Presentation Of The Longterm Effects Of Scabies
Scabies is a skin disorder caused by a microscopic parasite mite called Sarcoptes scabiei. Those microorganisms burrow deep inside the layers of skin and produce rash, itch and inflammation. The symptoms of this affliction will later develop into crusty aspect of the skin, pustules, blisters and nodules. Many of those symptoms are generated by the allergic reactions of the skin to the toxic secretions and eggs of the mites. The first symptom to appear after a scabies infestation is the rash. This symptom will appear after only a few days from the infestation. This symptom, the scabies rash, can be very persistent, lasting for weeks or in some cases even for months after the mites have been killed.
The scabies affliction has a very contagious character and the mites that cause it can easily be transmitted directly through close physical contact from one person to another or indirectly, through contact with contaminated object. Scabies has a high incidence in overcrowded places that usually have a lower level of hygiene like hospitals, nursing homes and orphanages. For preventing the scabies infestation, it is important not to share personal items with other people, that might be infested, and to keep a good level of personal hygiene.
The parasitic organisms that cause this disease tend to infest covered areas of the body like the areas between the fingers and between the toes, the elbows, the armpits, the breasts area, lower abdomen, the genital area, knees and ankles. The clinical signs of the disease usually make the diagnosis of scabies. The mites, even though they are microscopic, leave traces on the surface of the skin that makes them easy to recognize. The burrows of the mites are a clear sign of the mites' infestation and they can be observed with the naked eye. Doctors usually take samples from the inflamed skin for a microscopic examination in order to provide an accurate diagnosis.
In order to cure this affliction, the treatment must have two targets: one part of the treatment will be focused on killing the parasites that caused the affliction and the other part of the treatment is meant to provide help in relieving the symptoms caused by the affliction. For relieving the symptoms, doctors recommend frequent warm showers and baths in a first stage. If this doesn't work, the doctor can prescribe a recipe containing hydrocortisone, antihistamine and analgesics. For the eradication of the mites, the treatment usually contains topical creams and lotion for external use. Creams containing permethrin are known to be very effective in the treatment for scabies. For a maximum effect, those creams must be applied on the whole body and not just on the regions of the skin affected by the mites.
The treatment will eradicate the mites that produced the affliction but in some cases, the symptoms may persist for long periods of time after the treatment is done. The mites are dead but their bodies that remained in the burrows under the skin continue to provoke the allergic reactions of the human skin, especially in the case of young children, when the post condition allergic reactions can very severe leading to another skin condition that can persist for a few months called acropustulosis.
What makes the scabies be considered a serious skin condition is its contagious nature and the persistence of its symptoms even after the disease has been eradicated. The persistent allergies and widespread rashes may continue developing long after the condition has been eradicated with an appropriate treatment.