How to treat skin scabies at home? know its symptoms, causes, and precautions

Skin Scabies: Causes, symptoms, precautions, FAQs, and home treatments

Scabies might appear to you to be a strange disease. However, it is observed in most adults in summer due to direct contact with the infected person. Generally, humans catch scabies from animals. In most of the cases, scabies remains incurable even after several visits to the doctor. So let us learn more about scabies and its home treatment in detail in the following article- 

Scabies on skin is a contagious skin problem that is caused by a mite Sarcoptes Scabiei. At a global level, it is estimated that more than 200 million (as per who.int data) people are affected by Scabies at any single instance. An average of 5 to 10 percent of affected people is children. The most common symptoms of scabies include itchiness and pimple-like rashes. This microscopic mite burrows into the skin layer(s) and lays eggs which result in visible small bumps. Scabies can be transmitted to another person through direct skin contact. Fortunately, there are home remedies available for the scabies that are observed at the early stage. These home treatments surely can give you relief from rashes and itching. If you are diagnosed with severe scabies, Ghar ka Baidya highly recommends you to visit the competent skin dermatologist for effective treatment.

What is Sarcoptes Scabiei?

Sarcoptes Scabiei

Scabies mites burrow into the upper layers i.e. epidermis where adult females lay their eggs. Eggs are generally hatched after 3 to 4 days and within 1-2 weeks, these mites develop as adults. After 4 to 6 weeks of contact with scabies, the patient develops an allergic reaction to the mite’s faeces and mite proteins in buried scabies causes severe itching and skin rash.  A general/ initial level of scabies infection starts with 10-15 mites.

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How to identify that you are infected with Scabies?

Scabies symptoms are developed due to irritation towards the mites. These include-

• Itching: The most common symptom is severe itching on the affected skin area generally where skin rashes are observed. The itching gets worse at night due to body heating and its regulation throughout the body.
• Skin Rashes: These are superficial burrows of scabies that occur mainly on fingers-web, back, armpits, waist and genitals.
• Skin Bumps: The mite creates raised lumps on the skin that appear similar to cystic acne.
• Crusted/Norwegian Scabies: This is a severe form of scabies that affects elderly or develops in those who have weak immune systems.  such as HIV/Aids or cancer patients. In this type of scabies, the infected person develops scaly rashes, itching and thick crusts of skin that can have up to 2 million mites.

How are scabies transmitted?

Scabies is contagious and it is transmitted through close skin contact with the infected person. The risk is much higher in case of skin contact of the person that has crusted scabies. It can also be spread through sharing of clothes, bedding, towels etc. of the infected person.

Therefore, to stay safe from scabies infection, a person must keep proper hygiene and stay away from the infected person and his personal belongings.

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How to prevent Scabies? 

• The best way to prevent getting scabies is to avoid close skin contact with the infested person. 
• As these mites can survive for 3-4 days on any surface therefore do not touch any unwashed clothing(s) or bed sheet(s) of the infected person. 
• Wash all your personal pillows, bed sheet(s), towel(s) and clothes in hot water.
• If you are infected with scabies then do not scratch any skin part with bare hands. 

What are the home remedies to treat scabies at home?

Camphor & Coconut Oil Remedy

This treatment is very useful for curing skin rashes and skin itching. Now, don’t worry, we will tell you how to use these substances to treat skin scabies. Follow the steps given below-

• Take 100 grams of coconut oil.
• Add 5 grams of camphor in the coconut oil.
• Store this mixture in a glass container. 
• Shake it well and keep under the sun for some time so that camphor can dissolve in the coconut oil soon.
• Massage this oil daily on the affected areas before 1 hour of bathing.
• In case of full body itching, pour 10 drops of this oil in your bathtub / bucket of water. 

Neem Leaves and Black Pepper Remedy

This remedy will purify your blood which automatically eliminates itching because bloody contains hormones that helps in treating scabies and promotes healing from the skin damages caused by scabies. For this remedy, simply just follow the below steps-

• Take some fresh neem leaves.
• Add some black pepper in it as per your skin tolerance; Initially the quantity of black pepper should be at moderate level
• Grind both in mixture or on stones and then boil this mixture in water; water should be added in proportionate quantity. 
• Drink this solution / mixture / remedy daily; for better results, consume it twice a day generally in Morning + Evening.

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FAQs

Q. Is scabies an STD?

No! Scabies is not a STD but it spreads by direct skin to skin contact for a prolonged period with an infected person. STDs (Sexually transmitted diseases) are caused by unsafe & frequent sexual contact. Scabies are not observed on the men or women's genitals. Hence, scabies are not considered as STDs.

Q. How long does scabies last?

Scabies can last for a long time unpredictably. However, it is curable. There are so many patients who are recovered from this skin disease. After constant treatment, scabies mites can be killed but the skin marks may remain for some weeks normally 1 to 2 weeks. In severe cases, they may take up to one month to vanish permanently.

Q. How dangerous is scabies if not treated?

Scabies infections can be compounded by mites’ regeneration, which can lead to the development of skin sores. It can cause serious complications such as septicemia, heart disease, and chronic renal disease as well. If it is not treated at an early stage, it may take the form of other skin diseases. 

Q. How long does it take for scabies treatment?

The time period of full recovery cannot be predicted. It varies from person to person. The ultimate solution to this problem is human immunity. Therefore, it depends upon your body’s immunity. Hence, body immunity determines the overall time to heal from scabies completely.

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Q. Will hand sanitizers kill scabies?

Alcohol Sanitizers are effective for eliminating bacteria and viruses as we have seen in COVID-19 scenario. However, as per a research, it does not diminish the vitality of scabies nor prevents it from spreading further. If you are applying hand sanitizer on the affected area, you may feel relief for some time; but scabies come up and become more aggressive around the affected area. Scabies become resistant to any chemical that is applied on the affected area. So, it is recommended not to apply any chemical solution without the proper prescription of the skin doctor.

Q. How are scabies diagnosed?

Scabies is diagnosed by identifying the mite, mite eggs, or feces. This can be accomplished by delicately extracting the mite from the end of its burrow with the tip of a needle or getting a skin scraping to inspect for mites, eggs, or mite fecal matter under a microscopic investigation.

Q. Why is Scabies itch used to happen in night specially?

The itching increases more during the night because body temperature becomes warmer at that time. This happens due to a natural body mechanism known as nocturnal crescendo.

Q. Should a person with scabies be isolated?

Yes, the person infected with scabies must remain isolated if he has severe rashes or itching. In normal cases of scabies, the person can stay with others but a considerable physical distance.

Q. Is scabies a viral or bacterial disease?

Sarcoptes scabiei var hominis is the parasite that causes human scabies. The small mite burrows into the skin and lays eggs, provoking an immunological reaction in the host that causes severe itching and redness. So, it is a bacterial disease.

Q. Does bleach kill scabies?

Bleach is a caustic chemical so it can kill mites. But it should always be diluted and handled with caution. It has the potential to harm a person's skin, eyes, and lungs. One must not cure scabies with it. Always consult a doctor before applying any cream or dust on the infected area. 

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Ghar ka Baidya is dedicated to provide you all skin and hair related full information with side-effect free home-remedies that are suggested by renowned baidyas in Indian context. One should surely adopt these remedies if the disease is at an early stage. Please write to us in the comments if you have any question or query to ask. We will surely get back to you with our research and potential treatment(s).