A Mite with Might Can Give You Scabies
Scabies is a skin infection that you don’t hear about every day and yet there are several hundred million people each year who get it. Scabies knows no boundaries in terms of men, women, children, ethnicity or socioeconomic groups. This skin infection is caused by a tiny mite called the sarcoptes scabiei and it causes a rash which itches like the dickens.
Cause of Scabies and How It Is Transmitted
The mite that causes this skin condition is microscopic so the naked eye would not be able to see it. The female mite digs under the skin and will lay her eggs – about 10 to 30 of them – before dying. The eggs hatch a few days later into larvae which worm their way to the skin’s surface. With 10 days to two weeks, the larvae mature into adults.
You typically cannot get scabies by coming into contact with bedding or clothing infested in the mites, but it can happen. Typically, scabies it transferred via skin to skin contact, a direct source. The rash you get from scabies looks similar to other dermatitis conditions. Red papules may form in a rash and you may see small streaky lines which could be the mite’s burrowing pattern. However, this is not common as once the mites are in your skin, they typically stay put until after they hatch on the surface.
You will see scabies rashes around the armpits, genital area, between crevices like fingers or the inside of the elbow or back of the knee and even on the wrists. The rash becomes inflamed and scratching can turn the rash into blisters, which of course promotes further itching.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Scabies
Diagnosis can be a bit difficult for scabies as the rash can appear to look similar to other dermatitis conditions. The streaks are definitely identifiable and if another family member, significant other or close personal friend has it, chances are that rash you have may also be scabies. Occasionally the doctor can locate a mite burrow to take a skin scraping to test for eggs or the mite itself. Sometimes, they get lucky and find them.
Prescription ointments or lotions are the best bet for combating these little mites that cause scabies. A cream like Permethrin should be applied before bedtime so it can work its magic overnight before rinsing off in the morning. The same principle applies to another lotion called Lindane. There is an oral medication called Ivermectin which is often used for other parasitic creatures and while it is not specifically for scabies, it is effective.
The prescription lotions and creams typically will kill the mites but it could take weeks for the body to absorb them. During this time, your rash could be quite troublesome so you may have to use steroid cream for the irritated areas and even take an oral over the counter anti-histamine to relieve the itching.
It is important to note that if one person in a household get scabies, everyone will likely be treated just as a precaution because families typically are close and have close body contact. For a safety precaution, you should also wash all the towels, linens and clothing that have been used by the person affected in hot water and dry in a hot dryer as the heat will kill the mites. While clothing and bedding rarely causes the transmission of the mite that causes scabies, it doesn’t hurt to cover all bases.
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