Scabies: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
Scabies is a skin condition that causes intense itching and small red bumps on the skin. Scabies is caused by a tiny mite that burrows under the skin and lays eggs. Through close contact or sharing clothing or bedding, scabies can easily spread from person to person. Scabies can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or hygiene. Some people are more likely to contract it, such as those living in crowded areas, those with weak immune systems, or those who work in health care facilities.
Causes of Scabies
A mite known as Sarcoptes scabiei var hominis causes scabies. This mite is different from the ones that affect animals, so you cannot contract scabies from them. Female mites burrow deep into the upper layer of the skin to live, feed, and lay eggs. The mites hatch the eggs within a few days and mature and mate at the surface of the skin. In about two to three weeks, the mite completes its life cycle.
As mites can survive for up to four days off a human body, they can be transmitted through clothing, bedding, towels, or furniture. In addition to direct skin-to-skin contact, mites can also spread through thin or folded skin, such as between the fingers, under the arms, around the waist, and in the genital area.
Symptoms of Scabies
An allergic reaction to the mites, their eggs, and their waste products causes scabies to itch, which is usually worse at night. The itching can take up to six weeks after the initial exposure, or it can start within a few days if you have previously contracted scabies.
In addition to itching, there are small red bumps or blisters on the skin, which may look like pimples, hives, or eczema. If scratched, the bumps can become infected.
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Between the fingers and toes
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On the wrists, elbows, and knees
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Around the waist, navel, and genitals
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On the breasts, nipples, and armpits
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On the palms, soles, and scalp (in infants and young children)
In addition to thin, wavy lines on the skin, the mites make tiny black dots, which are the mites or their eggs, on the skin. Burrows are usually less than 1 cm long and may contain tiny black dots. It is often difficult to see the burrows and they may be mistaken for scratches or skin marks.
Diagnosis of Scabies
You will be examined by your health care provider for signs of mites, such as bumps, burrows, or black dots, to diagnose scabies. To determine whether mites or their eggs are present, your provider may take a skin scraping or a biopsy from a suspicious area and examine it under a microscope.
You may also be asked about your symptoms, your medical history, and exposure to people with scabies. In this way, your provider will be able to rule out other skin conditions that cause itching and bumps, such as dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis.
Treatment of Scabies
In order to treat scabies, creams or lotions are used. These creams or lotions are applied all over the body, from the neck down, and left on for eight to fourteen hours before they are washed off. Persichrin, lindane, and crotamiton are some of these medications. To be sure that all mites have been eliminated, you may need to repeat the treatment after a couple of weeks.
It may also be necessary for some people to take oral medications to treat scabies, such as ivermectin, if their condition is severe or resistant. People with a weakened immune system are more likely to contract crusted scabies, which causes patches of thick, crusty skin that harbor millions of mites. Crusted scabies is a rare type of scabies that affects people with a weakened immune system.
In addition to the medications, you will also need to treat your environment to prevent reinfestation. This includes:
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Washing all your clothing, bedding, towels, and personal items in hot water and drying them in a hot dryer or dry cleaning them.
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Sealing items that cannot be washed, such as stuffed animals, pillows, or shoes, in plastic bags for at least 72 hours.
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Vacuuming your carpets, rugs, furniture, and mattresses and disposing of the vacuum bag or filter.
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Avoiding close contact with other people until you are cured.
Prevention of Scabies
Avoiding contact with people who have scabies or their belongings is the best way to prevent it. Whenever you suspect someone in your household, school, workplace, or community has scabies, contact your health care provider immediately and have them checked. You should also notify anyone who may have been exposed to scabies and advise them to seek medical attention.
To prevent scabies from spreading, you should also:
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Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
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Keep your nails short and clean to avoid scratching and spreading the mites.
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Change your clothing and bedding daily and wash them in hot water.
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Do not share personal items, such as clothing, towels, brushes, or cosmetics, with others.
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Use condoms or other barrier methods during sexual activity.
Outlook and Prognosis
If left untreated or if scratched, scabies can lead to complications, including skin infections, impetigo, cellulitis, or sepsis. While scabies is not a life-threatening condition, it can cause considerable discomfort and distress. It is therefore essential that you seek medical assistance and follow the treatment instructions carefully if you have this condition.
Scabies usually subsides after treatment, but itching may persist for several weeks until the allergic reaction subsides. You may also experience some skin irritation, dryness, or peeling from the medication. Your provider may prescribe moisturizers, antihistamines, or corticosteroids to relieve these symptoms.
In addition to monitoring your skin for redness, swelling, warmth, pain, pus, or fever, if you have scabies, you should also contact your provider as soon as possible as you may need antibiotics.
Summary
An itching and bumpy skin condition known as scabies is caused by a mite that burrows under the skin and lays eggs. It is easily spread from person to person through close contact or sharing clothing or bedding. Medications that kill the mites and their eggs, along with cleaning and disinfecting the environment, can be effective in treating scabies. It is possible to prevent scabies by avoiding contact with people who have it or their possessions, washing your hands and items frequently, and using condoms during sexual activity. It is important to seek medical help and follow the treatment instructions carefully if you suffer from scabies. Although it is not a serious condition, it can cause complications if not treated correctly.
