Scabies sounds worse than it really is. It often is misdiagnosed, but once you discover you there is an easy cure.
Identification
Scabies is caused by a tiny eight-legged mite that is one-third of a millimeter long and can be seen only with a magnifying glass or under a microscope. The mites, otherwise known as Sarcoptes scabiei, burrow under the skin and cause severe itching, which generally gets worse at night.
Contracting Scabies
Scabies is very contagious and is usually contracted with close skin-to-skin or person-to-person contact. You can not contract scabies from a pet. Scabies can only live off of the host for 24 to 36 hours, so if you were to sleep in a bed days after someone who had contracted scabies you would most likely not get it. On the other hand, if you slept in the bed with the person or less than a day after, then you will most likely want to be treated for scabies. Hanging your coat next to someone who has scabies or even shaking hands with someone who has it does not mean you will get it. In fact, it is nearly impossible under those conditions for you to contract it.
Features
Scabies only affects certain areas of the body, such as the wrists and back of the elbows, the webs between the fingers, around the waist, the knees, the axillary folds (folds of the skin), sides and backs of the feet, around the nipples, the buttocks and the genital area. In an infant or child, scabies is usually found on the head, face, neck palms and soles of the feet. They produce a skin rash that has small red bumps and blisters. Not every bump is a bug. You could have hundreds of bumps and only 20 to 30 live mites. Scabies can produce tunnels that appear as thin brown, gray or red lines on the affected area. These tunnels generally range from 2 millimeters to 15 millimeters long. Scratching the skin can actually destroy the tunnels, but can also leave scratch marks that are often mistaken for tunnels.
Symptoms
The most common symptom of scabies is intense itching. It is very important to know that this symptom may not appear for up to two months after being infected. Although you might not have any symptoms you can still infect other people during this time. The itch is so intense after the second week of having the symptoms it will make it almost impossible to sleep.
Misdiagnoses
Scabies is as pimples or mosquito bites. In infants, it is often misdiagnosed as a skin rash, eczema or even diaper rash. However, after your symptoms get worse, it can become apparent that you have scabies.
Treatment
Treatment for scabies is fairly easy. Although there are not any over-the-counter medications that have been approved as of yet, there are prescription medications your physician can provide for you, such as Permethrin (Elimite), which is a mite killer. This cream is applied from the neck down, left on overnight, then washed off first thing in the morning. You can use this for people who are 2 months old and older. It is best to reapply the treatment after seven days. You can also take an antihistamine for the itching. Make sure you wash your bed linens and clothing in hot water and spray the furniture down as well.
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