What is it?
Scabies is an itchy skin condition caused by a tiny burrowing mite called Sarcoptes scabiei. It is an STD.
Signs & Symptoms
- Very itchy skin caused by tiny mites that burrow into skin
- Severe itching that gets worse at night
- A rash with blisters and sores
- Children have very bad skin reactions
- For first time, it will take several weeks for itching and skin sores
- People who have had scabies before will start symptoms in a few days
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Prevention
- Do not have close skin to skin contact with someone who has scabies
- Do not touch a person who has scabies' personal items
- Rooms used by a person with scabies should be thoroughly cleaned and vacuumed after use
- Any household member or anyone who has had contact with a person who has scabies should be treated right away
- Practice good hygiene, bathe/shower often
- Sexually active teens are at a very high risk of scabies because of frequent skin-skin contact
Treatments
- Products used to treat scabies are called scabicides and are only available with a doctor's prescription
- No non-prescription products have been tested and approved to treat scabies
- Scabicide lotion or cream should be added to all parts of the body from head to toe
- If itching still is present more than 2 to 4 weeks after treatment or if new burrows or pimple-like rashes continue to appear, re-treatment may be necessary
- In some cases, the doctor may give you pills to take
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Where You Could Get Help
- Go to a doctor as soon as symptoms occur
- Call your doctor or dermatologist any time you have a skin itch that will not go away, especially if the itch is worse at night and seems to center around the wrists or the webbed part of the fingers
- Make an appointment at the Waterbury Planned Parenthood Center. Address is 969 W Main Street Waterbury, CT 06708
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Interesting Facts
- If your doctor suspects you have scabies, he may scrape a small part of the affected skin and examine it under a microscope for signs of scabies
- Scabies mites love the areas between the fingers
- The tiny mites are called Sarcoptes scabiei
- The mites are very small, eight-legged parasites
- About 300 million people contract scabies each year
- It is not exclusive to sexual contact
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More Info
- http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/skin_rashes/scabies.html
- http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/scabies/
- http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/scabies-topic-overview
- http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/stds-hiv-safer-sex/scabies-4280.htm
- http://www.std-gov.org/stds/scabies.htm
- http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/scabies/DS00451
