Scabies - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

By Juliet Cohen

Scabies is an itchy skin condition caused by the microscopic mite Sarcoptes scabei . The word scabies comes from the Latin word for "scratch" (scabere). Mites are small eight-legged parasites (in contrast to insects, which have six legs). They are tiny, just 1/3 millimeter long, and burrow into the skin to produce intense itching which tends to be worse at night. The mites which cause scabies are not visible with the naked eye but can be seen with a magnifying glass or microscope.

Scabies can affect people of any age but is most common in children and young adults. It is highly contagious and is spread by close physical contact, especially in overcrowded living conditions. There are sometimes outbreaks in schools and residential or nursing homes. It can also be passed on by sexual contact. The elderly and people who do not have a fully functioning immune system are more likely to have crusted scabies . This is a highly contagious condition in which the skin thickens, forming a crust, and rather than having the usual amount of female mites (around 12), a person with crusted scabies can have an infestation of thousands. Crusted scabies is transmitted by physical contact and can also be transmitted via bedding, towels, clothes, and upholstery.

Scabies is a transmissible ectoparasite skin infection characterized by superficial burrows, intense pruritus and secondary infection . It is common all over the world, and it affects people of all races and social classes. Scabies is a very itchy skin condition caused by tiny mites that burrow into the outer layers of the skin.

In adults, the most common sites are between the fingers and on the wrists, although infection may manifest in elderly people as a diffuse truncal eruption. In infants and children, the face, scalp, palms, and soles are also often affected. Infection with the scabies mite causes discomfort and intense itching of the skin, particularly at night, with irritating papular or vesicular eruptions. The discomfort and itching can be especially debilitating among immunocompromised people, such as those with HIV/AIDS.

Causes of Scabies

Scabies is caused by a mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) which burrows under the skin, but the rash and itch are much more widespread than the location of the mites. Scabies is passed on from one person to another through intimate contact between bed fellows, infected bedding and clothes, by sharing a bed or from children who hold hands while playing. The mite can live on the discarded clothes for a couple of days. After contact, it takes about 6 weeks for the itching to start.

The itching is more severe at night. Soon a rash appears on the body this rash is not seen on the face and is most prominent on the hands, the waist, the abdomen and on the genitalia. Scabies is also caused by using the infected bedclothes and undergarments, but usually people do not get infected though mode as it is a very uncommon mode.

Symptoms of Scabies

1. Sores caused by scratching

2. Pimple-like irritations or a rash

3. Intense itching, especially at night

Treatment of Scabies

Skin lotions containing permethrin, lindane or crotamiton are available through a physician's prescription for the treatment of scabies. All are applied to the whole body except the head and neck, and the whole family should be treated at the same time.

The treatment of choice at the moment is Permethrin, in view of its relative safety, ease of application, and as it tends not to irritate the skin. This should be left on for at least eight hours. This may be used for the head and necks of children less than two years old. Benzyl benzoate emulsion. This is washed off after twenty four hours, and repeated two or three times. In infants or young children it is wise to dilute in two or three times as much water, as this helps reduce skin irritation.[source]

Norwegian Scabies Versus Regular One: Differencies

By Groshan Fabiola

Scabies is a skin infection caused by a mite, because scabies mites are that small they can be hardly seen scabies is easily mistaken with any other skin infection. In the outer layer of the skin scabies lays eggs and its presence there produces irritations and allergy symptoms on the skin. Regular scabies are caused by 10-20 mites, but in Norwegian scabies there are thousands of mites, that's why the skin infestation is more severe and the skin is covered with crusts and hyperkeratotic plaques.

It may seem that in Norvegian scabies the type of mite is different from the regular scabies, but in fact it is exactly the same type of mite. Those affected with Norwegian type of scabies have a low immune system. Norwegian scabies develops on those persons with compromised immune system.

