or symptoms yet.
What are the causes of scabies?
The eight-legged mite that causes scabies in humans is microscopic. The female mite burrows just beneath your skin and makes a tunnel where she deposits eggs.
The eggs hatch, and the mite larvae work their way to the surface of your skin, where they mature and can spread to other areas of your skin or to the skin of other people. The itch of scabies results from your body’s allergic reaction to the mites, their eggs, and their waste.
Avoiding physical contact and, less frequently, sharing clothes or bedding with an infected person can spread the mites. Animals and humans are all affected by their different species of mites. Each species prefers a specific type of host and does not live too far from that preferred host.
Exposure to scabies mites from animals can cause a temporary reaction on the skin of humans. But people generally cannot develop full-blown scabies from this source, as they can from contact with human scabies mites.
Who can get scabies?
Anyone can get scabies. It is not a disease caused by poor hygiene. Some people are more likely to get scabies, including:
People who live in close, crowded conditions.
Infants and children. (Children have very close physical contact with their parents, friends, family members, and classmates.)
People who are elderly, especially those living in nursing homes.
Health workers who care for people who don’t know they have scabies.
How do I know if I or my child has scabies?
If you think you or your child has scabies, contact your doctor as soon as possible. Most cases of scabies can be confirmed only by close examination of the skin. Your doctor may also apply mineral oil to the rash and use a scalpel to obtain a small sample of skin (scraping). The sample is placed under a microscope and examined for mites and mite eggs.
Can I see the mites?
The scabies mite is very small, about the size of the tip of a needle, and very difficult to see. It is white to creamy-white in color. It has eight legs and a round body, which you can tell if the mite is large or not.
What complications can occur from scabies?
Vigorous scratching can break your skin and allow a secondary bacterial infection, such as impetigo, to occur. Impetigo is a superficial infection of the skin most often caused by staph (staphylococci) bacteria or sometimes strep (streptococci) bacteria.
A more severe form of scabies, called crusted scabies, can affect certain high-risk groups, including:
People with chronic health conditions that weaken the immune system, such as HIV or chronic leukemia
people who are very sick, such as people in hospitals or nursing facilities
elderly people in nursing homes
Crusted scabies, also called Norwegian scabies, makes the skin dry and scaly, and affects large areas of the body. It is very contagious and can be difficult to treat.
Typically, a person with scabies has about 10 to 15 mites. In contrast, someone with crusted scabies may be infested with millions of mites.
How is scabies diagnosed?
To diagnose scabies, your doctor examines your skin, looking for signs of the mite, including the distinctive bark. When your doctor finds a mite tunneling, he or she may take a scraping from that area of your skin to examine it under a microscope. Microscopic examination can determine the presence of mites or their eggs.
How is scabies treated?
Treatment of scabies involves eliminating the infection with medications. There are many creams and lotions available with a doctor’s prescription.
Your doctor will probably ask you to apply the medication all over your body, from the neck down, and leave the medication on for at least eight to 10 hours. Some treatments require a second application, and treatments must be repeated if new burrows and rashes appear.
Because scabies spreads so easily, your doctor will probably recommend treatment for all household members and other close contacts, even if they show no symptoms of scabies.
Commonly prescribed medicines for scabies include the following:-
Ivermectin (Stromectol) :- Doctors may prescribe this oral medication for people with altered immune systems, for people with scaly scabies, or for people who do not respond to prescription lotions and creams. Ivermectin is not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or for children weighing less than 33 pounds (15 kg).
Crotamiton (Eurax, Crotan) :- This medicine is available in the form of cream or lotion. It is applied once a day for two days. The safety of this medication has not been established in children, adults 65 years of age and older, or pregnant or nursing women. Repeated treatment failures with crotamitone have been reported.
Although these medications kill the mites immediately, you may find that the scabies do not go away completely for several weeks. Doctors may prescribe other topical medications, such as sulfur mixed with petrolatum, for people who do not respond to or cannot use these medications.
Along with medicines, the patient also needs to take special care of cleanliness. In case of scabies, the patient is advised to avoid coming in contact with other people, because this skin disease spreads easily from one person to another.
Can scabies be prevented?
To prevent re-infestation and to keep the mites from spreading to other people, take these steps:
Clean all clothes and linen :- Use hot, soapy water to wash all clothes, towels, and bedding used within three days before starting treatment. Dry with high heat. Dry-clean items you can’t wash at home.
Starve the mites:- Consider placing items you cannot wash in a sealed plastic bag and leave it in an out-of-the-way spot in your garage for a couple of weeks. Without food the mites die after a few days.
What is the difference between scabies and eczema?
Scabies and eczema are both skin conditions that give you itchy red rashes. However, scabies is caused by a parasite, a mite that invades your body. Sometimes you can see patterns that look like lines where the bills are.
Eczema is a type of rash with an unknown cause. It may come and go seasonally. It may appear as red spots or weeping blisters. Unlike scabies, eczema is not contagious. Eczema treatments are designed to manage your symptoms. Scabies treatments rid your body of the mites.
If you have a red, scabies rash, contact your health care provider. It is important to catch scabies as early as possible so that you can get rid of them and not infect other people. If it’s eczema, your provider can suggest treatments that will help your symptoms.
Will scabies go away on its own?
No, scabies will not go away on its own. If you don’t treat it, you will probably continue to spread the disease to other people. Additionally, persistent scabies will probably cause constant scratching and cause some type of bacterial infection in the skin.