Scabies is a skin disease caused by a scabies mite. It is accompanied by severe itching, a person constantly combes the skin, which is why it bears such a name. It is believed that the disease has a cyclical nature associated with unsanitary conditions during wars, devastation and famine. But the disease is widespread even now. According to statistics, at the end of the 20th century, up to 5% of the world's population suffered from scabies. Methods of infection, a description of the symptoms and treatment of scabies with medicinal and folk remedies will be described in this article.
Scabies mite
In 1834, a description was made of the appearance and life cycle of a small microorganism called scabies mite. It exists in the upper layer of the human epidermis, and the life cycle is thirty days. It can only be examined under a microscope. In appearance, it looks like a turtle. The elongated body of the parasite is covered with many scales and growths.
He has four pairs of limbs: two are located in front, and the rest are in the middle of the trunk. They have a proboscis with a suction cup and nails for making moves under the dermis. The mouth opening is located in front. Females are twice as large as males in size; their length reaches 0.5 mm. They have a cream, yellow or grayish color, males are darker. Tick saliva contains an enzyme that dissolves skin keratin. As a result, a lysate is formed, which serves as a food for the parasite. The main move for laying eggs is made by the female, the additional ones are males, in which they live.
Life cycle
The itch habitat itch selects skin that is easy to penetrate. Getting on the dermis, it goes through the following stages of the life cycle:
- Mating of parasites occurs on the surface of the skin, after which the males die and the females return. A person does not feel a tick bite and does not suspect infection.
- Making moves in the stratum corneum of the dermis, parasites lay up to three eggs daily.
- After four days, larvae appear that turn into nymphs and sexually mature individuals. The whole process takes about ten days.
- The human body tries to fight the pathogenic flora, so only 10% of the offspring survive. Without appropriate treatment, the colony of parasites is rapidly expanding.
- Infection occurs only by fertilized females. A sick person should be isolated so that no epidemic occurs.
Ways of infection with scabies
In the environment, scabies mite can exist for a long time. Both adults and children are capable of getting sick, especially with weakened immunity. The following pathways of transmission of a pathogenic microorganism to the dermis of an individual are known:
- from a patient with close contact - sexual, hugs, handshakes, staying in the same bed during sleep;
- household - with the common use of door handles, railings, bedding, mattresses, clothes, toys.
However, some experts have the opinion that it is impossible to get infected through the domestic way. The itch mite can be found on animals for a short time, so the infection can also pass from them, although such a route of infection with scabies is extremely rare.
Types of disease
The main forms of manifestation of scabies are as follows:
- Classic or typical. The itch mite affects only certain places on the body. In this form, these are: elbow and knee bends, axillary zones, inguinal folds, spaces between the fingers. With weak immunity, it is possible to involve the entire surface of the skin in the pathological process. It should be noted that on the face in adults there is never a trace of the appearance of a tick.
- Atypical. It is characteristic of people with strong immunity, which limits the reproduction of ticks, thereby reducing their numbers. The disease proceeds with erased symptoms. A characteristic rash with scabies appears only in closed areas of the body and is characterized by small rashes. In medical circles, this form is called clean scabies. The disease passes in a latent form due to the observance of hygiene rules. The pathways of itching are barely noticeable, there is a mild itching.
- Nodular. Due to the individual reaction of the body to the parasite's vital products: saliva, egg shells, feces, allocation of itching glands, pronounced symptoms develop. This may be due to late diagnosis and severely advanced scabies.
- Norwegian It is a rare manifestation of the disease and is associated with a weakened immune system. People with HIV infection, alcoholics, depleted patients and those receiving immunosuppressive drugs, as well as those with congenital and acquired immunodeficiency conditions, are usually ill. The disease is very contagious, as it contains a large concentration of the tick on the surface of the crusts.
It should be noted that scabies in children are different than in adults. With the disease, all areas of the skin are affected, even the face, head and nail plates.
Common symptoms
How does scabies begin? When the pathogen enters the human dermis, typical signs of the disease do not appear immediately. The duration of the incubation period is from 3 to 14 days. With a careful examination of the skin, at first the entry points of the itch are noticeable, then with the onset of laying the eggs the clinical picture grows. The following factors should be noted:
- Allergic manifestations. The patient complains of tearing, runny nose, rash of spots on the body, swelling of the skin, burning and itching.
- Digestive upset. There is nausea, abdominal pain, which is paroxysmal in nature, vomiting is possible.
- Scabies moves. What does man scabies look like? On the damaged areas of the dermis, thin lines of gray or white hue appear, which differ well from the general skin color and are visible to the naked eye. In one hole there are eight channels, the length of which is up to three centimeters. They appear on the buttocks, between the fingers, the front of the abdomen, in the armpits and groin, on the elbows, wrists, forearms, feet, and external genitalia.
