Scabies is a most awful skin disease and it happens when an eight legged mite gets under the skin and the female lays its eggs. There are burrows that appear on the skin and one gets an intense urge to scratch that part of the skin and especially at night. Scabies is contagious and if one member of the family has it the others are also going to get infected. If one has this intense urge to scratch the skin and sees tiny irregular burrows with bumps and blisters then one has got scabies. Scabies is most often found in the following parts of the body, like between the fingers, in armpits, around the waist, on the buttocks, on the inner side of the elbow, around the breasts, around the male genital area, on knees, on the soles of the feet. In the case of infants it is the scalp, soles of feet, neck, palms of hands where the infestation takes place. Burrows from scabies are irregular and one on close examination can see the bumps and the burrow. More then a single mite can cause multiple scabies attack to happen.

The mite is very tiny and one needs a microscope to see it. Once the female burrows under the skin she lays her eggs in the tunnels she has made and the eggs hatch in 21 days and the mites reach the surface of the skin and can spread to other parts of the body or get transmitted to another person by physical contact. They may get transmitted by sharing clothes and bedding also but the chances of them getting transmitted by physical contact are much more common. Pets like cats and dogs also get scabies but the scabies mite for cats and dogs and humans prefer their own host types. This means that a human scabies mite will transmit to another human but rarely to the house pet and vice-versa. Scabies rash is very itchy and irritating and the only way of treating scabies is by going and seeing a doctor straight away. The more one delays treating scabies the worse it is going to grow and spread. One can see pictures of scabies rash on the internet so in case one does get infected with scabies they will know immediately.

If there is intense itching and one can see the tiny burrows then it is time to meet your doctor as over the counter medicines or bathing will not help. The dermatologist will examine and take a scraping of the skin to determine the presence of mite and mite eggs. Complications occur by scratching the area so badly that the skin breaks allowing other bacteria to infect the area. People with weakened immune systems can get a serious outbreak of scabies and another form called crusted scabies can develop which is worse.

Most doctors will prescribe medication to be applied to the entire body from the neck down and one has to keep it on for at least 8 hours. The medication kills the mites but it will take a while for the itching to stop. At times doctors may also prescribe oral medication especially to people who have altered immune systems. To prevent from getting re-infected wash all clothing, bedding, towels, etc and dry them with intense heat.

If one is infected the best self care that one takes against scabies is soaking in a cool bath, applying soothing lotion like calamine lotion and if the doctor advises take antihistamines. Also stay away from people while the treatment is on as you don’t want to infect your family and friends. So at the first signs of intense itching and redness and irregular burrows rush to the doctor and get it cured.