Myths and Urban Legends about Scabies

Posted on June 10, 2010 by admin

Even though scabies is a fairly common skin condition, there are a number of myths, urban legends and misconceptions about it.  It is quite simply, parasitic mites that burrow under the skin, causing an allergic reaction. Unfortunately, many people don’t have a basic understanding of what it is, which can cause them to misdiagnose it, or pursue an improper course of treatment.  Here are some of the common myths about scabies.

Scabies mites are “jumpers:” In this case, it’s possible that scabies mites are being confused with fleas.  In reality, scabies mites cannot jump or fly, and actually move very slowly.  They are still successful in moving from person to person when there is protracted contact, or by living in bedding or upholstery until the next human host comes along.

Only dirty people get scabies: Because cleanliness is so heavily emphasized in the treatment of scabies, some people assume that only those with poor hygiene are at risk of getting scabies.  In reality, even the cleanest people and environments can get scabies if someone carrying it comes into contact with them.  Many people who live in a less than hygienic environment never get scabies, and many who are scrupulously clean get it anyway.  There is no question however, that thorough cleaning is imperative if you want to get rid of scabies mites once someone in your household has contracted them.

Scabies is a sexually transmitted disease:  Although it is entirely possible to get scabies during sexual intercourse, it is not a sexually transmitted disease.  A great many people get it without being involved in sexual activity and children and infants are among the most susceptible. Of course, sexual activity is an ideal time to contract scabies because of protracted close contact. In addition, men can sometimes show scabies symptoms in the genital area, further contributing to the myth that it is sexually transmitted.

You can get scabies from animals: While you might get scabies mites from your dog, they are not the same kind of mites that will burrow under your skin.  You might experience some brief irritation on the surface of your skin, but the mites that live on some animals cannot survive on a human, so you shouldn’t have any longer-term effects.

Once you’ve had scabies, you won’t get it again: Scabies is not at all like chicken pox in this respect.  While a great many people will never have it again if they treat it properly, almost anyone can get it again when exposed to a carrier.  In fact, some are very susceptible and get it over and over again.  This is especially true if not all members of a household are treated, or the environment hasn’t been thoroughly cleaned, so scabies mites can “make the rounds” again.

Permethrin causes a rash on most people:  Permethrin is the most common treatment of scabies.  It is a topical cream that is applied to the whole body from the neck down and washed off after about 8 hours.  This is usually repeated about three times as a course of treatment.  While a few people have experienced an adverse reaction to permethrin, the vast majority of those who use it don’t have any side effects.

Scabies mites are “blood feeders:” Some envision scabies mites as leech-like creatures that suck your blood, but in fact, they stay very close to the surface of your skin.  Most of those affected never experience any bleeding at all, unless they happen to scratch too deeply in response to the itching. Even though scabies mites burrow, they tend to stay on the top layer of skin. Since they are so tiny, they seem to have no need to go deeper.

Adults can’t get scabies above the neck: This myth has probably arisen for two reasons. The first is because treatment with permethrin is specifically for below the neck.  This is not because there can be no scabies infestation above the neck; it is because permethrin can be dangerous if it comes into contact with the eyes, mouth or mucus membranes, so doctors recommend applying it below the neck only just to be safe.  The other reason is that infants are far more likely to have scabies symptoms on their face and scalp than adults are.  Just because it is less likely doesn’t mean that it never happens, however. While adults usually experience symptoms primarily below the neck, a minority has them on the scalp and face and need to use treatments other than permethrin in those areas.

These are just some of the most common myths and misconceptions about scabies.  The more people understand what it really is and what its causes are, the more they can do to prevent it when possible, and successfully treat it. Before acting on information you get from your friends or unreliable sources, check with your doctor.

There are a number of myths and urban legends about scabies. It’s best to talk to your doctor before acting on any of them.

