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Scabies
These lectures are not meant to replace your physician and are simply provided as
a free educational service to all our visitors. If you feel that you have a
skin problem, please see your doctor.
WHAT IS IT?
Scabies is a highly contagious skin disease due to a tiny insect-like creature
called the ITCH MITE. This mite crawls under the top layer of the skin of the
infected person. The presence of this crawling mite under the skin, the waste
products of this creature, and the eggs it lays under the skin cause severe
itching ... particularly at night.
After a few weeks of the disease, an allergy to the MITE or its eggs and waste
products develops leading to a rash with itching all over the body. The itching
of scabies is among the most severe of any skin disorder.
The rash is seen between the fingers, at the wrists, the sides of the arms and
legs, near the armpits, around the nipples, belly button and the area of the
genitals.
DIAGNOSIS
THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS OF SCABIES IS TO OBTAIN SKIN
SCRAPINGS, EXAMINE THEM MICROSCOPICALLY, AND IDENTIFY THE PRESENCE OF MITES,
EGGS, OR THE FECES OF THE ORGANISM. THIS IS A REQUIREMENT BEFORE TREATING WITH
SCABICIDES WHICH ARE TOXIC CHEMICALS!
1. SCABICIDES (MITE Killing Chemicals) are agents which are applied to the
entire skin surface to kill the ITCH MITE and its eggs. These agents are not
for the "RASH" you have, but to kill the creature under your skin that is
causing the rash. Using it on the area of the rash alone to "SOOTHE" the
itching skin is not effective and even dangerous.
2. Because your own clothing and bed clothing can hide the mite and its eggs,
you can easily be reinfected from these sources. ALL such clothing MUST be
laundered in HOT water and IRONED. Dry cleaning fluids also are effective in
sterilizing garments which need to be cleaned by that method.
3. ANY PERSON with whom you have had close personal contact could also be
infected and will need to be treated with the scabicide or they could reinfect
you over and over again.
Anytime severe itching persists, use a product that is formulated in a
soothing, emollient base, such as Sarna Lotion - an excellent anti-itch lotion
that will provide immediate relief of itchy skin. Sarna contains 0.5% each of
camphor and menthol to provide the immediate sensation of a cool anti itch
lotion. In those conditions that are characterized by chronic and recurrent
itchy skin, Sarna Lotion provides the relief to calm the irritating and
antagonizing symptom of itch.
For more on Common Skin Disorders,
click here.
For more topics, click here.
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