Scabies
Scabies
Scabies – Some Facts You Should Know
There are many contagious skin diseases that are unknown to us. Though you may observe the best of precautions including proper hygiene and sanitation, you may still end up getting any of the skin diseases that are contagious and has a tendency to spread rapidly.
Scabies is one such skin condition that is very contagious and is mainly caused by parasites that lie hidden underneath the folds of the skin. Scabies causes and scabies symptoms can be traced to the mites called ‘Sarcoptes scabiei var.hominis’. This parasite has the capacity to quickly spread and manifests itself in the form of rashes on the skin.
Indeed, rash is one of the most common scabies symptoms and should not be taken lightly. Unfortunately, awareness about scabies is rather limited with the result there is a tendency to ignore such warning signs. People always mistake these rashes for either eczema or allergy and treat it accordingly. Very surprisingly, many skin doctors too make the same mistake and the result is that the individual has to undergo a lot of unnecessary irritation before the right scabies diagnosis and scabies treatment is made and administered.
Scabies by virtue of it being so contagious becomes a menace at locations where there are too many people confined in a small place. It can cause an epidemic in orphanages, schools and other such places where treatment is not taken on time due to lack of awareness and the density of population is on the higher side.
The mites that cause scabies are very small and therefore hidden from view. If left untreated, besides causing skin itching and inflammation, the parasites can cause itching of the scalp as well. One of the other reasons for not being able to diagnose scabies quickly enough is the fact that the symptoms are pretty generic and do mirror other common skin conditions like allergy or eczema.
People therefore do not take prompt action and try out home remedies for allergy as a first line of resort. The mites causing scabies are generally found between the toes, crook of the elbows, between fingers, within pubic hair and armpits. These areas are generally not exposed and therefore liable for a lot of sweating. The mites thrive in such conditions and increase in number even as the individual experiences severe itching. Sometimes, the spread of the infection affects the face and scalp as well.
Individuals affected by scabies experience itching and are forced to scratch more as a reaction to the eggs laid and faecal dropping of these mites. That is why it is necessary to get scabies diagnosis right the first time and take corrective scabies treatment so that they are not allowed to breed and cause infection. The ability of these mites to proliferate quickly is borne out by the fact that the female can lay three eggs on a daily basis. It is obvious that with this kind of a breeding pattern, these mites can cause a great deal of harm and irritation if they are allowed to go on like this. The female is also able to survive for close to a month within the host body and can therefore cause a lot of damage by then.
The itching caused by these mites worsens as night arrives. That is because unless the individual has taken a bath at the end of the day and then retires to bed, the areas mentioned above are generally moist and sweaty making it ideal for these mites to thrive and lay their eggs. If on the other hand, the individual happens to take his bath, the intensity of itching is far less and over time may even stop when accompanied with the right treatment. Children have to face a lot of difficulty as they cannot sleep peacefully and have to miss school often due to the discomfort of itching as well as the fact that they become very tired due to no proper sleep at night.
How to treat scabies?
Scabies treatment is essential and only when done on time would you be able to get rid of them quickly and totally. Left untreated, it could lead to conditions like impetigo, crusted scabies and even cellulitis. The main challenge confronting doctors and the affected individual is the effective diagnosis of scabies leading to delayed treatment by which time the parasites are able to create a lot of damage.
The question of how to get rid of scabies earlier was answered by the use of sulphur as a line of treatment. However, though this was successful for many individuals, there were many others who were allergic to sulphur and they were forced to undergo the irritation of itching for a much longer period of time. Fortunately, there have been other medications in the form of ointments as well as tablets that have been discovered and these are used by skin doctors to treat this condition. These lotions are applied on the affected part and left to act for a minimum of eight hours for them to be effective. You should not at this time give in to temptation and scratch those areas.
Antihistamines are normally prescribed by skin doctors to combat scabies. Prolonged use should be avoided and the instructions of the doctor should be followed without any compromise. These medicines represent the best option available to tackle this skin condition.
There is a word of caution though. Some of these prescribed medicines do come with their own set of side effects that some of the individuals may not be able to bear. Going for natural remedies would be the other alternative as these are free of such side effects and have been proved to be quite effective as well.
