Scabies, also known as human scabies, is a skin disease caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite that is easily transmitted from person to person, through physical contact and rarely through clothing or other shared objects, and that leads to the appearance of blisters and red spots. on the skin that itches a lot, especially at night.
Scabies are curable as long as the treatment is performed according to the advice of the dermatologist, who usually indicates the use of soaps and ointments suitable for the removal of eggs from this mite, in addition to cleaning the environment to remove eggs that have been laid in the house.
- The main feature of scabies is the intense itching that increases at night.
- However.
- There are other signs to be attentive to.
- So.
- If you think you have scabies.
- Check which of your symptoms you are experiencing:.
The female mite responsible for the scabies penetrates and excavates the skin, resulting in the formation of wavy lines up to 1.5 cm long, which sometimes have a small crust at one end, due to the scratching of the skin. It is where the excavations take place where the mite lays its eggs and releases saliva, causing skin irritation and signs and symptoms.
The most preferred places for these mites are the fingers and toes, wrists, elbows, armpits, around the women’s nipples, penis and scrotum, along the waist and at the bottom of the buttocks. In infants, scabies can appear on the face, which rarely occurs in adults, and injuries can resemble water-filled blisters.
The diagnosis of scabies is made by the family doctor or dermatologist by looking at the signs and symptoms that the person presents, as well as being able to perform a parasitological examination to identify the causal agent of scabies.
Therefore, your doctor can scrape the lesion or test the tape and the collected material is sent to the lab for treatment and analysis under a microscope.
Treatment of scabies involves the use of soaps or ointments containing substances capable of removing mites and their eggs, such as benzyl benzoate, deltamethrin, thiabendazole or tetraethyltiurane monosulfide. Soap or ointment should be used in accordance with the doctor’s advice and is generally recommended for use for about 3 days.
Oral ivermectin can also be used to treat scabies, being recommended when there are several cases of scabies in the family at the same time.
Normal cleaning of clothing is enough to remove the mite, but family members and people who have had intimate contact with an infected person should also receive treatment.
See also how to prepare a home remedy for human scabies.