Scabies Treatment In Delhi

Scabies is a worldwide issue limited to tropical locations and crowded places, it is a skin condition that is caused by the mite called Sarcoptes scabiei. These bugs make tunnels under the skin and lay eggs inside the skin which leads to an angry rash and acute itching. The disease spreads easily from person to person, if one family member has it, it’s essential to get the other family members and close contacts checked for the disease.

Scabies is not limited to humans, it spreads to animals as well. However, the mites are different to the ones that infect humans as the mites that infect animals can’t survive on humans. It is, however, possible to have some sort of reaction to mites on your pets or an animal.

In its early stage, scabies could be mistaken for other disorders as the rash looks similar. It is differentiated from others by an alarming itch which is most severe in children and the elderly. Another identifying mark of scabies is the appearance of grayish-white or skin-coloured burrows on the skin.

Mites usually live in the folds and narrow cracks on skin such: as between fingers and toes, bends at wrist and knees, folds in thighs and genital areas, area around waist and nipples, under fingernails, rings, watches and bracelets.

Who’s prone to scabies:

• Those who live in crowded conditions,
• Infants and children who have a lot of physical contact with their parents and family members,
• Elderly,
• Healthcare workers who are unaware and are caring for people with scabies.

There are different forms Scabies in addition to the classic one, which are:

• Crusted: this occurs to people with weak immune systems, this type of scabies tend to cover the large area of skin where millions of mites live.
• Nodular: this mostly occurs in children, the brownish-red nodules caused due to it stay on the body for a long time even after the infection is gone.
• Bullous: this type of scabies is mistaken for bullous pemphigoid in adults, a skin blister causing condition.
• Scalp: the scabies that occur in the scalp and may look like psoriasis.

The scabies mites are so minute, about the size of a needle and thus extremely hard to see. The mites are white to creamy-white in color, have eight legs and a round body, as seen under the microscope. When infected, a person carries around 10 to 15 mites.

Scabies Symptoms

The symptoms of Scabies:

• Intense itching, especially at night,
• Scales or blisters,
• A pimple-like rash,
• Sores due to scratching,

People can be infected with the scabies for four to six weeks before the symptoms even appear, it first appears as red rash and bumps which might look like pimples. The rash then slowly spread over in a period of weeks or months. Children with scabies have itching all over the body and might be cranky from lack of sleep due to relentless itching.

Scabies Causes

Scabies is caused due to tiny, eight-legged mites. The female mite makes tunnels under the skin and lay eggs, when they hatch, they travel to the surface and mature there. From there, these mites spread to the other areas of the skin or to other people in contact.

Close skin-to-skin contact, sharing bedding or clothes with an infected person leads to the spread of scabies mites.

Pets’ mites don’t survive on people as they can’t survive on their skin. However, being in contact with an animal that has scabies may cause itching for a brief period of time. These mites will die on their own within a few days, thus treatment won’t be needed.

Scabies Prevention

To prevent scabies infection and to keep the scabies from spreading to other people, it's important to take the following steps:

• Wash all clothes and linens with hot water as heat destroys mites and their eggs. Dry clothes with heath as well, and dry-clean clothes that can’t be washed at home.
• Cleaning and vacuuming the house is important to prevent the scabies from spreading. For people suffering from crusted scabies, it is especially important to vacuum as it removes the scales and crusts that may be containing mites.
• Placing the unwashable items in a sealed bag for a week stave the mites and end up killing them after a few days.

Scabies Medication

An ointment containing permethrin is used in the treatment of scabies. The ointment is applied on the entire body, except the head. The cream is left on the body for about eight to fourteen hours. In case of children, the ointment also needs to be applied on the scalp.

Another alternative for scabies treatment is Ivermectin which is an antiparasitic pill given in a single dosage, followed by a second dose one to two weeks later. In case of pregnancy, Ivermectin shouldn’t be used. Children weighing 15 kilograms or 35 pounds shouldn’t also be using Ivermectin.

Antihistamines could also be taken orally and as an ointment to relieve itching.