Scabies - Symptoms and Treatment

Scabies is a common skin infection that causes small itchy bumps and blisters due to tiny mites that burrow into the top layer of human skin to lay their eggs. Worldwide, an estimated 300 million cases occur annually. The condition can strike anyone of any race or age, regardless of personal hygiene. It is often hard to detect, and causes a fiercely, itchy skin condition. The good news is that with better detection methods and treatments, scabies does not need to cause more than temporary distress. Scabies is an itchy skin condition caused by the microscopic mite Sarcoptes scabei. Scabies spreads quickly in crowded conditions where there is frequent skin-to-skin contact between people. It is common all over the world, and it affects people of all races and social classes. Scabies is a common parasitic infection of global proportion. The arthropod Sarcoptes scabiei var hominis causes an intensely pruritic and highly contagious skin infestation, which affects males and females of all socioeconomic stratas and all ethnic groups. Scabies is an itchy skin condition caused by a tiny, eight-legged burrowing mite called Sarcoptes scabiei. The sheer discomfort of scabies can produce an almost irresistible urge to scratch, especially while you're in bed at night. Scabies is contagious and can spread quickly through close physical contact in a family, child-care group, school class or nursing home. Medications applied to your skin kill the mites, although you may still experience some itching for several weeks. The female insect burrows into the skin where she lays 1 - 3 eggs daily. The eggs hatch and the new mites begin the cycle all over again. The most common locations for scabies are on the sides of fingers, between the fingers, on the backs of the hands, on the wrists, heels, elbows, armpits, inner thighs and around the waist.

Scabies can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or personal hygiene. Scabies refers to an infestation by the itch mite, Sarcoptes scabiei. It can be spread among people of all races, incomes, ages and levels of cleanliness. They are tiny, just 1/3 millimeter long, and burrow into the skin to produce intense itching which tends to be worse at night. It does not select only those with low-income or poor housing conditions. The mites which cause scabies are not visible with the naked eye but can be seen with a magnifying glass or microscope. Scabies is a fairly common disease caused by a very tiny mite that lives in, or just below, the surface of human skin. Proper applications of a scabies treatment product kills adult mites and eggs; however, a person can get scabies again if he or she is re-exposed to the scabies mite. Scabies is transmitted in the course of close physical contact, as well as in camps and between children under unsanitary living conditions. Sarcoptes scabiei, which attacks infants and children as well as adults. Sites of predilection include the interdigital folds on the hands and feet, the anterior axillary folds, the areolae of the breasts and the peri-umbilical region. Scabies is a prevalent skin condition that effects people of all classes and ethnicities all over the world.

Causes of Scabies

Common Causes of Scabies :

• Infected individuals.
• A tiny insect called a mite causes scabies.
• Mites burrow under the skin to live and reproduce.
• The symptoms of scabies are caused by an allergic reaction to the mites.

Symptoms of Scabies

Some Common Symptoms of Scabies :

• Itching.
• Especially at night.
• Pencil-mark lines on the skin.
• Rashes.
• Scratching and digging .

Treatment of Scabies

Some Common Treatment of Scabies :

• Treatment consists of applying a mite-killing medication such as Dexoprin to your skin.
• Repeat the application as above exactly one week after the first treatment. Wash all linen and cloths in hot water.
• Postscabetic dermatitis is not scabies, and requires special treatment. Don't try to treat it with the mite-killing medicine. Your doctor will give you treatment for this complication if it develops.
• Apply the medicine before bed to all of your skin from the neck down, not just to the itching areas. Rub the medicine thoroughly into your hands, wrists, body folds, and under the fingernails. Do not wash your hands for eight hours. Wash the medicine off the next morning.
• The itching rash of scabies usually clears up in 2-6 weeks if you carry out your treatment exactly as instructed and all close personal and contacts are treated at the same time.

Home | Drugs | Contact Us | Skin Disorders | Home Remedies | Diabetes | Health Blog
Copyright © HealthAtoZ.info All Rights Reserved.