A common skin condition, scabies causes intense itching. It
is easily caught through physical, skin-to-skin contact with
people who already have the condition. Scabies is caused by
mites burrowing under the surface of your skin. As they do
this, they lay eggs. Small blisters and red patches will
form on the skin above each mite and turn itchy as a result
of reacting to the mite and its feces. Scratching causes
infections, as bacteria is able to infect the scratched
areas. It's important to realize that scabies is not caused
by being dirty. And while it is highly contagious, it is
able to be treated effectively, to quell the itching and
restore your life to the way it was pre-scabies. Here is
how.
!! Steps !!
Familiarize yourself with the signs of scabies. Caused by the mite
_Sarcoptes scabiei_, the infection is easily spread from person to
person. Scabies should be considered as a possible cause for any
cases of severe itching lasting over weeks or months. Scabies signs
include:[1]
* Intense itch and scratching all over your body.
* The itching is worse at night, or when you're warm such as
following exercise, a bath, or a shower.
* Red patches or blisters in your skin, especially between the
fingers, on the wrists, elbows, ankles, armpits, sides of fingers,
genitals (males), hands, and feet. Infants will also have
infections on the soles of feet where they're not able to walk
yet.
* Tiny bumps in the skin. Sometimes these are the only sign
* Burrow lines on the skin. These will appear as small threadlike
lines of a grayish color approximately 5 to 10mm (up to 1/2 inch)
long. They'll be slightly raised. They can be anywhere on the body
except the face.
* Expect itching to occur faster if you've already experienced
scabies before. If not, the reaction to the mites not occur until
weeks after the mites have infested your skin. Note that while a
rash in reaction to scabies may appear in only some parts of the
body, it is the whole body that is affected.
Visit the doctor. The doctor will usually only need to see the rash
to diagnose the condition but might also take a sample by scraping
under the bumps and looking for the presence of mites, eggs, and
feces under the microscope. Be sure to tell your doctor if you are
pregnant or have any problems such as serious illness, or other
severe skin diseases.
* Once diagnosed, your doctor will prescribe a mite killing cream or
lotion that contains 5 percent permethrin.[2]
* For people with a severe infestation and weakened immune system,
Invermectin can be prescribed as an oral treatment.[3]
* If you have a severe bacterial infection, your doctor may also
prescribe antibiotics.
Organize for someone else to cook meals and do any cleaning work
requiring washing etc. over the next day. This will ensure that
you can get the best impact from the treatment, which can be
removed if you get water on your skin (such as from washing dishes
or preparing food). If you live alone, have pre-made meals ready
to heat and eat and wash items in the dishwasher until you're able
to use water freely again.
* It's easiest to apply the cream or lotion before going to bed and
wash it off in the morning, so that your daily routine is the
least disrupted.
Apply the cream or lotion. While the cream is usually one
application, this will depend on your doctor's or pharmacist's
instructions so be sure to follow what has been prescribed.
* Shower and towel-dry your body using a fresh, clean towel.
* Wait until your body has cooled down.
* Apply the cream or lotion. Start behind the ears and from the
jawline and work your way down. Apply using cotton wool swabs, a
paintbrush, a sponge, or any item supplied with the treatment for
the purpose.
* Continue rubbing the cream downward, over your entire body.
* Don't leave out anywhere – your genitals, soles of your feet,
between your toes, back, and buttocks must also be covered. Get
help for areas you're not able to reach yourself.
* Once it is applied, take care of your hands. Apply between the
fingers and under your nails. You will need to reapply the cream
to your hands every time you wash them.
* Leave on for the amount of time required, usually between 8 to 24
hours. The length of time will depend on the product and your
doctor's instructions.
Shower off the cream or lotion. Once the alloted time is up, wash it
off under a warm shower. Be aware that you may remain itchy for a
few weeks after the treatment. This is because your allergic
reaction to the mites continues while the mite bodies remain in the
skin a while longer. If it's concerning you, speak with your doctor
again.
* You may need to use a corticosteroid cream and antihistamines to
control continued itching.[4]
* Some treatments need to be reapplied a week later. If so, your
doctor or pharmacist will make this clear.
Treat everyone in the house. All household members need to be
treated, even if they aren't showing signs of scabies. This will
prevent reinfestation.
* Don't forget visitors to your house, such as family members and
babysitters.
Clean the house. To take care of mites that might reinfest you after
treatment, it's vital to clean the parts of your house that you've
had direct skin contact with, such as bedding. A scabies mite can
live for one to two days off the body. Washing will ensure that
remaining mites are killed.
* Vacuum floors, carpets, and rugs. Dispose of the bag or contents
in an outside trash can immediately and dispose of as quickly as
possible.
* Wash all towels, bedding and recently worn clothes in hot water.
Wash bedding daily until you've not seen new bumps for at least
a week. Wear disposable gloves when stripping beds. If you have a
heavy comforter, take if off your bed and have it dry cleaned or
throw it away, because it needs to be washed daily and if it's
too big, the hot water can't saturate the layers.
* Clothes that cannot be washed need to be bagged and placed in the
freezer for 24 hours or left in the airtight bag in a room for one
week. Freeze stuffed animals, brushes, combs, shoes, coats,
gloves, hats, robes, wetsuits, etc. overnight in a plastic bag.
