Scabies (scabies): causes, symptoms, to treatment

Definition of scabies (scabies)

Scabies, also known as scabies (scabies), is a contagious skin disease caused by mites Sarcoptes scabiei . The mites can enter the skin to survive, lay eggs, and can even remain in the skin for up to two months.

Infection due to mites Sarcoptes scabiei may cause the skin to feel very itchy as an allergic reaction. The itching is usually worse at night.

There are two types of scabies, namely regular scabies and Norwegian scabies or crusted scabies (fire scabies). People with scabies generally only have 15-20 mites on their skin. However, people with crusted scabies can have up to a thousand mites on the skin.

How common is this disease?

Scabies is a very common disease in society. Scabies can affect people of all ages, races, social levels, and life situations. Even people who take great care of their hygiene can get scabies.

The reason is, scabies mites can spread quickly through close physical contact, for example in the family, play group or child care, schools, nursing homes, to prisons.

The American Academy of Dermatology reports that there are millions of people affected by this disease worldwide each year.

Scabies can be treated by reducing risk factors. Discuss with a dermatologist for more information.

Scabies signs & symptoms

Symptoms of scabies generally appear within 4 - 6 weeks after initial exposure to the mites. If you have been exposed to this disease before, symptoms can appear more quickly, which is about 1 - 4 days after exposure.

In adults and older children, scabies is most commonly found in:

• between the fingers,
• around the nails,
• armpit,
• around the waist,
• wrist,
• above the inner elbow,
• soles of the feet,
• around the breast,
• around the male genital area,
• butt,
• knee,
• over the shoulder blades, as well
• an area of ​​skin covered in jewelry.

Scabies in babies and young children may appear on the:

• scalp,
• face,
• neck,
• palms, and
• soles of the feet.

Common signs and symptoms of scabies include the following.

Itchy

The itching sensation on the skin is usually very strong, and tends to get worse at night, making it difficult to sleep. Itching on the skin due to leprosy scabies is even more intense than ordinary scabies.

Rash

The skin rash from scabies is usually a hard lump that often forms a tunnel-like line. These bumps can look like small insect bite marks that are red in color or even like pimples.

Some people even experience a rash on the hands with scaly patches like eczema symptoms.

Wound

Sores often appear in the morning because the sufferer unconsciously scratches his skin hard while sleeping. If left untreated, the wound can develop into an infection in the form of sepsis. Sepsis is an infection that gets into the bloodstream and is a life-threatening medical condition.

Thick crust on the skin

Crusts usually appear when you have crusted scabies or Norwegian scabies because the number of mites living on the skin can be in the thousands. This crust is widespread over the skin, is grayish in color, and crumbles easily to the touch.

Sometimes, crusts appear on one or more areas of the body that are affected, such as the scalp, back, or feet.

You need to be careful with crusted scabies because the crusts on the skin of the person can easily fall off. This crust is very contagious because it also contains mites in it.

Therefore, do not touch or scrape the crust of a person who has Norwegian scabies if you do not want to catch it.

When to go to the doctor

Symptoms such as itching and small bumps on the skin affected by scabies are almost similar to those of other skin conditions, such as dermatitis or eczema. Contact your doctor if you have the signs and symptoms of scabies as mentioned.

In addition, there may be some other symptoms or signs not listed above. If you feel anxious about these symptoms, consult a doctor immediately to get the right diagnosis and treatment.

Causes of scabies (scabies)

Scabies on human skin is caused by a female named mite Sarcoptes scabiei which are very small in size and cannot be seen with the naked eye.

The female mite enters then burrows under the skin and creates a channel for laying eggs. After the eggs hatch, mite larvae move to the surface of the skin to grow.

The mites, eggs, and their faeces make you feel itchy as an allergic reaction to the presence of the mites.

The mites can spread to other areas of the skin or even to other people. Transmission can occur in several ways, either by direct physical contact or sharing goods.

Transmission through physical contact can occur when you come into contact with a scabies patient closely, repeatedly, and lasts for a long time.

For this reason, the transmission of this type of skin disease is also prone to occur when a healthy person has sexual intercourse with an infected person. This can happen because your skin and your partner will be in contact for a long time.

The need to pay attention to the surrounding environment

In addition, environmental factors play an important role. Physical contact certainly occurs more often in a closed environment such as a house or a dormitory.

Sharing the same use of personal items with an infected person, such as towels, bed linen, and clothing can also spread the mites.

Some animals are also known to have these mites on their bodies. However, keep in mind that scurvy is not transmitted from infected animals. You will only be infected if you come into contact with other infected humans.

Even if it's contagious, you don't have to worry too much. Usually, you won't get this skin disease just by shaking hands or hugging. Because, mites take longer to crawl from one person to another.

Risk factors for scabies (scabies)

The risk of scabies or scabies increases in:

• children,
• young adults who are sexually active,
• live together in nursing homes, prisons, dormitories, and play care centers for children who have scabies, as well
• inpatients.