Posted in Methods | Leave a comment

Long-term Effects of Scabies

Posted on June 10, 2010 by admin

Even though scabies can usually be treated effectively and fairly quickly, there are cases when longer-term effects remain.  Because it can be confused with other conditions, or sometimes ignored if not too severe, it might go some time before being treated.  When that is the case, there is a bigger chance of experiencing long term effects.

Direct Effects

Since scabies is caused by the scabies mites burrowing under the skin, itching and irritation are the most common symptoms.  These tend to go away after treatment, but even when it is successful, it can take several weeks.  Some cases that are more severe or those that have been left untreated for too long might take several courses of treatment before being completely resolved.  In these instances, you could experience the itch and irritation for several months after first being diagnosed.

Although they are relatively rare, there are cases where the itching can go on for many months, or even a few years.  Sometimes this is simply the result of treatment not being completed correctly.  Or, it can be a situation where several members of a household are infected and keep passing it back and forth to each other because not everyone has been treated.  Likewise, if the house has not been thoroughly cleaned, the scabies can come back rather quickly, even if treatment has been otherwise effective.

There are also more severe types of scabies, like crusted or Norwegian scabies. These are scabies that cause more damage to the skin and are harder to get rid of. Scabies like this often require several courses of treatment, and sometimes need the attention of several kinds of medication at once, like a topical cream in conjunction with pills.

In some cases, you may not be aware of whom you got the scabies from in the first place, and so risk contracting them again through continued close contact with someone who has remained untreated.

Young children and infants are at particular risk of getting more severe forms of scabies.  Sometimes this manifests itself as a skin condition called acropustulosis, which can take several months to get rid of. Young children are also sometimes less likely to be diagnosed quickly and correctly, which means that eventual treatment will take longer to be effective. They are also more likely to have scabies above the neck, which is relatively rare among adults.

Secondary Effects

As if many months of itching weren’t bad enough, there are cases where scabies can lead to more serious conditions.  Probably the most common is the secondary skin infection.  This usually happens when the infected person scratches constantly, but doesn’t get treated. The scratched areas become increasingly irritated, sometimes turning into open sores. If dirt of any kind gets trapped there, an infection can develop rather rapidly. In cases like this, antibiotics are usually necessary.  Although scabies usually doesn’t result in permanent marking or scarring, an infection can increase the likelihood of this happening. For this reason, it’s especially important to seek treatment, and continue with it until the symptoms are completely gone.

Scabies that are especially severe or hard to get rid of can sometimes be an indicator of a more serious condition.  Many doctors will recommend an HIV if scabies don’t respond well to traditional treatments.  This is because someone with a compromised immune system will have trouble getting rid of even a mild parasitic infestation.  Recurring and severe scabies can indicate other auto immune conditions like lupus, Graves disease, Hashimoto’s Disease, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.  If you have a case of scabies that just doesn’t seem to be going away in spite of following a treatment regime exactly and repeatedly, you may want to discuss testing for some of these other conditions with your doctor.  There is a possibility you might already have some other, mild symptoms that don’t come to your attention until you contract something you can’t easily get rid of.

Unlike many other conditions, scabies doesn’t usually have too many serious long-term effects.  At worst, there are a minority of sufferers who seem to have a lot of trouble getting it to go away for good. Some people simply don’t respond well to traditional treatments, while others may find that they’ve overlooked some other reason for its recurrence.  There are of course, an even smaller number in whom scabies is an indicator of a far more serious condition. Sometimes, if that condition is successfully addressed, the scabies will go away as well.

In short, your best chance at having scabies be a short-lived experience is to get it diagnosed early and get it treated as soon as possible. If you can treat it before it becomes really serious, you stand a much better chance of getting rid of it quickly and permanently. If you follow your treatment regime exactly and do what you need to rid your environment of the scabies as well, you probably will never see it again.

Scabies usually doesn’t have any long term effects, but for a few people, it can be extremely hard to get rid of and may indicate a more serious condition.