- Body temperature. Perhaps its increase above 37 degrees.
- Sores on the surface of the head. This symptom is characteristic only for children. The tick makes its way into the scalp, leaving wounds from the bite, which are covered with a crust. They itch, especially at night and bleed when combed.
What does man scabies look like? Rashes characteristic of the disease appear on the dermis - small cavities filled with fluid. Without appropriate treatment, pustules and cracks form in their place, and subsequently ulcers. On their surface, crusts form, which cause severe itching, causing severe discomfort.
Symptoms of various forms of scabies
Each form has its own characteristic features.
With a typical or classic, the following appear:
- scabies in the form of whitish lines on the skin;
- flaky areas of the dermis;
- you may notice a scabies mite in the form of a black dot at the end of the turn;
- itching, which intensifies at night;
- combing is infected with microorganisms located on the surface of the skin.
The atypical form is characterized by:
- a small number of small pimples on the stomach and chest;
- lack of pronounced manifestations;
- itching is present only at night.
The disease is difficult to diagnose, which contributes to the infection of a large number of people.
When nodular scabies is observed:
- the manifestation of scabies on the abdomen, in the inguinal and axillary folds, the inner thighs, buttocks in the form of nodules of red-brown color;
- severe itching;
- finding rashes over scabby passages.
The nodular form of scabies is difficult to treat. The dried crusts prevent the penetration of drugs to the focus. In this case, systemic pharmacological agents are used.
What does Norwegian or cortical scabies look like and how does it manifest? This species is characterized by:
- thick crusts of dirty gray color on large areas of affected skin;
- yellow dermis located under the crusts;
- damage to the nail plates, their fragility and delamination;
- pathology of the scalp, discoloration to gray-ash, dryness and brittle hair;
- thickening of the skin layer on the palms and soles.
The occurrence of scabies in various clinical forms makes diagnosis difficult, and this leads to late treatment and the occurrence of various complications.
Diagnosis of the disease
To establish a diagnosis:
- a conversation with the patient, the doctor listens to the patient's complaints;
- inspection of damaged areas of the body. In some cases, with pronounced symptoms, it is enough to look at how scabies looks to make a diagnosis.
In addition, they do additional laboratory tests:
- tick extracted from the course;
- a cut of the stratum corneum of the skin in the area of the scabies;
- scraping of the layers of the epidermis in the region of the blind end of the course;
- prepare the skin with an alkaline solution in the damaged area.
To detect the moves using alcohol tincture of iodine. In this case, the passages acquire a dark shade and are clearly visible. With the correct diagnosis of scabies, a course of therapy is prescribed, which in most cases ends with the patient's complete recovery.
Basic principles for treating scabies
- If several patients are identified in the focus, their treatment is carried out simultaneously.
- Re-infection may occur from diseased individuals, but without symptoms. In this case, all healthy people surrounding the patient undergo a single treatment in order to prevent an effective remedy against scabies.
- Self-medication is not allowed. Incorrect actions lead to a chronic form of the disease or can cause drug dermatitis.
Diagnosed with scabies: what to do? How to treat at home?
- Strictly follow all the instructions of the doctor.
- Before using medicines, take a warm shower with soap and a washcloth. Part of the parasites will be washed off with water, the skin will soften, which will facilitate the penetration of drugs into the dermis.
- Apply scabies medicine before bedtime. Ticks are more active at night.
- Rub ointments into dry skin with your hands, liquid means with a sponge, spray aerosols. Lubricate the dermis affected by pustules.
- In adults, with drugs, treat the entire surface of the body, except for the face and scalp. Start rubbing with your hands.
- Make sure that the medicine does not get on the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, mouth and genitals. Otherwise, rinse immediately with running water.
- After each hand wash, the drug should be applied again to eliminate the symptoms of scabies on the fingers.
- The drug for scabies should be on the skin for at least 12 hours.
- After the treatment, take a warm shower, and then wash the body with soap.
- Bed and underwear should be changed before and after the procedure.
- Boil the patient’s personal and bed linen for 10 minutes in a 2% soda solution or soak with chlorine for one hour.
- Ventilate the remaining things in the air for five days or keep them in the cold for one day.
For processing outerwear, blankets, pillows, mattresses, upholstered furniture, you can use the modern A-Par disinfectant.
Medications for the treatment of scabies
To treat the disease, there are a large number of drugs. We list which ointments from scabies are effective and often used:
- "Benzyl benzoate" has low toxicity, high efficiency. Release form - ointment and emulsion. The active substance penetrates the chitinous membrane of the tick and destroys it, and larvae, but does not affect the tick's eggs. Ten minutes after rubbing the emulsion into the skin, the procedure is repeated. The session is carried out every three days. When treating with ointment, they rub it once a day, the course lasts five days. Do not use for children under three years of age, pregnant and lactating women.
