Scabies is a contagious skin condition that causes an extremely itchy rash on your skin. But where do scabies come from? The answer lies in the transfer of Sarcoptes scabiei, a microscopic mite found worldwide.
Scabies is easily transmissible by direct or indirect contact with an affected individual, more so when people live in crowded spaces. If one family member is infected with scabies, a physician should evaluate and medicate the other family members and close contacts as well.
This article explains how scabies will and will not spread, who is at greater risk, and steps you can take to protect yourself and others.
Types of Scabies
The human scabies mite can bring about various effects on humans, as follows:
Typical Scabies: This is most prevalent among the general public and elicits mild to moderate itching confined to the hands, wrists, and other frequent areas, resulting in small red bumps or blisters.
Crusted or Norwegian scabies: Named as such because it was first discovered in Norway, this type is the most severe. It is characterized by thick, patchy, crusted skin filled with thousands of mites and eggs.
Infantile Scabies: It affects babies and is more susceptible to complications. It is transmitted through a long duration of physical contact with caregivers. The areas affected are the face, the palm, and the soles. Unfortunately, infants are unable to scratch which leads to vesicles. For treatment, local application of cream is given for the face.
Nodular Scabies: Nodular scabies are characterized by persistent lumps or nodules, often after treatment lasting weeks or months. The lumps are itchy and surrounded by redness or inflammation. They are common around the genitals, armpits, or groin.
Where are they found?
The mites live in the folds and cracks of your skin. Common mite sites include:
Folds in between your fingers and toes.
Folds in your thighs and genital area.
Bends at your wrists and knees.
The area around your waist.
Under fingernails.
Under rings, watch bands, and bracelets.
How Do You Get Scabies
Skin-to-Skin Contact
Scabies is usually transmitted by prolonged skin contact with an infected person. To make matters worse, one might be a carrier of scabies without even knowing it because symptoms appear only after two weeks.
Adults usually catch scabies from sexual relations. With that said members of the same family or household are often able to reinfect each other with the mite. It is also possible for the parasite to spread from one individual to another through professional massage.
A scabies infestation typically does not only affect individual members of a household but also their homes. Everything including furniture, bedding, towels, clothes, and surfaces where the mite can survive for a few days without a human host is infested.
Victims may never completely heal as long as they are surrounded by these items. This means a person undergoing treatment will get reinfected unless all the items are properly sanitized. This can be done by machine-washing bedding, clothing, blankets, and towels in hot water and tumble-drying on the hot cycle.
Crowded or Close Living Conditions
Scabies is caused by mites which are more common in densely populated areas. This is because they are transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, and those who live together are likely to engage in prolonged physical contact, whether through shared activities, casual touch, or crowded sleeping arrangements.
In such situations, the risk of coming into contact with an infected individual heightens.
Additionally, people in communal living places share each other’s belongings, like beds, linens, clothes, and furniture. The parasitic mites can live for 3 days off the host on these items, which means shared items can be vessels for transmission unless they are cleaned.
Examples of High-Risk Settings:
Nursing Homes & Extended Care Facilities: It is reasonable to expect that scabies will have a high infection rate in this setting due to the closeness of individuals, the availability of common rooms, and a large population of elderly whose immunity is already compromised.
Prisons and Correctional Institutions: The inmates have to share everything from the showers, kitchens, and recreation rooms, thus scabies infections can easily occur in these facilities.
Student Residence: Students often share items and spaces in a dormitory which facilitates scabies transmission when these items and spaces are not disinfected.
Emergency Housing: The high population and sharing of clothes and beds in these facilities can lead to scabies outbreaks, especially since people there do not have access to resources for hygiene practices.
Sarcoptes scabiei, the human itch mite, causes scabies. You cannot see them with your naked eye, but under a microscope, you will notice that it has eight legs and a round body. The mites burrow just under the skin and make a tunnel where they reside, feed and poop.
Female mites lay eggs that hatch into larvae, which can travel to the skin surface. These mites can then spread to other areas of the skin or the skin of other people. Your skin reacts to these mites and their waste with intense itching and rashes. It can cause secondary infections due to scratching if left untreated.
Symptoms of Scabies on Skin
Scabies can make your skin very itchy, and if you get infected for the first time, rashes may develop six weeks later. However, the rashes will appear within a few days if you’ve had scabies before.
The rash spreads gradually over a few weeks or months. Besides the rash, you may experience the following signs and symptoms:
Severe itching, which is more pronounced at night, ruining your sleep.
Lesions or itchy nodules that may get infected from scratching.
Incisions or bumps that appear as elevated, flesh-colored lines
A child suffering from scabies may have an all-over itchy sensation and become restless, as sleep may elude them due to excessive itching at night.
The only thing that will relieve the itchiness is scratching, but excessive and intense scratching will break the skin and lead to cuts and wounds. These cuts are painful and may get infected. The skin might also feel sore and sensitive.