Having a weak immune system also increases your risk of getting scabies. This condition is especially true for Norwegian scabies.

A weak immune system makes the mites reproduce fertile. This is because people with low immunity are unable to fight mites. Without resistance from the body, the mites will reproduce very quickly.

The elderly, people with HIV / AIDS, organ transplant recipients, people with cancer, and people who are undergoing chemotherapy are also at high risk of developing scabies.

Diagnosis and treatment

How is scabies diagnosed?

Doctors will usually diagnose scabies or scabies by examining the skin from head to toe. Your doctor will look for signs of mites on the appearance of your skin.

To be sure, doctors usually will take a small sample of skin or a skin biopsy that is suspected to be a nesting site for mites.

The doctor will then look at it under a microscope to find the mites and their eggs. This is where the doctor will be able to see if you really have scabies or not.

How is scabies treated?

Scabies or scabies can be relieved with medication. The following are various scabies medications that are usually prescribed by doctors to treat the condition.

• 5% permethrin cream, to get rid of scabies and its eggs (for children 2 months and over and pregnant women).
• 25% percent benzyl benzoate lotion.
• 5 to 10% sulfur ointment.
• 10% crotamiton cream (should not be used for children and pregnant women).
• 1% lindane lotion (not for children under two years, pregnant or nursing women, the elderly, and people weighing less than 50 kg).

In addition to creams, lotions, and ivermectin, doctors will also provide a combination of other treatments such as the following.

• Antihistamines, to control itching and help sleep.
• Pramoxine lotion, to control itching.
• Antibiotics, to get rid of infection.
• Steroid cream, to reduce redness, swelling and itching.

Overcoming scabies

After the wound has healed, sometimes the disease can leave scars. After the mites die, these dry red spots will turn darker than the surrounding skin like acne scars.

Indeed, most scab marks can fade over time. However, its appearance was felt by some people to interfere with the appearance.

For that, you can try several products such as scar removal gels that contain silicone, retinol creams, or exfoliates. These products are used as a way to get rid of scab marks.

Who needs treatment for scabies?

Not only infected people, treatment for scabies may also be needed by everyone who has had contact with infected people or lives with sufferers. This includes having sex with a person infected with scabies.

In fact, people who are not indicating any signs and symptoms of scabies also need to be treated. Especially if scabies infects many people in nursing homes, prisons and other shared public facilities. This was done as a way to prevent an outbreak of scabies some time later.

Usually scabies can heal and disappear if you routinely use all the medications your doctor prescribes. These drugs need to be applied from the neck to the toes.

For babies and children, the doctor may ask parents to apply ointment to their head and face. Usually these medicines need to be applied before you go to sleep.

That way, the drug has up to about 8 hours to absorb into the skin and overcome the scabies and nesting mites.

The doctor will also ask you to repeat this process every day for one week for more optimal results. Make sure to take medication according to the doctor's instructions.

Home remedies

Apart from medicines from your doctor, there are other treatments you can do at home to support the healing of the scabies you are suffering from. Some of these include compressing the skin and applying soothing lotions.

A common symptom that usually affects people who get scabies is itching. Sometimes, this itching can torture and even interfere with your activities. When this happens, you certainly can't help scratching it.

In fact, as already mentioned, scratching the affected area can lead to a more severe infection. To reduce itching, you should compress the skin using a towel soaked in cold or warm water.

You can also apply calamine lotion to problem areas. Calamine lotion will help relieve itching as well as minor skin irritations and irritations. This lotion is available over-the-counter in pharmacies and can be purchased without a doctor's prescription.

However, if you are in doubt about using it, it's better to consult your doctor first whether you can use this lotion or not.

Prevention of scabies

Here are various ways you can do to prevent the spread of scabies.

Avoid contact with infected people or objects

Since scabies is very easily spread from skin to skin, try to avoid direct contact with infected people or objects.

Use clothes and trousers if a family member is infected with this skin disease at home. In addition, do not change clothes or sleep in the same bed so that you are not easily infected.

Wash items that may be infected with hot water and detergent

Sheets, clothes, and towels that have been placed close to or mixed with those of a person infected with scabies for three days prior to treatment should be washed thoroughly.

Reporting from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wash these items in hot water or take them to the laundry to ask for them dry cleaning.

However, if the item does not allow it to be washed with dry cleaning try to keep it in a sealed plastic bag for a week. These sticky scabies mites usually cannot survive more than 2 - 3 days outside of human skin.

Routine cleaning of the house

Scabies, especially those with crusts, can easily be transmitted through the thick crusts that may fall out of the skin of the sufferer.

Therefore, if there are family members who have scabies, try to regularly clean or vacuum the floors of your house.

If you have any questions, consult a dermatologist to better understand the best solution for you.