Scabies is most often spread by close physical contact. There are different types of scabies mite that affects dogs, cats, and humans. It is uncommon to get scabies from other species, as each type of scabies mite prefers one host.
Children Mothers of small children Sexually active young adults Residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or extended-care facilities Persons with weakened immune systems Persons who have received organ transplants
Itching, mostly in the evening Rash, which is often in a line on the skin and can look like hives or tiny bites Sores, which are often a result of scratching from the mites Thick crusts on the skin, which are a sign of Norwegian scabies, a severe form of the condition.
Between fingers In armpits Around the waist Along the inner arm, especially the wrist and elbow On the bottoms of feet Near the breasts Near male genitalia On the buttocks On knees Around the shoulder blades
Scalp Face Neck Palms of the hands Soles of the feet
Don’t leave scabies untreated. Doing so can result in Norwegian scabies or skin infections such as impetigo. Norwegian scabies, in particular, can spread to large areas of the body and be difficult to treat.
Take a list of any signs or symptoms you’ve notice and for how long. Tell your doctor about possible and definite exposure you’ve had to scabies. If your doctor diagnoses you or another family member with scabies, they’ll likely want to examine other members of the household, even if they don’t have any symptoms of scabies.
Show your doctor any areas of your body that may be causing you discomfort or on which you’ve spotted the symptoms of scabies.
Your doctor doesn’t need a large sample of your skin. They may scrape off the cells with a scalpel or other instrument. This may cause minor discomfort, but will not last for long.
5% permethrin cream, which is the most common treatment for scabies 25% benzyl benzoate lotion 10% sulfur lotion 10% crotamiton cream 1% lindane lotion
You may only require one dose of ivermectin to treat your scabies, though some patients may need two to three doses. Make sure to follow your doctor’s orders when taking ivermectin.
An antihistamine, which can help control itching and related insomnia Pramoxine lotion, which can help control itching An antibiotic cream or pill, to kill any infection A steroid cream, to relieve any itching, redness, and inflammation A cool bath or compresses to minimize itching
Wash all items in a washing machine and use the hottest water you can. Dry everything in a dryer on the hottest possible setting Dry clean anything you can’t wash or seal the items in a plastic bag for at least a week to starve the mites. In general, you do not need to wash anything that hasn’t touched your skin.
Make sure to throw away the vacuum bag when you are finished and clean the canister with hot, soapy water.
You may notice that the itching and rash worsen the first few days of treatment. It some cases, people need multiple treatments to cure scabies. Contact your doctor if you continue to have symptoms after four weeks.