Posted in Basics | Leave a comment

How to Prevent Scabies

Posted on June 10, 2010 by admin

Even though generally not a serious condition, there is no doubt that scabies is extremely unpleasant and uncomfortable. For this reason alone, it would seem that prevention would be ideal. Unfortunately, this can be difficult, mostly because it is very difficult to tell who is carrying the scabies mites if they aren’t showing symptoms.  Still, there are a few things you can do to minimize the chances of getting scabies.

Contact with Others

Since scabies is primarily contracted through direct contact with others, avoiding contact with those you think could be carrying it is paramount. Ideally, when someone knows they have scabies, they stay home until their symptoms go away, so they don’t infect others.  In reality however, those getting scabies for the first time may not know they have it for several weeks.  Once the mites start burrowing in your skin, it can take about two weeks for your skin to develop an allergic reaction, so until the itching starts, you may not know that anything is amiss.

If you have reason to believe that you have been exposed to scabies, go to the doctor so you can get tested. A simple skin scraping under a microscope can show scabies mites, even in the early stages of the condition.  Ideally, you can get treated before the itching ever starts.  Unfortunately, very few are aware when they’ve been exposed, so the best you can do is get treatment as soon as you know.

In general, you can do well to avoid very crowded conditions if you don’t want to get scabies.  If courtesy dictates a handshake with someone, don’t worry about that; since scabies mites can’t fly or jump and travel very slowly, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll travel to your hand during a brief handshake.  If you can, avoid sitting or standing around a lot of people, like in elevators or public transportation. Avoid sharing items like towels and hairbrushes.

Scabies is also frequently transmitted between sexual partners, so it’s a good idea to limit the number of those, to decrease the odds of getting it.  In addition, make sure that sexual encounters take place between freshly laundered sheets, and don’t hesitate to wash those sheets frequently. Just be aware that skin-to-skin contact is the easiest way for scabies to spread, and sexual contact helps create those ideal conditions.

Hygiene and Cleanliness

If you live in a house with multiple inhabitants, try to avoid sharing bed sheets, towels and clothes.  Wash all items frequently and in water as hot as you can.  Even though scabies can live and be passed on in very clean homes, you can do everything in your power to make the environment inhospitable to them.

Since you often won’t know if you have scabies until you’ve already had the chance to pass it on, acting quickly can help mitigate the damage.  Once you’ve been diagnosed, make sure that everyone in your household or with who you’ve been in close contact gets treatment as well.  While treatment is going on, be sure to clean your house thoroughly.  Don’t just wash the bedding, towels and clothes.  Steam clean the carpets and upholstery and wash the curtains. Try to think of anywhere a scabies mite would like to hide and clean it. Even though you might get scabies once, quick action can keep you from passing it on, or from ever getting it again.

Probably the most important step you can take in scabies prevention is to act quickly if you suspect you have it.  Some people hesitate to go to the doctor because they are embarrassed, thinking it is considered a sexually transmitted disease, or will be seen as a result of poor hygiene.  The truth is, just about anyone, no matter how clean or well-behaved can get scabies if they unwittingly come into contact with a carrier.  Keep in mind that medical professionals have probably seen many other cases and will not judge you for accidentally contracting something fairly common.

Not seeking treatment only means that you drag out the discomfort and the likelihood that you will pass it on to your loved ones, making the situation more embarrassing and unpleasant in the long run.  If you can get treatment as soon as you spot the symptoms, there is a good chance you will be completely rid of the scabies within a week or two.  If you take the necessary steps to sanitize your surroundings, the chances of spreading diminish substantially.

Aside from avoiding known carriers, you can avoid situations where you will be in close contact with large numbers of people, but the odds are that if you get scabies, you’ll get it from someone close to you.  There is no cause for shame or embarrassment; just be sure to get treated quickly, and hopefully you will not have to deal with scabies again.

It is difficult to prevent getting scabies, but active avoidance of known carriers and quick treatment of symptoms can mitigate the discomfort.

Posted in Methods | Leave a comment