- Permethrin ointment. The drug is not toxic. After its use, the death of ticks occurs, the growth and development of larvae ceases. The ointment is applied once. If necessary, the treatment is repeated after ten days. Ointment is not recommended for children under three years of age and women, pregnant and lactating.
- Crotamiton. The substance accumulates in the body of the itch mite and destroys it, eliminates itching with scabies for up to six hours. Not recommended for children under 12 years old, people with dermatitis, can not be applied to bleeding surfaces. Available in gel form.
- "Lindane." The active substance is poison for adult ticks and larvae. For adults and children over ten years of age, the drug is rubbed in the evening, washed off in the morning. The procedure is done for three days in a row. You should not take a hot bath and carry out the procedure in a hot room. Form release emulsion. Side effects are rare.
All preparations for scabies have detailed instructions for use.
Scabies in children
Manifestations of the disease in children in connection with the characteristics of the body and the structure of the dermis look different than in adults. So, at an early age, rashes appear on the face and scalp, which does not happen in adults. Often confused with manifestations of weeping eczema. And in newborns, scabies is often mistaken for urticaria. Only with time, blisters with blood crusts appear at the rash site. In children up to the age of three, in addition to rashes all over the body, nail plates are included in the pathological process, which loosen and crumble, forming cracks. A likely sign of the manifestation of the disease is considered to be an increase in itching in the evening and at night, as well as rashes in the interdigital spaces, in the elbows, on the buttocks, genitals, armpits. What scabies looks like and what areas are affected in the first place, every parent should know.
The diagnosis is confirmed if antihistamines do not have any effect, and similar symptoms appear in other family members. Parents should be careful in case of any skin rashes and immediately consult a doctor to prevent serious complications.
How to recognize scabies?
An unpleasant disease caused by the scabies tick exists to this day. Its carrier is a sick person, so you can get infected mainly from the carrier of the infection with close contact. A mature mite individual gnaws a hole in the dermis and enters the epidermis. There, making moves, she lives and multiplies. It is worth noting that the favorite places for the existence of itching are the mammary glands, inguinal folds, elbow folds, wrists, palms, folds between the fingers, feet, and hips. In young children, it can affect the scalp, face and area under the nails. How to distinguish scabies from other skin diseases? There are several characteristic signs of this disease:
- The manifestation of intolerable itching of the skin, which intensifies in the evening. This is because tick activation occurs at night. He begins to secrete waste products, in response to a person an allergic reaction occurs. The strength of the itch depends on the individual characteristics of the body and the number of parasites.
- Scabies on the skin look like thin twisting strips up to one and a half centimeters, ending with a small black dot - a female tick. When carefully examined, they are visible to the naked eye. Old passages turn into small flaky cracks. It looks like scabies, you can see in the photo.
- In children, the rash appears in atypical places: head, face. The condition of the nail plates worsens, cracks and delamination occur.
At the slightest sign of scabies, it is urgent to contact a dermatologist, pass a skin scraping for microscopic analysis. Only a doctor will prescribe the correct treatment.
Treatment of scabies folk remedies
Before using folk remedies, as with medical treatment, they do preparatory work: the patient takes a shower, changes and conducts appropriate treatment of bed and underwear. Folk remedies are not recommended to be used on their own without consulting a doctor. Here are some popular recipes for treating signs of scabies and treating the disease:
- Bay leaf and celandine. Mix dry raw materials crushed into dust with equal amounts of butter or grated pork fat. Apply to skin before bedtime. Repeat treatment up to 6 times.
- Birch tar. It is applied to the body and held without rinsing for three hours. Tar prescriptions have been used to treat skin diseases since time immemorial.
- Laundry soap, onions, garlic. , , . .
- . .
Recipes are simply prepared and do not require skills when using. You should not use traditional medicine methods without the use of medications for scabies.
How to protect yourself from scabies?
To prevent this unpleasant disease, it is enough to follow the elementary rules:
- Personal hygiene can prevent many diseases. The simplest thing is to wash your hands as often as possible. An itch mite when it enters the body does not penetrate the skin immediately. It can be washed off with water.
- Do not have casual sexual intercourse. In this case, a condom will not help. The most dangerous period of transmission is evening and night.
- Do not use another person’s bedding or personal items. Caution should be given to sleeping accessories for tourists if they are rented. In any case, it is desirable to have personal items for use.
It should be remembered that a person who has had scabies does not have immunity and can be infected again. If one of the family members becomes ill, the rest must undergo a single treatment of the dermis with tick remedies. In this case, all personal belongings and premises are disinfected. Everyone should know how scabies begins in order to see a doctor in time and immediately begin treatment.