* Dry clothing and bedding in a hot dryer or on the clothesline in
hot weather under direct sunlight. Dry cleaning is also
appropriate.
* Disinfect floor and bathroom surfaces by mopping (this only needs
to be done after the first treatment).
* Hot dry pillows for 30 minutes.
* Quarantine things that cannot be washed, hot dried, frozen or dry
cleaned in a plastic bag for two weeks.
* Reassess after six weeks. If you're still itching after six weeks,
this can indicate that the treatment has not worked. See your
doctor for more advice and new treatment options.
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
Avoid contact with infected people. Avoid shaking hands and hugging
people. If you give it to them, they'll give it right back to you.
Tell people that you've been working out really hard and your
muscles are sore, or tell them you might have poison ivy. That will
keep them away for about a month.
* All the household must do the treatment at the same time.
* Shower daily 1-2 times.
* Scabies can live a lot longer than 3 days on clothing or soft
surfaces.
The eggs will hatch every 2 ½ days. If you notice new bumps 2½
days after the first application, speak to your doctor as that's
when you may need to reapply all the creams, etc. You've killed the
adults, but the eggs already under the skin may not have been
killed, resulting in new hatchlings. Get rid of them before they lay
eggs.
* You'll continue to itch for about a month after they're all
dead, but if you don't have new bumps, then you're healed.
* It can be easy to re-infect yourself. It's possible to be infected
at the doctor's office, or from clothes you didn't wash.
Take washing as many items as possible very seriously. After
treatment, wash all materials (such as clothes, bedding, and
towels) that has been in contact with all infested persons in the
last three days.
* Don't wear anything twice without washing and drying it
including coats and robes.
* When putting dirty clothing of infected people in the washer, use
disposable gloves. You don't want anymore bugs than you've
already got. Moving wet clothing to dryer you don't have to wear
gloves because the dryer will kill the bugs. Use a fresh pair of
gloves every day. Use a different pair of gloves to pull clothing
out of dryer and fold it. If you don't, you'll re-infect
yourself and spread it to your family.
* Keep infected people's soiled clothing away from other family
members clothing in garbage bags. That way you don't have to
wear gloves all the time you're loading the washer. Don't put
dirty clothing in the baskets that you'll use for clean
clothing. You're re-infecting yet again.
* If your hands are the place you know that you have scabies, then
don't touch your bare skin with your hands and keep sulfur
lotion (see below) on hands at all times.
Consider making your own treatments. Here are some suggestions (it
is still important to consult your doctor, these are a supplement):
* _*Body lotion*_ – Add sulfur to body lotion. 1 parts sulfur to
10 parts lotion. Keep this lotion on your body all the time. If
you're only infected on your hands, use the lotion everywhere
anyway, but put it heavily on your hands and slip a pair of
disposable gloves over them. Leave like that as long as you can.
If anyone asks, tell them you're deep moisturizing your hands.
It really will do that for you so you're not lying. You can also
rub stinky tea tree oil all over yourself.
* _*Shampoo*_ - Put your favorite shampoo in a small bottle and add
tea tree oil or sulfur. Mix and use on hair and neck. Tea tree oil
will make hair oily, sulfur dries it out. Either works to get rid
of bugs.
* _*Permetherin*_ – Mix 1 part Permetherin with 1 part petroleum
jelly. This mixture is the same as the expensive tubes they
prescribe at the doctor's office. Make sure the original
Permetherin was 10 percent, this makes it 5 percent when you're
done mixing. Apply this mixture every 2½ days. Preferably at
night, as it will get all over your clothing. Make sure you wash
this off the next morning. You shouldn't keep this on your body
for more than 10 hours.
* _*Body wash*_ - Mix favorite body wash with tea tree oil or use
sulfur soap.
* Scratching – *Do not scratch*. If you do, clean out fingernails
and cut them back. You're just spreading the bugs everywhere.
* Try spider spray on household items. Spray everything with this
stuff. Scabies are in the spider family. Spray mattresses, car
seats, steering wheel, carpet next to bed, purse straps, wallet,
favorite chair.
* Only use Ivermectin if you can't get any relief from anything
else. It can make your eyes sensitive to light for about 24 hours,
so wear sunglasses most of the day. If you go this direction, it
does work. Take twice the amount you would give a horse that
weighs the same as you do. Do not give to children. Take this
every 2½ days until there are no more bumps.
!! Warnings !!
* Unless your doctor advises, avoid using steroids or
corticosteroids. These should not be used to combat itching, as
they can cause a weakened immune system creating various new
diseases and the worst type of scabies. Options include
antihistamines such as cetirizine; prescription: Doxepin (Sinequan
- oral or Zonalon - topical).
* Do not keep applying the scabies medicine if you continue to itch.
Consult your doctor or pharmacist for advice and help.
!! Things You'll Need !!
* Washing machine and dryer or clothes line
* Plastic bags and freezer
* Cream or lotion prescribed by doctor
* Any other associated medications prescribed by doctor
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Protect Yourself from the Superbug MRSA
* How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
* How to Get Rid of Lice
* How to Kill Household Bugs
* How to Clean Dust Mites
!! Sources And Citations !!
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
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