What is Scabies? What are the symptoms? What causes it? How do you catch it?

What tests will I need? What is the treatment? How long will I take to recover? How can I help myself?

What is Scabies Scabies is a skin infection, caused by itchy little mite, called sarcoptes scabiei . The mite makes tiny little burrows in the skin, and is often unoticed at first. After a few weeks, you develop an allergic reaction to the waste products produced by the mite. An itchy, allergic rash develops, which looks very much like eczema. What are the symptoms? At first you may notice an itchy rash in some of these areas of your body around your wrists between your fingers in your arm pits under your breasts around your waist in your groin around your genital/pubic region around your anus and crease of your bottom behind your knees around your ankles and between your toes If you look closely, you may see little burrows in your skin. These look like little scratch marks, and are difficult to see. As weeks go by, the rash will spread, and may cover most of your body. It looks very much like eczema. The itching is often worse at night. Other members of your family, or close friends, may also have an itchy rash. Here are photos of the scabies rash.

What causes it? sarcoptes scabiei This is the itchy little scabies mite, viewed under a microscope. In real life, it is smaller than a pin head. How do you catch it? You catch scabies from skin contact with another person who is infected with scabies. You can catch it by simply holding hands. If a member of your close family has scabies, it is highly likely that you will catch it from them. You can pass it on to close friends and to lovers. Some people believe you only catch scabies if you are dirty and don't wash. This is not true. Clean people can catch scabies too. What tests will I need? It is sometimes possible to scrape off a scabies mite, and view it under the microscope. However, if the rash has spread, and there are many scratch marks, it may not be possible to find the mites. Sometimes the rash is diagnosed as eczema, because it looks very similar to eczema. You have probably got scabies if the following are true You are not an eczema sufferer but suddenly develop a rash that looks like eczema The rash is very itchy, especially at night The rash is in your skin crease areas eg. between your fingers, inside your wrists, arm pits, groin etc The rash does NOT involve your head or neck and a close friend or family member has also got an itchy rash What is the treatment for scabies? You need to use a lotion or cream which kills the scabies mites. There are many different types of treatment, and you can buy them from the chemist without a prescription. Your pharmacist or doctor can advise on the right treatment for you. It is very important to treat everyone in the house, and any close friends or lovers, even if they are not itching yet. You need to follow the instructions on the packet carefully, but usually you paint the lotion or cream all over your body, from the neck downwards. You leave it on for a period of time, usually 12 hours, and then wash it off. Pregnant women and young children may need different treatment, and you should discuss this with a doctor or pharmacist. How long will I take to recover? The treatment, applied correctly, will kill the mite within a few hours. Unfortunately, your body will still react to the dead products of the mite, and the itchy rash will continue for three or four weeks after you have used the treatment. How can I help myself? Make sure you tell your close family, and any close friends or lovers, about scabies. It is very important that everyone who may be infected uses the correct treatment. If not, you may catch scabies and the itching will start all over again. After you have used the correct treatment, you may need to use anti-itching creams, or anti-histamine tablets, to calm down the itching until the rash eventually disappears. This information leaflet was written by a Brtitish GP, May 1997. It is correct and accurate to the best of my knowledge. If you have a problem that needs medical attention, please consult your own doctor. Return to The Little Surgery information leaflets page. All comments, compliments and complaints to the web-weaver Dr Ruth Livingstone at ruth.livingstone@ukonline.co.uk