Scabies Treatment | Treating Scabies
What is Scabies? Scabies is an infestation by a tiny eight-legged creature that burrows under the skin. This ghastly bug is an itch mite, Sarcoptes scabiei. They produce intense, painful itching and tiny blisters or lines in a curved track can be visible. These are the ‘burrows’ that the bugs dig. Fortunately, not all lines and sores contain mites, and an infestation may contain just fifteen to 20 mites, or may also contain thousands of mites. The bad news is that scabies will not cure itself, and treatment will have to be administered.
How Does it Spread? Scabies can only spread by close physical contact with another person infected with the mites. Just a handshake or even sharing of clothes is usually not enough to spread scabies. It is common to see the disease spread where physical contact is longer lasting. This may be sexual or in families which are in close proximity. It is also witnessed in hospitals where nurses and doctors are exposed to patients. You cannot catch the mites from animals.
Treatment: If you suspect you have scabies, it is important to immediately see a doctor. The most common treatment is a mite-killing cream, permethrin. Your GP will prescribe the cream for you, as some can have negative side-effects. The cream needs to be applied from the neck down, concentrating on the areas where the infestations occur. The cream must be left on overnight, and then washed off the next day. This application needs to be repeated about seven days later.
The treatment can take between one to three days to work, depending on the medicine used. In some cases, the cream may not work, and your doctor may have to prescribe a stronger drug. It is recommended that you visit your doctor for a check up two and four weeks after the infection to prevent reappearance. Some doctors may also prescribe an oral drug, Ivermectin, which is an effective scabicide and is not messy like the creams. Unfortunately, this drug carries a higher toxic risk than the cream, and hasn’t been shown to be any more effective. Antihistamines may be used to ease the itching, and affected people may often have a hard time sleeping at night, when the itching is the worst.
Linen and bedclothes should be washed in hot water, though it isn’t necessary to dry clean them. The mites cannot survive outside the body for very long. It is also recommended to avoid frequent contact with infected family members or avoid sexual contact with an infected partner, as it is possible the mites may have transferred to them. This is very important in preventing ‘mini-epidemics’.
