Scabies is the technical name given to scabies, a skin disease that produces reddish papules on the skin and is itchy. Its treatment is done with the use of creams to treat the infestation and through good personal hygiene.
Scabies is curable, but in order to achieve it, it is necessary to eliminate the eggs of the parasites that are in the body and in the environment where we live.
This infestation is caused by the mite Sarcoptes Scabiei, which is easily transmitted from person to person, through physical contact, and rarely through clothing or other shared objects. The female mite digs tunnels under the top layer of the skin and lays its eggs that, after a few days, hatch into larvae, causing a lot of itching.
Main symptoms
The main characteristic of scabies is the intense itching that increases at night, however, there are other signs to watch out for. So, if you think you may have scabies, check which of the symptoms you are feeling:
- 1. Itchy skin that gets worse at night Yes No
- 2. Small blisters on the skin, especially in the folds Yes No
- 3. Red plaques on the skin Yes No
- 4. Lines near bubbles that look like paths or tunnels Yes No
Excavations of mites appear as wavy lines up to 1.5 cm long that sometimes have a small crust on one end due to scratching the skin.
The most preferred places for these mites are the fingers and toes, the wrists, the elbows, the armpits, around the women's nipples, the penis and the scrotum, along the waist line and over the bottom buttocks. In babies, scabies can appear on the face, which rarely happens in adults, and the lesions can look like water-filled blisters.
How to confirm the diagnosis
To diagnose scabies, it is possible to scrape the excavations and send them for further analysis of the material under a microscope.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of scabies is done with the application of a cream containing permethrin, benzoyl peroxide or ivermectin throughout the body, from the nose line down, for about 3 consecutive days. After 7 or 10 days, a new treatment should be carried out, which should also last for about 3 days, to eliminate possible eggs that have not hatched during the first phase of treatment.
Normal cleaning of clothes is sufficient to eliminate the mite, but family members and individuals who have had intimate contact with an infected person should also be treated.
See also how to prepare a home remedy for scabies and relieve symptoms at home.
