Home Remedies For Scabies

What is scabies? That is a question anyone who wants to know how to cure scabies would like answered. Scabies is an itchy condition caused by a microscopic mite called Sarcoptes scabiei. The mite is smaller than a pinhead and is able to survive for up to twenty-four hours at room temperature outside the human body. Mites dig into the outer layer of the skin, and then lay eggs there which hatch in about four days. The newly born mites are called larvae and they burrow their way to other parts of the skin where they in turn lay their own eggs.

Scabies is not caused by poor hygiene as was once commonly thought by some people. The fact is that anybody can get scabies by coming into bodily contact with someone who is already infected. What are the symptoms of scabies? Scabies results in severe itching particularly in the evenings as people lie in bed under blankets for warmth. Fingers, wrists, elbows, armpits, thighs, buttocks and groins are some of the areas that scabies tend to afflict quite often. Other parts of the body are susceptible too, but these are the main ones. Mites burrow into the skin most especially the areas around the feet, hands and male genitalia. Adults don’t usually suffer from scabies above the neck, although infants and young children are known to be vulnerable to scabies in the neck and head.

An allergic reaction to the mites is what causes the intense itching, and it results in rashes and raised spots that are red in color. How do you treat scabies? Skin lotions such as permethrin, crotamiton and lindane are some of the pharmaceutical products used to treat scabies. It is advisable to see a doctor in the first instance. The lotion will have to be applied all over the body from the neck downwards. The itching doesn’t usually stop immediately, so even though the scabies has been eliminated, itching may continue for a while. People that come into close contact with an infected person need to be treated as well, This includes family members, roommates and sexual partners. The best way to prevent re-infection is to wash all clothes, underwear and bed linen with hot water and then dry them at a high temperature.

Then use a vacuum cleaner on the carpets and upholstery. Combs and brushes should also bee thoroughly washed with soap and hot water as well. How do you prevent scabies? If someone around you has scabies, makes sure that you avoid coming into bodily contact with him or her. Also regularly change your clothes and wash them thoroughly. The same thing applies to bed linen and other laundry items. Clothes and other personal items should not be shared in situations where there is a suspected case of scabies. We now know how to cure scabies.