Natural home made remedies are highly effective when applied early enough in the treatment cycle. Remember that the natural immune system of the body will react and throw up some reactions when faced with the droppings and faecal matter of the parasites. To counter these reactions, the use of turmeric, neem oil and the oil from tea tree have been found to be very soothing and effective. They act quickly and are highly potent in preventing repeat infections as well. The chances of a second infection that sometimes takes place are also reduced substantially.
The use of home remedies has been advocated as they help the quick spread of the infection to other body parts. This needs to be done quickly as you cannot afford to let the parasites thrive and breed with every passing day.
What about scabies prevention?
Personal hygiene plays a very important role in scabies prevention. You cannot afford to have nails that have not been cut as they are often the targets for mites to lodge themselves and make an entry into the body of the person. The clothing of the individual affected has to be washed separately with hot water and stuff like bed linen as well as other personal effects need to be steam cleaned or vacuumed. Combs and other accessories used by the person in particular needs to be isolated and kept away so that no other person uses them by mistake. The soft furnishings in the house including carpets have to be vacuumed vigorously. The vacuum bags also need to be disposed off immediately.
Tags: soft furnishing, allergy, faecal matter <BR/>Incoming search terms:
Scabies
Scabies
Scabies
Scabies
Scabies
Related terms: Pictures of Scabies Rash, Picture Scabies Skin, What Does Scabies Look Like, How to Kill Scabies, Show Me Pictures Scabies, Pictures Symptoms Scabies, Natural Remedies for Scabies, Scabies Symptoms Symptoms
Related posts:
- Bed Bugs Pictures on Humans Bed Bugs Pictures On Humans Bed Bugs Pictures On Humans...
- How to Know if You Have Bed Bugs How To Know If You Have Bed Bugs How To...
- Dust Mites Dust Mites Dust Mites – A Very Common Problem It...
- What Causes Bed Bugs What Causes Bed Bugs What Causes Bed Bugs – Useful...
- Bed Bug Bites Symptoms Bed Bug Bites Symptoms Bed Bug Bites Symptoms – Early...
- Where Do Bed Bugs Come From Where Do Bed Bugs Come From Where Do Bed Bugs...
- How Do You Get Bed Bugs How Do You Get Bed Bugs How Do You Get...
- Bed Bug Symptoms Bed Bug Symptoms Bed Bug Symptoms – Identify Them Early...
- Bed Bug Bite Pictures Bed Bug Bite Pictures Bed Bug Bite Pictures – Useful...
- Bed Bugs in NYC Bed Bugs In NYCBed Bugs In NYC – A Problem...
- How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs How To Get...
- How to Check for Bed Bugs How To Check For Bed Bugs How To Check For...
- Bed Bug Bites Pictures Bed Bug Bites Pictures Bed Bug Bites Pictures – A...
- What Do Bed Bugs Look Like What Do Bed Bugs Look Like – Some Useful Facts...
- Pictures of Bed Bug Bites Pictures Of Bed Bug Bites Pictures Of Bed Bug Bites...
- Bed Bug Bites Bed Bug Bites Bed Bug Bites – Not Harmful Or...
- Pictures of Bed Bugs Pictures Of Bed Bugs Pictures Of Bed Bugs - Will...
- Bed Bugs Pictures Bed Bugs PicturesBed Bugs Pictures – They Tell The Whole...
- Bed Bugs Signs Bed Bugs Signs Bed Bugs Signs - Most Common Ones...
- Bed Bugs Bites Bed Bugs Bites Bed Bugs Bites – Do Not Neglect...
- Bed Bug Spray Bed Bug SprayBed Bug Spray – Many Types Available To...
- Bed Bug Information Bed Bug Information Bed Bug Information And How To Deal...
- Bed Bug Treatment Bed Bug Treatment Bed Bug Treatment – Follow The Right...
- Bed Bugs Bites Pictures Bed Bugs Bites PicturesBed Bugs Bites Pictures – Provide Vital...
- How Big Are Bed Bugs How Big Are Bed Bugs How Big Are Bed Bugs...
