Scabies Scabies is an invasion of the skin by microscopic itch mites.
Although the mites live on the surface of the skin the females lay their eggs under the skin.
The female mites usually burrow under the skin and can stay there for a long time as they travel along a tunnel laying eggs as they go.
The young mites develop within twenty one days, after which they come to the surface and the cycle is repeated.
The mites seem to favor special areas of the body such as the inside of the fingers, near the webs.
Other areas of the body are the ankles and knee joints, the inside of the toes, the front of the armpits, the breast of females and the outer sex organs of boys and men.
The wrist and abdomen are usually favored by the mites too, but the face is never targeted by the mites.
Symptoms • Intense itching, especially at night • Blisters or rashes appear especially between the fingers • Thin raised line that looks like a pencil mark on the skin • Skin becomes sore from scratching • The mites tend to spread out more on a baby's skin.
This usually results in pimples on the baby's trunk or tiny blisters on the palms or soles.
• Pimples on the head, neck, shoulders, palms, and soles of young children.
Tests The skin is examined to prove if scabies is present.
For this examination, the skin is scraped right at a burrow and then examined under a microscope to see if there are any mites.
There is another test that is done.
This is called a skin biopsy.
Treatment The most effective treatment for getting rid of itch mites in the body is bathing in hot water and changing your underclothing every day.
You should also wash bedding and clothing in hot water, vacuum the carpets and upholstered furniture.
The infection may require that you visit your health care provider who will prescribe a medication in the form of a cream.
The cream is to be applied to the affected areas of the body.
Members of the family need to take precautions too.
They need to apply the cream to the body whether or not there are signs of an infection.
Creams are usually applied once a week and will be repeated the following week if necessary.
If the condition is considered to be extreme the health provider can prescribed an oral medication.
The oral medication usually gets rid of the mites.
Care must be taken that the infected person does not infect other persons with whom he comes in contact.
An individual may continue to itch while taking treatment but should never discontinue the treatment as the itching will continue and will not stop until about two weeks after.
However, the patient can apply Calamine lotion to the affected areas and this will reduce the itching.
The doctor can also advise you to take an oral antihistamine to ease the itching.
The majority of scabies cases are cured without any serious problems.
Complications can arise if the scratching is severe enough that it causes a secondary skin infection known as impetigo.
Although scabies is a condition that is spread from person to person it is not life threatening.
However, it can cause a lot of discomfort for persons who are infected.