Categorizing The Symptoms, Putting The Diagnosis and Treating Scabies
Scabies is a skin condition determined by a microscopic parasitic mite called Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis. This disease is highly contagious and the mites can be transmitted by direct contact with an infected person or indirectly, through contaminated objects. Scabies is spread mostly among children and old people but it can also infect other people because it is not related to gender or age. Also, the hygiene level has no relation with the scabies infestation or spreading.
When the mites find a host, they try to hide in less exposed regions of the body like back, chest, elbow's armpits, ankles, between the fingers and toes, under the nails, in the pubic area or on the buttocks. The symptoms of the infestation will appear within a few days. After the infestation, the female mites burrow deep into the skin and lay eggs. The incubation period is little and only after a few days, the larvae hatch and start climbing to the superficial layers of the skin, where they develop and mature. Some of the symptoms, the first to appear, are itch, rash and inflammation of the skin and are allergic reactions of the human organism to the toxic secretions of the mites. The itch worsens at night time.
Grey tracks on the surface of the skin may also appear as a symptom of scabies. Those are the burrows of the mites. The burrows may be seen on the genitals, on the buttocks, around the ankles and armpits. Those symptoms will reveal the presence of the scabies affliction.
Rash may appear as a symptom of the scabies on the infested areas of the skin and can widely spread to other regions of the body. Rash is probably the most disturbing symptom of the scabies causing soreness and itch. Rash may remain on the skin for a long time after the scabies infestation was treated.
Nodules on the skin may appear as a suggestive symptom of scabies. Those nodules are painful and long-lasting.
In small children (infants and babies) the symptoms may also be pustules and blisters together with itch and rash.
If a bacterial infection is contacted while infected with scabies, one of the symptoms may be impetigo, skin irritation caused by repeated scratching which very difficult to treat.
Together with impetigo, in some rare cases, cellulites may appear as symptom of the scabies. This symptom makes the skin reddish and swelled.
In case of bacterial infection occurred due to the scabies, a symptom may be represented by fever.
Scabies may present many kinds of symptoms, which occur together, are severe and intense. The human organism usually encounters difficulties in tolerating all the symptoms of scabies. The good part is that all the symptoms can be made to disappear with an appropriate treatment, some of them sooner and some of them after several weeks.
Diagnosis and treatment for scabies
Sarcoptes scabiei is a small eight – legged mite that burrows under the skin causing an itchy condition named scabies. The itchy sensation can be very intense in the area of the mite's burrowing place. The almost irresistible urge of scratching manifested especially at night when one is sleeping creates an uncomfortable state.
This condition has a highly contagious character and can easily spread through direct physical contact in the family, school, kindergarten or any other environment that puts people close to each other. Doctors recommend treatments for the whole family or contact groups in case of scabies infestation due to this characteristic of the disease.
After a treatment applied on the body and the infestation is eradicated, some of the symptoms may persist for a while.
The characteristic burrows or any other signs of the mites will help the doctor establish the diagnosis of scabies. If burrows are found on the skin, a small scrap will be taken for a microscopic examination to help concluding the diagnosis.
In some cases, additional infections may occur together with scabies (staphylococci or streptococci bacterial infections), like impetigo (superficial infection of the skin), infections that are allowed to contact the body through the breaks of the skin caused by intense scratching.
The mite can be eliminated by medications as creams and lotions that are applied on the whole body from the neck down and must be kept on for at least eight hours. The most common prescribed medications for scabies are crotamiton (Eurax) and permethrin (Elimite, Acticin) and even though the mites are eliminated very fast, the itching sensation may still persist for a few more weeks.
In particular cases like people with impaired immune system or people who don't respond well to creams; doctors may recommend some oral medications
A treatment is also recommended to the family members or sexual partners of the infested person because of the highly contagious character of the disease.