Scabies is a contagious skin illness caused by the infestation of a minute burrowing mite called Sarcoptes scabiei.  The occurrence of this mite will result to severe itching in the part of its burrows.  There is a strong feeling to urge to scratch especially at night.  Scabies is transmittable and spread hastily in a family through a close physical contact like hugging or making sexual contact.  This is the reason why the doctors frequently advise the treatment for the whole families or even in contact groups to totally get rid of the mite.  Scabies may affect people of all ages and races regardless of individual’s cleanliness.  Sarcoptes  scabiei is an eight-legged parasite associated to ticks.  They are very tiny with less than one-third mm in size and can not be seen with the naked eye but visible under a microscope or magnifying glass.  It burrows under skin causing severe itching.  There is an appearance of small reddish bumps and blister and beneath the bumps that may also contain thick blood are minute threadlike burrows with a size of 2mm to 15mm long which come out as brown or gray red lines.  Parts of the body that usually affect the infants and young aged children are the head, face, neck, palms and soles.  In case of old aged children and adult the affected parts are the fingers, wrists, elbows, armpit, navel, nipple, waist, buttocks, genitals and even the side and back of the feet.

What are the causes of scabies?

• The main cause of scabies is the female mite that burrows underneath the skin producing a channel where they deposits eggs.  The eggs will fully grown in 21 days and the fresh mites will make a way to the exterior part of the skin where they will fully grown and can be able to multiply to other parts of the skin or even to the skin of other people.  The body’s allergic reaction to the mites can lead to the itching of scabies.
• The second cause is the skin to skin or close physical contact.  Sharing with the clothes or bedding with the person with scabies can also acquire the mites.

 

 What are the signs and symptoms of scabies?

• There is a severe itching that frequently worsens at night.
• There is a slim, uneven burrow tracks made up of small bumps or blisters on the skin.
• These scabies normally come out in the folds of the skin.

 

What are the complications of scabies?

• The first complication is the growth of a secondary bacterial infection like impetigo due to the rupture of the skin by scratching it vigorously.  Impetigo is most frequently caused by staphylococci bacteria or rarely by streptococci bacteria is characterized by a superficial infection of the skin.
• The second one is it will lead to crusted scabies, a more severe type of scabies.  This form of scabies is crusty and flaking and wraps great parts of the body.  It is very hard to treat and extremely infectious.  This could affect people with a chronic physical condition that deteriorates the immune system like leukemia or HIV.  It could also affect people who are sick or have poor health in the hospitals.  Elders in the nursing homes can also be affected with this form of scabies.

 

What could be the preventions of scabies?

There are ways can prevent the mites from spreading or affecting other people and also to stop the re-invasion and they are the following.

• The first way is to wash all the clothes, towels and bedding.  Use hot, foamy water and let it dry with a high temperature.  Items that can not be washing down at home let it dry-clean.
• The second one is let the mites starve.  Think about of moving the items that can not be wash in a sealed plastic container and put it in the garage for a long period of time.  Mites could also die if they do not eat for several days.

What are the home remedies treatments of scabies?

These home remedies treatments may help to relief from persistent itching after applying of some medication.

1.     Soak the skin.

Soak the part of the skin affected in cool water or apply a cold, wet clean cloth to the affected parts of the skin to lessen the itching.

 

 

 

 

2.     Apply lotion.

Apply or make use of a soothing lotion like calamine lotion that can efficiently ease the soreness and itching due to effect of scabies.

 

 

 

 

3.     Take medicine like antihistamines.

Seek a doctor’s advice of what medicine, antihistamines that can help to ease the irritation caused by the scabies.

 

 

 

 

Visit a doctor if you experience things that could be a sign of scabies to be able to obtain the appropriate treatment.