Scabies

The typical symptom of Scabies is a terrible itching in the areas where mites burrow and it can be substantially worse at night. These skin lesions due to Scabies usually appear in skin folds. The most common skin regions involve includes:

• Space between your fingers
• Armpits
• The inner side of your elbow
• Around waist region
• Soles of the feet
• Around breast
• Around male genitals
• Hips region
• Knees

If you have had Scabies in the past, then you may develop symptoms within 1 to 4 days after exposure. However, for those infected with Scabies for the first time, it may take up to 6 weeks for signs and symptoms to show. Even if you have no signs and symptoms of Scabies, please note that you can still pass it onto other people.

On a human host, Scabies can remain alive for 6-8 weeks. However, without a host, it can not survive more than 48-72 hours.

It is unlikely that you get scabies following a brief, casual contact. However, contact for longer than 5-10 minutes can increase the risk of transmission. This can include oral, vaginal and anal sex. It is unlikely that you will get Scabies from a toilet seat. Getting Scabies from a swimming pool is also unlikely unless someone with Crusted Scabies (highly infectious) has infected the water.

You can get a temporary skin reaction following prolonged contact with an animal with Scabies. The chances of getting more severe Scabies exist, if the animal mites have been in contact with human mites.

Scabies is diagnosed by a physical examination from the site of the rash and the presence of mites & burrows.

You can have any of the following skin condition that can have similar symptoms as that of scabies:

• Eczema – A skin condition that causes itchy, dry and scaly patches on the skin. It gets better with the application of emollients, lotions or steroid cream.
• Contact dermatitis – A skin allergy that occurs when the skin comes in contact with certain things such as detergent, acid, or drain cleaners. It causes itchy, dry, blistered or crack skin.
• Drug reaction – An allergic reaction triggered after taking several medications such as NSAIDs, PPIs, beta-lactam antibiotics or hypnotics.
• Impetigo – A skin infection secondary to cuts or breaks in the skin, resulting in pus or water-filled pus skin lesions.
• Urticaria – An allergic reaction characterized by a raised and red itchy welts that appears and fades along the course. It is usually a chronic condition lasting up to six weeks, and its reoccurrence is common within six months or one year.
• Seborrheic dermatitis – A Skin disease is also known as dandruff, in which the scalp gets itchy and flaky. It usually involves the scalp but can affect any region of the body.
• Psoriasis – A skin condition in which red and raised patches with silver scales appear on the skin of knees, scalp, and elbow. Fully recovery from psoriasis is hardly possible. It results in frequent flare-ups, and sometimes it may go into remission.

Scabies is treated using creams and ointments which may be applied from the neck down. Depending on the extent of your symptoms, multiple applications of these creams may be required.

Along with the prescribed medications, your clinician may recommend you to:

• Wash your beddings and clothes in use with hot water (50 degrees centigrade or higher)
• Dry your clothes with a hot iron
• If your clothes cannot be washed, place them in a sealed bag for at least three days
• If you have babies or young children who suck their hands/feet, place socks/gloves on their hands/feet
• Abstain from sexual intercourse/close physical contact until after your treatment
• Avoid sharing bedding, clothes or towels with a person infected with Scabies

Scabies mites usually die with the onset of treatment, but you might have an itch for a few weeks. Please consult your clinician if you have symptoms after two weeks of completing treatment.

If your symptoms do not disappear after 2 weeks, we may consider the following possibilities:

• Re-infection – This may be due to your carpet/clothes/bedding which are still infested with Scabies mites.
• Secondary infection – You have an infection in addition to Scabies. This will require further investigation and treatment.
• An alternative diagnosis – You have another infection rather than Scabies.
• Crusted Scabies – You have crusted scabies or an intense form of scabies in which scaly lesions do not allow proper penetration of topical medicine. In this case, your doctor will prescribe you both oral and topical medications.
• Treatment failure – In this case, we will offer you another course of medications.

Please be cautious when treating yourself for Scabies. You can not use agricultural insecticides to get rid of Scabies as this can be dangerous for your health. Also, there is no over the counter medication to treat scabies. Therefore, it is advised to contact your doctor, who will prescribe you the effective medicine to treat scabies.

However, you can relieve the symptoms by:

• Applying a wet cloth to the affected areas
• Using a calamine lotion
• Use anti-allergy medications to help soothe any allergic symptoms due to Scabies

Untreated Scabies can result in intense itching, which can cause a break or cracks in the skin and make it more susceptible to other infections.