The symptoms in Norwegian scabies

Severe skin manifestations may appear, the skin is blistered, red and extremly itchy. During the night the itch is accentuated. Although regular type of scabies doesn't appear on the scalp, Norwegian one affects the abdomen, genitalia, nipples, buttocks, and the groin, wrists, armpits, elbow, toes and fingers and the scalp. Because of the high number of parasites, Norwegian type of scabies is very contagious, more contagious than someone with regular scabies.

Scabies affects only humans so you can't take them from pets, skin to skin contact makes possible the transffer as in: shaking hands with an infected person, during the sexual contact, through clothing and bedding. The eggs may be spread during the scratching or may extend the infection to nails and fingers.

In Norwegian scabies as in regular one it is essential to follow a treatment immediately.

Treatment in Norwegian scabies

If you recognize the Norwegian scabies symptoms you should follow the treatment immediately, because otherwise you'll spread the mites and infect many peoples. To prevent the re-infestation everyone should be treated in the same time, all those that had intimate contact with the person infested with scabies is bound to follow the treatment : family, close friends.

To kill all the mites and their eggs it is recommended to wash and iron their clothes and beddings. In the Norwegian scabies the most usefull treatment is Dexoprin, because it has none of the dangerous effects of other prescribed drugs and kills the mites and their eggs and cease the itch and sores of the skin. To ensure the best treatment it is vital to know exactly the symptoms of scabies and to identify them in order to prevent the infestation in community. Not following the treatment as soon you dicovered you are infested with scabies means that you are a source of infection that spreads scabies mites all around.[source]

How to Choose an Appropriate Scabies Natural Treatment

By Groshan Fabiola

Scabies is an affection of the skin that occurs due to infestation with scabies mites (Sarcoptes scabiei). If left untreated, the condition worsens and can lead to complications: impetigo (skin infection with bacteria), cellulitis and crusted scabies (usually occurs due to re-infestation). Once discovered, scabies needs either medical treatment or scabies natural treatment. Both forms of treatment involve the usage of creams and lotions that eradicate the infestation with mites. Scabies natural treatments were successfully used in the past to cure the condition and these days they are still a good option for dealing with scabies. Scabies natural treatments can replace synthetic topical medications if the condition is discovered in time and the symptoms are not severe.

Scabies natural treatments seem to be very well tolerated by the skin. Although natural treatments may need to be applied for longer periods of time to successfully eradicate the parasite mites, they are milder to the skin. Synthetic, medications usually eradicate the mites in only a few days, but sometimes aggravate the symptoms of scabies on the duration of the treatment.

It is important to note that even if the mites responsible for causing scabies are killed, their bodies remain in the skin layers and they still produce irritation and allergic reactions. Scabies natural treatments with Azadirachta indica (Neem), Curcuma longa (Turmeric) and tea tree oil can also ameliorate the symptoms of scabies. These natural alternatives to scabies medical treatments originate from the Indian system of medicine and have been successfully used in curing scabies and chronic ulcers for a long time.

Scabies natural treatments with Neem and Turmeric (usually under the form of cream or lotion) should be applied locally, on the skin. You should apply the treatment on the entire skin, not only on the regions that are visibly affected by scabies. Scabies natural treatments with Neem and Turmeric are very well tolerated by the skin and are able to completely eradicate the mites in a short period of time. The majority of patients that have been treated with Neem and Turmeric completely recovered from the condition after two weeks. Tea tree oil is also very efficient in eradicating the infestation with mites and has a calming effect on the skin. In some cases, scabies natural treatments can contain a combination of these products.