It is critical to start scabies treatment on time to remove the mites and avoid further skin aggravation. Wounds become infected, and over-the-counter ointments with antibiotics may be necessary.
Home Remedies for Scabies
As medication is ineffective against mite eggs, retreatment may be necessary if symptoms persist.
Creams, Lotions or Ointments
Healthcare professionals may prescribe topical ointments containing active ingredients like sulfur and permethrin to combat scabies. The medication can be applied to the entire body except for the head. Infants may need the cream on their face and scalp.
Adhere to the prescription provided by your health carer. Most creams should be left on the skin for 8 to 14 hours. For this reason, it is better to apply the cream at bedtime, which you need to wash off in the morning.
Home remedies are not a treatment for scabies, nor do they kill the mites. It, however, helps with the rash and relieves your inflamed skin. You should ask your doctor first before considering using a home remedy. Here are some of the most widely used home treatments for scabies:
Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is a popular essential oil. The oil is useful in treating or relieving the itchiness caused by scabies and treating crusted scabies in cancer patients. However, it does not work on the eggs deeply embedded in the skin.
Dilute the tea tree oil with a carrier oil, then gently massage the oil into the area affected by the itching and rash. Allow the oil to remain for the night and wash it in the morning. A few individuals may be sensitive to tea tree oil and require other forms of relief.
A soothing bath with colloidal oatmeal is a popular natural treatment for relieving various skin issues like scabies and eczema. The oatmeal compounds are useful for scabies, mainly characterized by intense itching.
One can soak in the bath for about 15 to 20 minutes. Ensure that the water reaches the parts of your body that experience the most itching, but do not use hot water as it worsens the itching. Always use warm water. Even though this technique relieves itching, the underlying cause should be treated for complete recovery.
Moisturizer
Most of the salves for scabies treatment available in the market have a drying effect on the skin which is not recommendable as it can escalate the itching sensation. Therefore, it is advisable to use an appropriate moisturizer in order to keep the skin moist and soft and most importantly reduce the itch.
When purchasing moisturizers, do not buy scented ones. Buy those labeled hypoallergenic to avoid allergens. Look for gentle, skin-friendly healing actives that aid in the softening and nurturing of the skin's protective layer.
Loose-fitting clothing
Itching can also result from tight and irritating clothes because of increased friction, which worsens inflammation and the symptoms of scabies. Loose-fitting garments allow airflow and lessen the effects of constant rubbing.
Wear soft, lightweight, breathable materials such as cotton. Cotton is absorbent and allows ventilation, thus minimizing the possibility of chaffing. It is perfect for delicate skin. Do not wear overheating fabrics like polyester, nylon, or spandex because they are body-hugging and make the body heat up and retain moisture, which worsens the itch.
Preventing Scabies
Refrain from All Sorts of Close Contact
Scabies is typically transmitted through direct, prolonged, or constant skin contact with an infected person. Hence, avoiding contact with any individual exhibiting any signs of scabies, especially active itching, is usually one of the most encouraged measures in preventing this infection.
Normal activities can resume, including skin-to-skin contact, only once the mites are treated completely and symptoms improve. There might be mild itching even after the mites are killed, but it does mean that the individual risks infecting other people.
It’s always best to check with a physician about when you can start having close contact with others again.
Treat Everyone At Once
The treatment for scabies should be administered to every household member, close contact, and every person with whom the affected individual has had prolonged skin-to-skin contact.
The rationale is very simple; scabies spread through contact quickly, and an infected individual may be spreading it before they start showing symptoms.
The primary reason for treating everyone at once is to stop mites from circulating between persons. If not, a completely healed person may get reinfested by an infected but asymptomatic person.
The cycle will continue and prolong the infestation within a home or community if the treatment is not administered to everyone simultaneously.
Although scabies mites burrow on human skin, they can also live on inanimate objects like clothes, bed sheets, blankets, towels, and other personal belongings for 72 hours. Failure to wash such belongings may result in them acting as a reservoir for the mites and causing a reinfestation of the treated individual after completion of the remedies.
For these reasons, individuals should wash all bedding and clothes in hot water to kill the mites during the wash cycle. If the items are delicate or you’re concerned about damaging them, check the care labels first, but prioritize the high heat for scabies elimination.
Seal Items
It is better to keep your stuff, including delicate clothes or heat and machine-intolerable items, in a closed plastic bag to prevent scabies.
Place any items used near an infected individual that cannot be washed or dry cleaned in a durable and tightly sealable plastic bag. Ensure that the bag is sealed properly to prevent mites from escaping. The infected items inside the bag should be left in that condition for 3 days because that is the longest mites can survive without a host.
How Long Does It Take To Get Rid of Scabies?
Normally, scabies will go away once you finish your treatment. However, a second treatment may be necessary, depending on the severity and occurrence of new rashes.
It is common to experience itchiness for up to 2-3 weeks following the end of your treatment, even when the remedy successfully treated the scabies. If the itching lasts longer than that, or if you notice new rashes or burrow lines, contact your nurse or doctor.
