Scabies is a treatable disease. Its onset may also be prevented. Learn how to prevent scabies and how to treat a person with this condition.
Scabies is an extremely contagious disease. Once a person has it, he or she may likely pass the disease to another. The mite that causes this condition, known as Sarcoptes scabiei, can be passed from person to person through shared blankets, sheets, clothing, linens, towels, beds, and other objects. It an also be passed through prolonged skin contact. Persons who have sexual contact with individuals having scabies are most likely to contact this disease as well.
The condition is most common in places where sanitation is lacking but it can also happen to people living in well-maintained areas. The mites can live up to two to three days in the clothing and things of infected people and can be transferred without warning to even the most health-conscious individuals. Cleanliness, therefore, is not a guarantee that an individual will not be infected with this disease.
How Long Does It Take for Symptoms of Scabies to Appear?
People infected with the parasitic mites may not show symptoms immediately. It may take a few days to a few months for symptoms to appear. There are other people, though, who may feel symptoms after only a short period of contracting the Sarcoptes scabiei mites. This is usually true to people suffering from reinfestation or those who have previous cases with this disease.
The first symptom that usually takes place in an infected individual is intense itching that becomes even worse at night. The itching is often caused by the skin’s allergic reactions to the mites movement as well as the faeces that are left on the burrows made on the skin. This itching can cause sleep problems to the individual. It may also lead to complications such as secondary bacterial infection.
Treatment for Scabies
Scabies is a serious condition but otherwise treatable. There are topical treatments created especially for this condition. The most common forms of treatments for scabies include the application of scabicide drugs such as Kwell and Permethrin lotions. These products contain chemicals such as malathion that can kill the mites. Medicated creams may also be given by doctors for the treatment of scabies.
The scabicide lotions and creams are often applied from the neck downwards, making sure that all body parts are covered. These treatments are left on the body for 10 to 12 hours and are often applied at night. After 12 hours, the treatment can be washed off and may not be repeated until after one week. Scabies symptoms such as itching may continue for weeks after treatment even though treatment may be a success.
For infants and children below two years old, Permethrin may be applied also to the face and head.
Lindane is another type of treatment for scabies. However, this is seldom used because it may cause seizures in some individuals. This treatment is not recommended for use by pregnant and nursing women, children under two years old, elders, people weighing less than 110 pounds, and those suffering from skin sores.
Other forms of treatment for scabies include Crotamiton 10% lotion and 10% cream and Ivermectin. Ivermectin is an oral scabicide. Both may not be used for treating scabicide in children and infants.
Can Scabies Be Treated with Home Remedies?
There may be a number of products promising effective home remedies for scabies but a doctor should be consulted first. The doctor will perform proper examinations and tests to come up with an appropriate diagnosis to the individual’s condition. Treatment may likewise include the administration of drugs so the mites can really be killed. Some forms of treatment may also contain chemicals that may be harmful to health. Therefore, before trying any forms of scabies treatment at home, it may be advisable to seek the expertise of a doctor first.
How to Prevent Scabies Infestation
Prevention of scabies infestation can be done in a number of ways. One of the best ways to keep away from this disease is to stay away from people who have this condition. Using things such as towels, clothing, bedsheets, linen, and beds utilized by infected individuals should also be avoided. Infected clothing and other things should be washed in hot water and kept away for a certain period of time before they can be used again. Sarcoptes scabiei mites cannot live for long without a human host and isolating things infected with these mites for a few days can kill the mites and prevent the spread or reinfestation of these parasites.
Resources:
Medicinenet.com. Scabies. Retrieved April 28, 2010
Medicinenet.com. What is the Treatment for Scabies Infestation? Retrieved April 28, 2010
eMedicinehealth.com. Scabies Treatment. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
