Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Scabies is a common worldwide disease and scabies patients of all ages, races, rich and poor. The disease is not related to hygiene. The itch mite (scientific name is Sarcoptes scabiei) is a parasite on the skin that causes scabies. Itch mites have eight legs and you can only see them with a microscope. Adult female itch mites dig into the epidermis (the upper layer of the skin) to shelter, find food and lay eggs. They rarely dig through the horny layer, the outermost layer of the epidermis. If you think you have scabies, follow the steps below to identify or diagnose scabies, as well as how to treat and prevent them in the future.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Watch for signs of scabies

1. 

   Itching. Scabies has many signs and symptoms, the most common and earliest is a tingling sensation. This is the skin's sensitive response to female itch mites, their eggs and their waste products.
   • Itching tends to be worse at night and can cause insomnia.

2. 

   
   
   Watch for signs of a rash. Along with the itch you can get a rash, which is also your body's allergic reaction to mites. The rash usually looks like a swollen red round nodule around. Another feature is that itch mites like to nest in the skin in specific parts.
   • In adults, the most common places for the rash are the hands, especially the skin between the fingers, the skin fold of the wrists, the elbows, the knees, the buttocks, the waist, the penis, the skin around the nipples, the armpits. , shoulder blades and breasts.
   • For children, the most common places where itch mites reside are the scalp, face, neck, palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

3. 

   
   
   Find itch mite nests. With scabies you can sometimes see very small skin cavities, which are zigzag lines, slightly raised, gray-white or skin-colored. The size of itch mites is usually one centimeter or more in length.
   • However, it is difficult to find their nest because on average people only have 10-15 itch mites per outbreak of scabies.

4. 

   
   
   Watch for skin sores. Scabies causes intense itchiness and sometimes skin ulcers, a high risk of infection that is a complication of scabies. The ulcer often infects some bacteria such as Golden Staphylococcus or beta-hemolytic streptococcus bacteria and then spread to the skin.
   • These bacteria can also cause nephritis and even sepsis, a potentially fatal blood infection.
   • To avoid this, don't scratch and be gentle with the skin. If you can't resist yourself, wear cotton gloves or wrap your fingertips with band-aid to avoid damaging your skin. Be sure to keep your nails short.
   • Signs of infection include redness, swelling, increased pain, and sores that ooze or pus. See a doctor right away if you think the rash is infected. Your doctor will prescribe either a topical antibiotic or an oral medication to treat the infection.

5. 

   Flaky skin. This is another manifestation of scabies scabies, also known as Norwegian scabies, and this type of scabies is very severe. It is characterized by small blisters, accompanied by thick, scaly skin that covers the entire body. Scabies scabies mainly occurs in people with weakened immune systems. The weak immune response allows the mites to reproduce freely, and in some cases they outgrow up to two million.
   • Another effect is that the weakened immune system is itchy symptoms and the rash is less severe or completely absent.
   • People who are prone to developing scabies are elderly people with weak immune systems or HIV / AIDS, lymphoma or leukemia. You are also at risk if you have had an organ transplant and have a condition that prevents you from itching, such as spinal cord injury, paralysis, loss of sensation, or nervous breakdown.
   advertisement

Part 2 of 4: Diagnosis of scabies

1. 

   Clinical evaluation. If you suspect that you may have scabies, you should promptly consult a doctor for a clinical diagnosis. Doctors diagnose this disease by examining the condition of the rash and the nest of itch mites.
   • They scrape a very small piece of skin with a needle, then look under a microscope for itch mites, eggs or their waste.
   • Be aware that you may still have scabies even if you can't find mites, eggs, or their waste with a microscope. Each outbreak has only about 10-15 itch mites on the whole body.

2. 

   Ink test. Your doctor may use an ink test to detect itch mites. They put ink on the itchy skin and then wipe over the stain with an alcohol swab. If there is a nest of itch mites it will retain some ink and appear as a dark, zigzag line.

3. 

   Eliminate other skin diseases. There are a multitude of other skin conditions that may confuse you with scabies. Itch mites are the main feature to distinguish scabies, because no other disease like scabies has an itch mite nest. Your doctor will help rule out other possibilities so you can be sure your case is scabies.
   • Scabies is sometimes confused with insect bites or stings or bed bugs.
   • Impetigo is also a scabies-like disease and is very contagious. The red spots of this disease mainly appear on the face, around the nose and mouth.
   • Scabies is also easy to confuse with eczema, which is a form of chronic dermatitis. The body's allergic reaction to eczema is a red rash in the form of a bump. People with eczema can also get scabies and then the condition is even worse.
   • Folliculitis is also confusing, often leading to an infection in the area around the hair follicle. It causes white-headed bumps on a red base, around or near hair follicles.
   • Psoriasis also resembles scabies, a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by an overgrowth of skin cells resulting in the formation of a thick silvery scab, and numerous, itchy, dry red patches.
   advertisement

Part 3 of 4: Treatment of scabies

1. 

   Use permethrin. To treat scabies you must get rid of all the itch mites with scabies medicine, which are prescription drugs. There are currently no over-the-counter medications available to treat scabies. Doctors often prescribe a topical cream containing 5% permethrin to eliminate itch mites and their eggs. Usage is to apply from the neck down the whole body and bathe after 8-14 hours.
   • Reapply after 7 days (1 week). Side effects are itching or a prickly sensation.
   • You should consult your doctor before treating infants and young children with scabies. Permethrin cream is safe for babies 1 month of age, but most experts recommend applying it to the head and neck of infants and young children as well. However, you should avoid getting the medicine in your baby's eyes and mouth.