Once you begin the scabies natural treatment, you have to take steps in preventing a second infestation. Wash all your clothes, bed linens, towels and disinfect your personal items that may still be contaminated with mites. Remember that scabies parasite mites can survive for about 3 days without a human host. If you live with your family, make sure that they also follow the treatment for scabies, even they present no symptoms. In fact, make sure that everyone you came in contact when you were infested follows an appropriate treatment for scabies, as the condition is very contagious.[source]

Long-Term Undesirable Effects of Scabies

By Groshan Fabiola

Scabies is a skin condition caused by infection with scabies mites (Sarcoptes scabiei). Scabies mites are microscopic parasite organisms that burrow deep inside the skin, causing inflammation, itching and rash. Later symptoms of scabies are: crusty aspect of the skin, pustules, blisters and nodules. Most of the symptoms generated by scabies are actually allergic reactions to the mites' eggs and feces which are toxic to the human body. Skin rash is the first symptom to occur when suffering from scabies, emerging after only a few days from contamination with the parasite mites. Scabies rash is very persistent and it can last for up to several weeks or months after the mite infestation has been eradicated.

Scabies is very contagious and the parasite mites responsible for causing the disease can be either acquired directly, by entering in contact with contaminated people or indirectly, by entering in contact with contaminated objects. Scabies is widespread in orphanages and nursing homes, due to overcrowding and poor hygiene. In order to prevent the occurrence of scabies, it is very important to maintain a good level of personal hygiene and to avoid sharing personal items with other people.

The mites responsible for causing scabies usually infest less exposed regions of the skin, such as armpits, feet, the areas between the toes, buttocks and pubic area. Scabies is usually diagnosed upon clinical signs of the disease. Although scabies mites are microscopic, their presence can be easily revealed by the traces they leave on the surface of the skin. The mites' burrows can be observed with the naked eye and they are a clear indicator of scabies. In order to confirm the clinical diagnose, doctors often take samples of the inflamed skin for analysis under the microscope.

The medical treatment for scabies works on multiple levels; some medications are aimed at killing the parasite mites, while other medications are prescribed for alleviating the symptoms generated at the level of the skin. The treatment for scabies usually consists of topical creams or lotions for external use. Permethrin-containing creams are very effective in overcoming the infestation with mites and they are commonly prescribed in the treatment of scabies. In order to maximize its effects, the medications for scabies should be applied not only locally, but on the entire surface of the skin. While permethrin-based medications deal with the mite infestation, scabies rash and itch can be alleviated by taking frequent warm showers and baths. If the itch and rash are severe, doctors may also prescribe a treatment with hydrocortisone, antihistamine and analgesics.

Although the treatment for scabies can quickly eradicate the infestation with mites, the symptoms of scabies can persist for long periods of time. This is due to the fact that even after they die, the mites remain under the skin, continuing to produce allergies and skin rashes. In infants and very young children, the post-scabies rash can be very severe. After completing the treatment for scabies, many young children develop acropustulosis, a skin condition that can persist for more than a few months!

Due to its contagious character and its persistent symptoms, scabies is considered to be a very serious skin condition. Even with appropriate treatment, people affected by scabies can still develop widespread rashes and persistent allergies.[source]

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Scabies - The 7 Year Itch

By Jesse Ryan

Scabies is better known as "the itch" which is a very contagious and common skin problem which looks like a rash with itchy bumps and lesions on the outer layer of the skins surface. This itch has another nickname "the 7 year itch", because it has been known to last as long as 7 years. The longer you have scabies the longer it takes to cure scabies, so you should look into treatments as soon as possible to stop the infestation.

People who are infested with scabies will feel extreme itching which will happen particularly during the evening hours during the time when the mites are most active. Scabies are tiny, eight-legged female mites that drill into your skin and mate and produce more mites which produce the same cycle over and over. The female scabies mites can lay up to three eggs each day for the period of their entire lifetime which is roughly 2 months long. The eggs will then hatch into adult scabies within the next 12-14 days, people getting scabies for the first time may not notice any symptoms for 3-6 weeks. The first signs of scabies would be patches of rashes, blister like lessions and intense itching or scratching primarily in the evening hours. These are tell tale signs that a person is infected with the scabies mite, you may also clarify the itching more as pin prick type itches.

Scabies is typically transmitted through person to person skin-to-skin contact between people who are sexual partners, household members, or people within close living quarters. Mostly scabies is transmitted through things that involve sexual activity, shared bedding, shared clothing, towels and other personal things. Evidence suggests that scabies mite even be more active or likely to be transmitted because during cold times people are indoors and more likely to spread it.

