Ways to Prevent a Scabies Infestation
Papular scabies is the most common form of scabies. Scabies is a skin disorder caused by parasitic microorganisms called mites that burrow into the layers of the skin. This condition is highly contagious, being able to spread through direct physical contact or through sharing personal items that were contaminated.
Scabies can spread even before the first symptoms appear. Scabies, usually affects more than one member of the family at the time.
Scabies can affect any person, regardless age, sex or social class. If a person is infected with scabies, it doesn't mean that he or she has a poor personal hygiene.
Here are a few steps to help preventing the infestation or spreading of scabies:
- * For those clothes that are not cleaned, the best thing is to be put away in a sealed environment as a plastic bag for a few weeks because mites die if they starve for more than a week.
- * Wash all the clothes and linen, towels and bed sheets used before treatment with hot water and soap and dry them at high temperature. For those items that can't be washed, use dry – cleaning.
Self-care
After the treatment and the mite's elimination, the itchy sensation will continue. Here are a few tips to help in that matter:
- * Antihistamines, if taken over – the – counter, but with a doctor's opinion, may reduce the symptoms.
- * Minor skin irritations and itches can be relieved by applying soothing lotions like calamine lotion, which is available without a medical prescription.
- * Itching can be reduced by applying on the irritated area of the skin cool water or a cool, wet washcloth.
Scabies is not eliminated by long bathing or intense body care. In case one encounters signs or symptoms of scabies, or has been in contact with a person who has scabies, he or she should see a doctor.
In certain groups of people like hospitals or nursing centers, HIV positive people or those with chronic leukemia, people that have an altered immune system, scabies can spread very fast and become a serious persistent problem.
The symptomatology (itchy sensation, bumps on the skin) of scabies resembles to those of many other skin conditions like eczemas or dermatitis. In case those signs appear, a doctor should be asked for his opinion in order to provide the best treatment.