Scabies Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

There are many ways to treat the symptoms of scabies, including severe itching, hives, and red, superficial ulcers. This is a result of the action of the mite, which creates a tunnel under the stratum corneum.

There are various treatments for scabies, a parasite caused by the human scabies mite (Sarcoptes scabiei var). 

This parasite is closely related to humans, and its existence was first reported around the 12th century. 

The disease is worldwide and occurs periodically every 15 years.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 200 million people worldwide experience scabies at any time. 

It is also estimated that about 10% of the low-income population has the parasite.

Symptoms of Scabies

The main symptom of scabies is severe itching, which gets worse at night and is just as unpleasant as its sound. 

This is because the female mite tunnels into the outer layer of a person's skin and trigger an allergic reaction by the immune system.

The US National Library of Medicine presents various clinical symptoms of scabies in humans. 

Some of them are:

• It is especially irritating at night or on hot days. Female mites cause discomfort because they tend to be more active under the skin.
• A skin rash develops, which is more pronounced in folds or between the fingers and toes. The rash is most common in the armpits, under the chest, inside the joints, and around the genitals.
• Reddish ulcers appear on the skin when the body is scratched.
• Tunnels dug by these parasites cause thin, deep wrinkles on the skin.

The rash usually spreads throughout the body in infants and young children and tends to be more severe on the head, face, and neck.

The Mayo Clinic advises seeing your doctor when you notice symptoms of scabies. 

However, scabies is not a serious condition, you just need to figure out how to get rid of them.

People sometimes mistake dermatitis, local allergic reactions, or contact irritation for scabies. Therefore, it is necessary to consult with an expert who can judge each case individually.

What causes Scabies

As described above, human scabies is caused by the human scabies mite (Sarcoptes scabiei var). 

Female mites of this species are 300-450 microns in size and are obligate parasites. 

Therefore, they cannot survive more than 4 days without a host.

After the female and male mate in the host's skin, the female begins digging a tunnel in the stratum corneum to lay eggs. 

As studies show, these parasites prefer certain areas of the skin, such as under the wrist, the ulnar border of the hand, and between the fingers and toes.

In the case of dogs and cats, scabies does not cause serious illness in humans. As such, each variety of these parasites is host-dependent. 

Thus, a cat mite that comes into contact with human skin will begin to borrow inside but will die. Therefore, these cases are self-controlled and light.

Risk groups and Complications

There is a more severe form of the disease known as crusted scabies. In this case, the parasite is infected in large numbers (in most cases the host does not store more than 10-15 specimens). 

The risk groups affected by this are:

• People with chronic diseases that affect the immune system, such as people with HIV or chronic leukemia
• people with other diseases
• Older people, especially those in nursing homes

In this case, secondary infection may occur in the patient. 

Because mites destroy the skin surface and cause lesions, they facilitate entry pathways for pathogens that cannot otherwise enter.

Diagnosis and treatment of scabies in humans

According to the Family Planning Federation website, doctors can diagnose most scabies by evaluating a patient's skin condition. 

In some cases, it may be necessary to scrape the skin of the affected area to make a diagnosis. 

This is because the mite eggs and stool samples can be observed under a microscope.

Treatment is usually based on an ointment applied to the body once or twice a day. 

And all family members who live with you may also seek treatment to prevent transmission.

In most cases, the prescribed medications are:

• There is permethrin cream, a scabies treatment used in adults and children over 2 months old. This cream is for topical use and poses few risks.
• Lindaine lotion is only suitable for people who have not been effective with other approved treatments.
• Crotamiton is another scabies treatment that comes in topical or pill form. According to the Cigna website, the drug has a significant failure rate, so permethrin remains the best option.
• Finally, ivermectin is an option for risk groups and people with crusty scabies.

Scabies Treatment and Prevention Tips

There are several ways to prevent the spread of scabies to a person. 

Here are some useful tips:

• Once an infected person is identified, all household members must apply the prescribed topical cream.
• All items that come into contact with the patient should be washed. Sterilization must be done at 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which will kill the tick's eggs.
• After treatment, extensive disinfection is required.
• It is best to avoid sexual intercourse until treatment is complete.

Scabies can be cured

Finally, human scabies disease is a problem related to the social and economic condition of the area. 

Thus, the disease is much more common in resource-poor tropical countries with upto 10% of children presenting with it

In other words, the poorer the medical infrastructure, the greater the chance of infection.

Fortunately, treatment for scabies is usually simple and effective. 

The environment must be kept very hygienic and the family around the patient must be treated with medication, but to prevent the parasite from reappearing, they must do so.