Scabies can be transmitted to anyone, including people who are very clean and have great personal hygiene. Children and young adults will have the worst scabies skin reactions because of the skin types. Scabies is widespread in countries that have huge populations and are limited to health benefits or facilities.

You will notice scabies from tiny red rash bumps and intense itching. Some cases of scabies is so extreme that the skin begins to crust, this is know as Crusted or Norwegian Scabies and is a more complex type of contagious scabies which can have up to millions of mites. This type of scabies is very uncommon as it tends to happen to people with compromised immune systems such of that with people with major diseases or old age. The scabies mite likes places on the skin with skin folds or lots of friction and heat, this gives the perfect hiding places and conditions for the scabies to reside. Typically the face and head are not affected by a case of scabies, but in some cases this does happen.

Scabies is usually diagnosed when a Doctor takes a small scraping of your skin from areas you or he thinks are infected, these samples are then diagnosed under a microscope for signs of the scabies mite. You will likely know before the Doctor does that you have scabies, the pin prick type itching and rashes associated by scabies can be a pretty simple hint. Scabies also burrow in you skin and leave track marks behind which can look identical to post pregnancy stretchmarks.

Treatments

Scabies is typically treated through applications of pesticide creams that contain Permethrin, these creams can not even be used by children or pregnant women. The creams are clearly dangerous and many sources have cited they have been proven to increase chances of Leukemia and neurological diseases. People have started to realize the dangers associated with treating their scabies with Permethrin creams, and now they are using natural cures which treat them quicker and more safely. You will still need to treat everyone in the household at the same time to prevent scabies reinfection. You will thank yourself later for curing your scabies naturally rather then using Pesticides or Insecticides.[source]

In what special situations can scabies be more easily spread?

Elderly and weakened people in nursing homes and similar institutional settings may harbor scabies without showing significant itching or visible signs. In such cases, there can be widespread epidemics among patients and health-care workers. Such cases are dramatic but, fortunately, uncommon.[Source]

What are possible complications of scabies?

The intense itching of scabies leads to prolonged and often intense scratching of the skin. When the skin is broken or injured due to scratching, secondary bacterial infections of the skin can develop from bacteria normally present on the skin, such as Staphylococcus aureus or beta-hemolytic streptococci.

What is the treatment for a scabies infestation?

Curing scabies is rather easy with the administration of prescription scabicide drugs. There are no approved over-the-counter preparations that have been proved to be effective in eliminating scabies. The following steps should be included in the treatment of scabies:

1. Apply a mite-killer like permethrin (Elimite). These creams are applied from the neck down, left on overnight, then washed off. This application is usually repeated in seven days. Permethrin is approved for use in people 2 months of age and older.

2. An alternative treatment is 1 ounce of a 1% lotion or 30 grams of cream of lindane, applied from the neck down and washed off after approximately eight hours. Since lindane can cause seizures when it is absorbed through the skin, it should not be used if skin is significantly irritated or wet, such as with extensive skin disease, rash, or after a bath. As an additional precaution, lindane should not be used in pregnant or nursing women, the elderly, people with skin sores at the site of the application, children younger than 2 years of age, or people who weigh less than 110 pounds. Lindane is not a first-line treatment and is only recommended if patients cannot tolerate other therapies or if other therapies have not been effective.

3. Ivermectin, an oral medication, is an antiparasitic medication that has also been shown to be an effective scabicide, although it is not FDA-approved for this use. The CDC recommends taking this drug at a dosage of 200 micrograms per kilogram body weight as a single dose, followed by a repeat dose two weeks later. Although taking a drug by mouth is more convenient than application of the cream, ivermectin has a greater risk of toxic side effects than permethrin and has not been shown to be superior to permethrin in eradicating scabies. It is typically used only when topical medications have failed or when the patient cannot tolerate them.

