Scabies The Basics & Possible Remedies


The Basics Scabies is a skin infection that is caused by a mite. The mite is called Sarcoptes scabiei. It burrows into the top layer of the skin where it lives and lays its eggs.

Scabies can be spread through close personal contact with an infected person, or through contact with objects such as clothing or bedding that are contaminated with mites.

The primary symptom of scabies is itching, particularly at night. Other symptoms include:

• Small blisters on the hands and feet

• Skin rashes in areas such as the wrists, elbows, armpits, nipples, navel, genitals, or between fingers and toes

• Irritability

• Fever

Possible Remedies If you have scabies it’s important to get treatment right away. The best way to do this depends on whether your case is mild or severe. For severe cases you should see your doctor immediately. Your doctor will likely prescribe a topical lotion or cream to apply to your skin either all over your body or just in certain areas where symptoms are present. Topical treatments may include lindane, permethrin (Elimite), crotamiton (Eurax), or ivermectin

Scabies, a highly contagious itchy rash, is caused by the scabies mite. Scabies, which in Latin means “the itch,” is a skin infestation caused by a tiny mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) that burrows into the top layers of human skin to survive and reproduce. These mites are transferred from person to person through direct, prolonged, skin-to-skin contact. The most common symptom is intense itching, which may cause insomnia and lead to secondary bacterial infections.

Scabies was first identified over 2,500 years ago and has been relatively unchanged since then. The scabies mite can live for 1 to 2 months on a person’s body, but only 24 to 36 hours once off the body.

Scabies is a contagious infestation caused by a mite called Sarcoptes scabiei. The female mite burrows into the skin to live and lay eggs. The most common symptoms are severe itching and a pimple-like skin rash. The scabies mite usually is spread by direct, prolonged, skin-to-skin contact with a person who has scabies. Scabies spreads rapidly under crowded conditions where close body and skin contact is frequent. Scabies on a person can cause itchiness and pimple-like rashes on the feet, between fingers and around the wrists, elbows or armpits. In infants, the face, scalp and neck can be affected.

Scabies is found worldwide and occurs in people of all races and social classes.

Scabies affects people of all ages, races, ethnic groups and social classes. It affects more than 300 million people worldwide each year. Close contact is required for transmission because female mites do not survive long away from human skin (usually less than 48 hours). Transmission may occur indirectly from infested articles such as clothing, bedding or towels if they are shared or put on before treatment is completed. Infestation may occur through sex but sexual activity is not required for transmission to occur

Scabies is a contagious skin disease caused by a microscopic mite called Sarcoptes scabiei. The mites burrow under the skin, causing intense itching. Scabies is found worldwide and affects people of all races and social classes.

Scabies causes an itchy rash that usually appears between the fingers, on the wrists, elbows, genitals, and buttock. In infants and elderly people, the rash may also appear on the face, scalp, palms, and soles of the feet. The rash is caused by a female mite that burrows into the skin to live and deposit eggs. The eggs hatch in 3 to 10 days after they are laid. The mite larvae move to the skin surface where they mature into adults (1). After mating, adult females burrow back into the skin to lay their eggs.

The male mites die after mating. But the female mites can survive for several weeks in human skin before dying. Itching usually starts about 4 to 6 weeks after a person gets scabies for the first time. However, itching may start sooner if someone has had scabies before (1).

People who have scabies often scratch their skin until it becomes irritated or infected by bacteria from their fing


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