Home Remedies For Scabies

Lots of people are of the opinion that using insecticides directly on the skin to get rid of scabies is neither safe nor effective for treating scabies.

When children are involved, this argument is even more legitimate for the circumstances involved. Scabies is a highly contagious affliction of the skin, and is caused by bug known as Sarcoptes Scabei. The bug burrows tunnels into the human skin where it lives and breeds. This is the cause of the intense itching experienced by sufferers. Scabies is known to spread very quickly especially in close communities such as families. Knowing how to quickly eliminate scabies definitely helps to prevent the condition from spreading to others in the family.

It is actually a very good idea to treat the entire family once a case of scabies has been confirmed. Itching is one of the main symptoms of scabies, and it tends to be worse in the evenings. A close examination of the skin can actually reveal white marks on the skin which mark the burrows that the scabies mites live in. Excessive scratching to relieve the itching could result in blisters on the skin.

Although scabies can infect all parts of the body, the most common areas tend to be the hands, feet, waist, fingers, genitals, elbows and buttocks. Scabies generally tend to prefer warm and moist areas of the body. The mite themselves are microscopic and cannot be seen with the naked eyes. It is the female mites that actually burrow under the skin surface to create tunnels where they can lay their eggs.

It takes up to four weeks for the eggs to mature and hatch. When the eggs hatch, the baby mites crawl to the surface of the skin, making new burrows as they move to other parts of the host body. Inspite of the fact that results from the use of insecticide are promising, there are known to be issues with the safety. Permethrin is actually the most popular of all the lotions that can be prescribed for scabies. It also causes itching and burning on the skin. Luckilt this does not last for very long. The chemical, Pyrethrum from which the lotion is derived is suspected to be a carcinogen. If this is the case, then it has to be very unsafe to use the lotion. Another popular chemical used is Lindane. It is heavily associated with leukaemia, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and seizures. Its use has now been banned in at least forty countries world-wide. Malathion is another insecticide that is actively used.

There have been reports of breathing difficulties, headaches and nausea from the use of Malathion. A home remedy that is known to work quite well is Tea Tree Oil. With this there is no need whatsoever for the use of insecticides. Tea Tree Oil has antiseptic properties, and is very popular for treating a wide range of skin conditions. Treating scabies requires twenty drops of oil that are placed in an average sized bath that is filled with warm water. The patient can then soak in the bath for twenty minutes. This will help kill the scabies mites and the antiseptic properties of the oil will help to soothe the scratched skin. This can be done once or twice daily for as long as week. The number one priority will always be to get rid of scabies as effectively and quickly as possible.