4. Crotamiton lotion 10% and cream 10% (Eurax, Crotan) is a another drug that has been approved for the treatment of scabies in adults, but it is not approved for use in children. However, treatment failures have been documented with the use of crotamiton.

5. Antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), can be useful in helping provide relief from itching.

6. Wash linens and bedclothes in hot water. Because mites don't live long away from the body, it is not necessary to dry-clean the whole wardrobe, spray furniture and rugs, and so forth.

7. Treat sexual contacts or relevant family members (who either have either symptoms or have the kind of relationship that makes transmission likely).

Just as the itch of scabies takes a while to reach a crescendo, it takes a few days to subside after treatment. After a week or two, relief is dramatic. If that doesn't happen, the diagnosis of scabies must be questioned.

Scabies

What is scabies?

Scabies is an itchy skin condition caused by an infestation by the itch mite Sarcoptes scabiei. Mites are small eight-legged parasites (in contrast to insects, which have six legs). They are tiny, just 1/3 millimeter long, and burrow into the skin to produce intense itching, which tends to be worse at night. The mites that cause scabies are not visible with the naked eye but can be seen with a magnifying glass or microscope.

How do you get scabies?

Scabies mites are very sensitive to their environment. They can only live off of a host body for 24-36 hours under most conditions. Transmission of the mites involves close person-to-person contact of the skin-to-skin variety. It is hard, if not impossible, to catch scabies by shaking hands, hanging your coat next to someone who has it, or even sharing bedclothes that had mites in them the night before. Sexual physical contact, however, can transmit the disease. In fact, sexual contact is the most common form of transmission among sexually active young people. However, other forms of physical contact, such as mothers hugging their children, are sufficient to spread the mites. Over time, close friends and relatives can contract it this way, too. School settings typically do not provide the level of prolonged personal contact necessary for transmission of the mites.

Can you catch scabies from a dog or cat?

Dogs and cats are infected by different types of mites than those which infect humans. Animals are not a source of spread of human scabies. Scabies on dogs is called mange. When canine or feline mites land on human skin, they fail to thrive and produce only a mild itch that goes away on its own. This is unlike human scabies which gets worse and worse unless the condition is treated.
Pictures of Scabies Rash

What does scabies look like? What are the signs and symptoms of scabies?

Scabies produces a skin rash composed of small red bumps and blisters and affects specific areas of the body. Scabies may involve the webs between the fingers, the wrists and the backs of the elbows, the knees, around the waist and umbilicus, the axillary folds, the areas around the nipples, the sides and backs of the feet, the genital area, and the buttocks. The bumps (medically termed papules) may contain blood crusts. It is helpful to know that not every bump is a bug. In most cases of scabies affecting otherwise healthy adults, there are no more than 10 or 15 live mites even if there are hundreds of bumps and pimples.

The scabies rash is often apparent on the head, face, neck, palms, and soles of the feet in infants and very young children but usually not in adults and older children.

Textbook descriptions of scabies always mention "burrows" or "tunnels." These are tiny threadlike projections, ranging from 2 mm-15 mm long, that appear as thin gray, brown, or red lines in affected areas. The burrows can be very difficult to see. Often mistaken for burrows are linear scratch marks that are large and dramatic and appear in people with any itchy skin condition. Scratching actually destroys burrows.

What does scabies feel like?

It is important to note that symptoms may not appear for up to two months after being infested with the scabies mite. Even though symptoms do not occur, the infested person is still able to spread scabies during this time. When symptoms develop, itching is the most common symptom of scabies. The itch of scabies is insidious and relentless. The itch is typically worse at night. For the first weeks, the itch is subtle. It then gradually becomes more intense until, after a month or two, sleep becomes almost impossible.

What makes the itch of scabies distinctive is its relentless quality, at least after several weeks. Other itchy skin conditions -- eczema, hives, and so forth -- tend to produce symptoms that wax and wane. These types of itch may keep people from falling asleep at night for a little while, but they rarely prevent sleep or awaken the sufferer in the middle of the night.