2. 

   Use a 10% crotamiton cream or lotions. Crotamiton creams or lotions are also prescription medications for scabies. To use it is to massage from the neck down the whole body after bathing. Rub the second dose 24 hours after the first dose and bathe 48 hours after the second dose. Repeat these two massages every 7-10 days.
   • Crotamiton is considered safe if used as directed. However, there have been reports of this drug failing to cure scabies, meaning it is no longer the most effective or widely used drug.

3. 

   Use a conditioner containing 1% lindane. This lotion is like other scabies remedies, the way to use it is to apply from the neck down the whole body and wash off after 8-12 hours for adults, and after 6 hours for children. Reapply after 7 days. You should not give lindane to children younger than 2 years old, pregnant or lactating women, or those with weak immune systems.
   • It is neurotoxic, meaning it can damage the brain and other parts of the nervous system. The prescription of lindane should only be used for those who have failed other medications, or cannot tolerate less risky drugs.

4. 

   Use ivermectin. This is an oral medicine for scabies. There is evidence that this drug is safe and effective, however it is not approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The drug ivermectin is prescribed in a single oral dose of 200 mcg / kg, and taken with water on an empty stomach.
   • Take an extra dose after 7-10 days. Ivermectin is only considered for people who have failed FDA-approved topical medications, or are unable to tolerate these medications.
   • The most likely side effect of ivermectin is tachycardia.

5. 

   Treat skin irritation. Skin symptoms and lesions can take up to three weeks to clear, even if the mites are gone. If the skin damage does not go away during this time, you should re-treat it because the previous treatment may not be successful or the disease recurs. Cooling your skin is an effective way to get rid of itchiness, to do this, just lie in a tub of cool water or apply cool compresses to the irritated area.
   • Sprinkle extra oatmeal or baking soda in the bath to help calm your skin.
   • You can also use calamine lotion, which has been shown to be effective in treating itchy skin with mild irritation. The best option is a Sarna or Aveeno anti-itch moisturizer. Avoid using any products that contain fragrances or dyes as these can irritate the skin.

6. 

   Buy steroids or oral antihistamines. Both of these drugs help treat itchiness caused by scabies, which is actually an allergic reaction of the body to itch mites, eggs and their waste products. Steroids are very powerful inhibitors of itching and inflammation, and typical examples of these topical agents are betamethasone and triamcinolone.
   • As an allergic reaction, you can also take an over-the-counter antihistamine to treat itching, such as Diphenhydramin, Dorotec, Loratadin, and Telfast BD. These medications are especially helpful at night to relieve the itchiness of sleep. In addition, Diphenhydramine has a mild sedative effect. An example of a prescription antihistamine is Atarax.
   • Hydrocortisone 1% cream is available over-the-counter and is quite effective against itching.
   advertisement

Part 4 of 4: Preventing scabies

1. 

   Take care to avoid exposure. The most common route of infection is through skin-to-skin contact with an infected person, the longer the exposure, the higher the risk. It can also be spread through indirect contact with objects such as blankets, pillows, clothes and furniture, but the likelihood is less. When leaving the human body, mites can still live 48-72 hours. With adults, scabies is usually spread through sexual activity.
   • Crowded living environments are a common cause of scabies outbreaks, so places like prisons, barracks, kindergartens, nursing homes and schools are prone to outbreaks. Scabies cannot be spread through animals.

2. 

   Find out about the incubation period. For people newly infected with scabies, it takes 2-6 weeks for symptoms and signs to develop. Remember, an infected person can spread scabies even if they show no symptoms.
   • For people who have been infected with scabies before, the symptoms develop much faster, in just 1-4 days.

3. 

   Know who is at risk. There are several groups of people who easily spread scabies to each other, including children, mothers with young children, adults of sexually active age, people living in nursing homes, assisted living centers and extended care facilities. .
   • The risk of infection in these subjects is from skin-to-skin contact.

4. 

   Clean and disinfect your home. Measures to control and prevent re-infection of scabies must often be taken in parallel with treatment. This method is recommended for all members living in the same house and having close contact, including the person's partner.
   • On the day that scabies treatment begins, all clothing, bedding and towels used within the past 3 days should be washed in hot water and dried at the highest temperature, or dry cleaned. If washing or drying cannot be done, put them in a sealed plastic bag for at least 7 days. Itch mites can only live 48-72 hours after leaving human skin.
   • Also on the first day you have to vacuum the floor and furniture. Throw away the bag or empty and rinse the machine's dust box after vacuuming is complete. If you cannot disassemble the container, use a damp paper towel to wipe away any itch particles.
   • Do not treat pets with scabies. Scabies mites cannot live on animals and animals cannot spread scabies to humans.
   • You do not need and should not use insecticides to get rid of environmental itch mites.
   advertisement

Advice

• Children and adults can continue to participate in normal activities such as going to school or work after the start of treatment.

Warning

• See your doctor if the rash has not decreased in 2-3 weeks, gets worse, recurs after treatment, or appears to have an infection (increased redness, swelling, or pus).