The 3 Scabies Symptoms That Many Ignore

Symptoms can affect a large part of the body  or only certain areas, such as the wrists, the skin between the fingers or around the waist . Children are often more susceptible to head infections. The itching tends to get worse at night. When scratching, the skin  can be injured exposing it to additional bacterial infections.

Causes of scabies:  Infection by the parasite that causes scabies  happens through intimate contact between people or even through clothing.

Scabies is caused by a tiny  mite that can only be seen under a microscope: Sarcoptes scabiei. This parasite feeds on keratin, a protein that makes up the surface layer of the skin . After mating, the female lays her eggs (six on average), which hatch two weeks later. From there, the lesions can spread to other parts of the group from touch – mainly because one of the most common places for lesions to appear is between the fingers. The hands are, in fact, the main means of transport for the parasite. The characteristic itching of scabies  is the result of an allergic reaction of the body to the presence of mites.

Scabies can also  affect dogs and cats, but these are usually only affected by specific species of mites. Humans can even contract Scabies  caused by mites typical of dogs and cats, but only temporarily, because the mites have a preference for a specific type of host. In this way, they do not survive far from the “perfect host”.

Scabies Symptoms That Many Ignore:  The most peculiar characteristic of scabies is an intense itching, which usually gets worse at night. Mite pits can often be seen as very fine lines that are up to 1 cm long and, in some cases, as a small bump at one end. Often, scratching the pits causes a bacterial skin  infection (called a secondary infection). Sometimes only tiny pustules are seen, many of which are excoriated from the itching.

Pustules can appear on any part of the body , including the breasts and penis. In adults, the pustules do not appear on the face. The pustules first appear in the spaces between the fingers, wrists, inner elbows, armpits , along the waistline  or buttocks. Over time, it can be difficult to see the pits, as they can become occluded due to inflammation caused by scratching. People who live in warm climates develop small red pustules with few pits.

In black people and others with  dark skin , scabies  can cause raised, solid areas. In children the areas that can be affected are the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and the scalp, especially behind the ears. In the elderly, scabies  can cause intense itching but very mild skin symptoms , thus making it difficult for doctors to diagnose. People who can develop a serious infestation include:

• Those who have a weakened immune system (due to human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV ) infection, blood cancer  ,  or chronic use of corticosteroids or other drugs that suppress the immune system )
• Those who have severe physical or intellectual disabilities
• Aborigines australians

Severe infections cause large areas of thick, crusty skin to form (especially on the palms of hands and soles of feet in adults and on the scalps of children) that do not itch.

Treatment for Scabies:  The two most used options for treating Scabies are Permethrin 5% or Ivermectin in tablets.

Permethrin 5% should be applied all over the body  from the neck down (in children it can be applied to the face, being careful not to reach the eyes ), being rinsed in the bath after 8 to 14 hours. After 1 or 2 weeks, the process can be repeated. Oral ivermectin is used in a single dose, repeated after 14 days.

The success rate of the two treatments is similar, but Ivermectin is the most suitable treatment for outbreaks in nursing homes, prisons or households with many residents, as taking a pill is much simpler than applying a cream all over the body .

Crusted scabies  is treated with a combination of the two medications: Permethrin 5% applied daily for 7 days plus Ivermectin, one dose on days 1, 2, 8, 9 and 15

It is important to remember that the person infected with the scabies mite usually  takes up to 6 weeks to show symptoms. Therefore, treatment is also recommended for family members and sexual contacts, even if they are not showing symptoms of  scabies .