Scabies

 Scabies is a contagious disease of the skin. It is an ectoparasite infection of the skin. The name scabies is derived from the Latin word scabere meaning scratch. The disease causes itching or intense pruritus, external burrows that are not easily visible, and some other infections. Most of them are unable to be traced without a microscope though some of them appear as white pinpoint. The female mites make burrows and lay eggs while the male mites move on the skin. In some rare cases, male mites also make burrows. Both of them come up several times mainly on the night. A man can get rid of them temporarily by scratching or washing. It also reduces the number of scabies. A healthy person does not have a large number of mites in their body. Nearly 11 female mites remains in the burrows. The antibodies that are produced by a human being also kill some of the scabies mites.

Scabies Causes :

The allergy to Sacroptes scabei is the main cause of scabies. Diacinto Cestoni an Italian biologist identified this mite as the main cause of scabies. The mite is minute in size and do not grow beyond half millimeter and has eight legs. These mites make their burrows in the skin of animals and human beings where they lay eggs. Mites grow in number after the eggs are being hatched. Their faeces make the skin sensitive and cause severe itching. While laying their eggs in their burrows they cause rashes in the skin of man with constant itching sensation. The larvae of these mites take three to ten days for hatching. In this period, they move in different places on the skin. After moulting, they reach the nymphal stage and ultimately the adult stage. They are parasites and live in the skin of the host for three or four weeks. The itching that leads to allergies is caused by the movement of the mites on the skin and the sensitivity of the skin. Often the itching becomes unbearable for the eggs. They often spread from an infected person. The allergies give rise to several symptoms.

Symptoms of Scabies:

The disease scabies can be easily identified with the itching of skin that increases in the night. These extremely itchy sensations mighty develop after six weeks after the mites has affected the skin. This often leads to delay in the identification of scabies. A person infected by the scabies mites often has a minute red spot or red rashes in the skin. This occurs mostly in the moist and warm parts of the body. The thin grey lines that are commonly felt like a thick cord are the burrows of the mites. It is hard to identify the burrows without a magnifying glass.

Scabies Treatment:

There are several treatments for scabies. FDA has certified Lindane as effective and safe. Proper directions should be followed while using it. Side effects appear only if the product is misused. For avoiding assimilation with the skin, lindane must be washed with warm water. One should never use hot water for washing Lindane. Sulfur ointments of specified percentage are also useful for treating the disease. There are anti-parasitic drug lotions that can be applied for the treatment of scabies. The lotion should not be removed before 24 hours.

Advice Regarding Scabies:

Scabies mites are generally transmitted by skin contact. One should try not to touch a person having scabies. A person having scabies should consult the doctor to stop the growth of the disease. The bedding and clothing of the infected person should be kept separately. It should be washed properly. Cleanliness is must. This disease can spread to the entire house from a person. A child can also get affected from the school. It is also transmitted during sexual activities. One can be infected by their pets especially dog. It is advised to take care of the proper hygiene of the dog.