Last updated December 4, 2020
It’s not just corona that’s worrying doctors these days. The rise of scabies is extreme this year, but it’s getting little attention. Do you know what the symptoms of scabies are, if it’s contagious, and how you can treat it? Learn more about scabies and what to do.
What is scabies?
Scabies is a skin disease caused by a scabies mite that burrows tunnels in the skin and lays eggs. Typical symptoms are sudden, bothersome itching, which is most intense at night.
Itching and rash appear 4-6 weeks after the mite has been transmitted and are an allergic reaction. Most often, the itching worsens at night when you are in the warmth of bed, and you can actually see the superficial tunnels with the naked eye.
How scabies is transmitted
Scabies can be transmitted through direct skin contact and sexual contact. The transmission of scabies can also occur through indirect contact with bedding, towels, and clothing if the person with scabies has recently used them. The latter case is fortunately much rarer.
Scabies infection has no connection with personal hygiene but is more often transmitted to people you are in close contact with. Usually, skin contact must have lasted for a full 15 minutes for scabies transmission to occur, so handshakes and similar are normally not enough.
Scabies does not go away on its own
Symptoms of scabies
One can have had scabies for a longer period before symptoms appear. Therefore, you should see a doctor as soon as you suspect you have scabies based on the symptoms:
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First and foremost, scabies causes intense itching where the mite is located, but eventually, the itching can spread to larger parts of the body. The itching will be most intense at night and on sweaty skin.
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If you have never been infected with scabies before, it can take up to two months for scabies to cause itching, but if you have had it before, the itching will often come quickly. So if you haven’t had it before, you should also be observant of several of the other symptoms.
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Other symptoms you should be aware of are a red rash in the form of bumps and blisters. Often we see that this starts in the hands before it spreads.
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The scabies burrows, which resemble a thin pencil line and are only a couple of mm long, are visible, and you will be able to see the mite as a black or brown dot at the end. Often you will find the mite around the wrist and between the fingers, but it can also be found around the penis, nipples, and on the feet.
Remember that getting scabies is not dangerous, but it requires treatment to remove it. Infection most commonly occurs among young adults but is also seen in children and the elderly. Contact a doctor if you suspect you are infected with scabies!
How scabies is treated
Scabies infection is treated with a cream prescribed by a doctor. In addition to the sick person, all family members and close contacts should be treated, even if they do not have itching, rash, or other signs of infection. The treatment should be done simultaneously for everyone. Even if the treatment is successful, the itching can persist for up to four to six weeks. A cortisone ointment can alleviate this itching.
The risk of infection ceases quickly with treatment. Children can therefore go to school/kindergarten the day after treatment has started.
Treatment of scabies at Eyr
Do you suspect that you are infected with scabies? Contact a doctor at Eyr, and we will help you with the treatment.
If Nix/Permitrin treatment is not effective, you can be treated with another medicine that is available as tablets and on a blue prescription.