Scabies - a cutaneous infectious disease of a parasitic type, characterized by a skin lesion of an itch mite, or itch( Sarcoptes scabiei).The tick-pathogen is discernible to the naked eye( under close scrutiny) as a point, white or yellowish, no larger than a poppy seed.
The high contagiosity of scabies in humans is explained by the short period of time for which the itch mite is able to penetrate the human skin. This time interval is 15-20 minutes.
At night, a female tick gnaws through the skin, and in the morning lays eggs. The life cycle of an itch mite is 2-8 weeks. Then the causative agent of scabies perishes and decomposes in paved courses. Outside a person, the mite is killed quite quickly. The activity of scabies at night promotes a high risk of infection of the whole family in case of using one bed.
In this article we will look at how man's scabies look, its symptoms and the first signs in the initial stage after infection with the tick. In addition, we will touch upon the topic of how to treat scabies at home, and what medications are able to cope with the disease as quickly and effectively as possible.
How can you get scabies and what is it?
Let's consider more in detail what it is. The causative agent of scabies in man is a special itch mite( a miniature insect living on the skin of a person), which easily tolerates low and high temperatures, is resistant to disinfection, endurance. Infection occurs in the process of personal contact with the patient, his things, in public places, sexually.
The female of the scabies mite acts as an infection carrier. Settling under the skin, she begins to make subcutaneous courses and lay eggs there. A few days later the eggs turn into larvae. In this form they will stay a week and a half, after they turn into an adult.
The disease is extremely contagious, its incubation period lasts up to 14 days. Enough of a fleeting touch of the skin affected by scabies man - and you can get infected, and scabies treatment is long and unpleasant.
First signs of
Note the first signs of scabies that determine this ailment. If this symptom is found, any dermatologist with absolute certainty will establish an accurate diagnosis:
The appearance of itch moves - they look like a small whitish strip up to 1 cm in length. Most often, the channels laid by ticks are located on the abdomen, buttocks, feet, in the axillary region,on the palms and folds of the elbow fold. Anxistent itching, worse at night. This is due to the increased activity of the female in the evening. Rashes and characteristic itching appeared in other members of the family after direct contact with the infected person.
In children, scabies occur in a much heavier form than in adults. When diagnosing scabies, treating a child often involves removing parasites from all areas of the skin, including the face and scalp.
Symptoms of scabies
The incubation period of scabies has a duration of 10-14 days. After this time, the mite larvae reach the state of adult individuals and begin to multiply. But when a person has the first symptoms of scabies after infection - it's hard to predict. This affects the age of the mites that have got into the body and the speed of their spreading through the skin.
For itching, itching is characteristic, which is worse at night, as well as paired nodular-bubble rashes( see photo).Scabrous strokes outwardly resemble thin, slightly protruding above the surface of the skin, strips that can go zigzagging and straight. Usually the scabies tick ends with a white and transparent bubble, in which you can see the body of the tick( white dot).In rare cases, itch can not be detected( this is called scabies without strokes).
The most popular places for the defeat of the scabies are the interdigital space, the abdomen, the lateral parts of the trunk, the elbows, the area of the mammary glands, the buttocks, the genitals, predominantly in men.
How does scabies look like: photos
We offer detailed photos to view exactly how scabies look in a person, and what symptoms it leaves on the skin in the initial stage.
Diagnostics
In principle, for accurate diagnosis of scabies is enough and just a visual inspection. However, it sometimes requires microscopic confirmation that all symptoms are caused by a mite. To test for a damaged area of the skin, a drop of petroleum jelly is applied and then a scraping is performed. In the study of scrapes, either parasites themselves, or their products of vital activity, eggs and excreta are found.
Treatment of scabies in humans
Spontaneous scabies never go away and can take many months and years, sometimes exacerbating. To heal a patient with scabies, it is enough to destroy the tick and its eggs, which is easily achieved by using local remedies. Do not self-medicate, and do not use folk remedies. A number of effective drugs have been developed to combat this disease. Address to the dermatologist, and to you the adequate therapy will be appointed.
In general, the following preparations are used to treat scabies at home:
- Benzyl benzoate .With ointment or water-soap suspension, the skin is treated for 2-5 days.
- Spreagel .Spray the affected skin is treated for 3 days, if necessary, the course of treatment is repeated after 10 days.
- Sulfur Ointment .Once a day, before going to bed for 5-7 days, the ointment is rubbed into the affected areas of the skin.
- Permethrin .With a cotton swab, the affected areas are lubricated, the duration of treatment is 3 days.
- Lindane .Lotion lubricates all skin, the drug is left for 6 hours, applied once.
- Crotamiton .Affected surfaces are cream lubricated 2 times a day for two days.
- Ivermectin .Damaged areas of the skin are treated with ointment once, if necessary, the treatment is repeated after 14 days.
How to treat scabies effectively? Also, to achieve the best results at home, the following rules must be observed:
- When diagnosed with scabies, all members of the identified foci( family, children's group) are treated.
- During treatment of scabies, patients should not wash themselves and change bed linens.
- Clothing and other items with which the patient is in contact are disinfected.
- The remedy for scabies is applied to the entire body, not just to the affected areas.
Ointment from scabies should be rubbed into the skin with extreme care, avoiding the face and hair on the head. More attention should be paid to the space between the fingers and hands. The greatest localization of mites is in these places. Scabies in children can develop into a purulent infection, so children are treated with both face and hair on the head. Make sure that the remedy for scabies does not get into the mouth and the eyes of the child: this is important!
Forecast for treatment of scabies favorable: if you determine the disease and organize therapy on time, then 100% of patients are cured.
Spregal
Aerosol preparations for the treatment of scabies are more simple to apply and their volume is sufficient to treat the patient and contact persons. Reviews of people about the disease of scabies claim that it is treated quite effectively Spragal aerosol. It is sprayed 20-30 cm from the skin, leaving no free areas, after 12 hours, sanitizing the body and epido-shaga. One application is sufficient, but with complicated forms of scabies the procedure is recommended to be repeated.
Benzyl benzoate
Effective, inexpensive and powerful remedy for scabies. The duration of therapy is determined by the doctor depending on the severity of the disease. The minimum course is 2-3 days, on the recommendation of a dermatologist, repeat the treatment.
Children need 10% of the drug, adults - 20% ointment. Before applying the product, wash well, put on clean clothes. Before using the ointment is to know that it causes very severe burning of the skin for 10-15 minutes, so do not apply too much of the drug at a time.
During pregnancy and lactation, the use of benzyl benzoate is prohibited.
Sulfur ointment( 5-10%).
Currently in developed countries is no longer used because of unpleasant odor, coloring clothes, irritating effects on the skin and mucous membranes, percutaneous absorption with potential effects on the kidneys. However, in Africa and the poorest countries, South. America sulfuric ointment is still used because of its cheapness.
Until now, sulfuric ointment is prescribed in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Scheme of application: adults 20% concentration, children - 10%, ointment rub all over the skin every night for 5-7 days. On the sixth or eighth day the patient washes and changes bed linen and bed linen.