Scabies

Scabies is an infectious skin condition that is caused by a tiny mite that is barely visible by the naked eye. The mite burrows itself into the skin and spends nearly its entire life in or on the human skin. Although more common in warm climates, scabies can occur anywhere and within all social and economic levels. It affects men, women and children of all ages and races.

The rash usually involves the hands, wrists, breasts, waist line and genital area. In severe cases, scabies often resembles other rashes. One way to find out whether you have scabies is for a practitioner to scrape off a piece of skin and examine it under a microscope to see if mites exist on the skin cells.

Scabies is highly contagious and is transmitted by direct contact with the skin of another infected person. All members of your household and any sexual partners you have should be treated at the same time. Although scabies mites cannot live long without a human host, there have been a few cases of apparent transmission through infested clothing and bedding. Normal, hot water laundering of clothes, linens and towels used within the previous 48 hours of contact is typically sufficient to prevent re-infestation.

TREATMENT

Treatment consists of applying a mite-killing medication to your skins. Follow these directions:

  • Apply the prescribed cream (permethrin) to your entire skin from the neck down, not just the areas the itch. This includes fingernails and toenails, around the nail beds, between your fingers and toes, and in the cleft of your buttocks and genitals.
    • Infants and elderly patients should be treated on the scalp, temple and forehead
    • If you wash your hands or any other area during the treatment period, more cream must be applied immediately
  • Leave the cream on overnight for 8-14 hours. It is important to not exceed 14 hours due to skin irritation. Remove the next morning by bathing or showering.
  • You should no longer be contagious after one treatment if these instructions have been followed carefully.

Your itching and rash may continue for 2-6 weeks even though all mites have been killed. This results from skin allergy to the mites and is called post-scabetic dermatitis. This does not require treatment. Do not try to treat post-scabetic dermatitis with mite-killing medicine as you will further irritate the skin, causing more itching and possibly other symptoms. If this does occur, call our office.