Scabies is caused by mites that burrow under the upper layer of human skin, feeding on blood and laying eggs. Scabies is extremely itchy and causes gray lines on your skin along with red bumps. Scabies mites are transmitted by skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or by extended contact with the clothing, bedding, or towels of an infected person.
Scabies can be difficult to treat. Learn more: Scabies ». Scabies is caused by the mite known as the Sarcoptes scabiei. Here are a few key indicators:. To help relieve some of the bothersome symptoms associated with scabies, your doctor may also prescribe additional medications to control itching and swelling.
Itching may continue for weeks, even if the first application of medicine works. Be sure to remain on the lookout for new tracks or bumps. These signs may be indications that a second treatment is necessary.
Tea tree oil can heal your skin rash and help stop itching. Find tea tree oil on Amazon. The neem plant eases inflammation and pain. It also has antibacterial properties. Neem is available as an oil and can also be found in soaps and creams online. A small study found that aloe vera gel was as good as prescription-strength medication at fighting scabies. If you opt for aloe vera gel, make sure to buy pure aloe vera gel that contains no additives.
But when applied topically, it can reduce pain and itching. You should always perform the skin patch test before using products made with cayenne pepper or the component capsaicin. The bumps can look like hives, tiny bites, knots under the skin, or pimples. Some people develop scaly patches that look like eczema. Sores: Scratching the itchy rash can cause sores. An infection can develop in the sores. Thick crusts on the skin: Crusts form when a person develops a severe type of scabies called crusted scabies.
Another name for crusted scabies is Norwegian scabies. With so many mites burrowing in the skin, the rash and itch become severe. You'll find more information about crusted scabies below. The severe itch can lead to constant scratching.
With non-stop scratching, an infection can develop. Non-stop scratching can even lead to sepsis, a sometimes life-threatening condition that develops when the infection enters the blood.
Scabies can develop anywhere on the skin. The mites, however, prefer to burrow in certain parts of the body. The most common places to have itching and a rash are:.
Hands: Mites like to burrow in the skin between the fingers and around the nails. Skin usually covered by clothing or jewelry: The buttocks, belt line, penis, and skin around the nipples are likely places for mites to burrow. Mites also like to burrow in skin covered by a bracelet, watchband, or ring. All persons should be treated at the same time to prevent reinfestation.
If itching continues more than weeks after initial treatment or if new burrows or rash continue to appear if initial treatment includes more than one application or dose, then the time period begins after the last application or dose , retreatment with scabicide may be necessary; seek the advice of a physician. Animals do not spread human scabies. However, the animal mite cannot reproduce on a person and will die on its own in a couple of days. Scabies is spread by prolonged skin-to-skin contact with a person who has scabies.
Scabies sometimes also can be spread by contact with items such as clothing, bedding, or towels that have been used by a person with scabies, but such spread is very uncommon unless the infested person has crusted scabies. Scabies is very unlikely to be spread by water in a swimming pool. Except for a person with crusted scabies, only about scabies mites are present on an infested person; it is extremely unlikely that any would emerge from under wet skin. Although uncommon, scabies can be spread by sharing a towel or item of clothing that has been used by a person with scabies.
Scabies mites do not survive more than days away from human skin. Items such as bedding, clothing, and towels used by a person with scabies can be decontaminated by machine-washing in hot water and drying using the hot cycle or by dry-cleaning. Items that cannot be washed or dry-cleaned can be decontaminated by removing from any body contact for at least 72 hours.
Because persons with crusted scabies are considered very infectious, careful vacuuming of furniture and carpets in rooms used by these persons is recommended. Back To Top. The rash and itching of scabies can persist for several weeks to a month after treatment, even if the treatment was successful and all the mites and eggs have been killed.
Your health care provider may prescribe additional medication to relieve itching if it is severe. Symptoms that persist for longer than 2 weeks after treatment can be due to a number of reasons, including:. If itching continues more than weeks or if new burrows or rash continue to appear, seek the advice of a physician; retreatment with the same or a different scabicide may be necessary. The doctor can examine the person, confirm the diagnosis of scabies, and prescribe an appropriate treatment.
Sleeping with or having sex with any scabies infested person presents a high risk for transmission. The longer a person has skin-to-skin exposure, the greater is the likelihood for transmission to occur. Although briefly shaking hands with a person who has non-crusted scabies could be considered as presenting a relatively low risk, holding the hand of a person with scabies for minutes could be considered to present a relatively high risk of transmission.
However, transmission can occur even after brief skin-to-skin contact, such as a handshake, with a person who has crusted scabies. In general, a person who has skin-to-skin contact with a person who has crusted scabies would be considered a good candidate for treatment. To determine when prophylactic treatment should be given to reduce the risk of transmission, early consultation should be sought with a health care provider who understands:.
Contact Us. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Parasites - Scabies. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Disease Minus Related Pages. Itching and rash may affect much of the body or be limited to common sites such as: Between the fingers Wrist Elbow Armpit Penis.
Nipple Waist Buttocks Shoulder blades. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address. What's this? Institutions Travelers General Public.
0コメント