Scabies is a distressing infestation of tiny mites that burrow in the skin. It's important to recognize and treat a scabies infestation early. Find the best treatments recommended by Doctors today, right here.

Scabies is a contagious disease that can be tough to treat. It is caused by a tiny mite that burrows into your skin and deposits eggs. Symptoms of scabies can lead to extremely itchy skin and bacterial infections. But fortunately, there are several different options you can consider to help ease your symptoms. Keep reading to learn more about the signs, symptoms, and treatment options of scabies. 

What are the Symptoms of Scabies?

Scabies is caused by tiny burrowing mites called Sarcoptes scabiei. These mites burrow under the skin and cause intense itching. This itching is often worse at night and progressively worsens as the infestation grows. In the early stages of scabies infection, symptoms may be mistaken for other skin conditions, such as acne and mosquito bites. 

Common symptoms of scabies include:

• Severe itching 
• A red rash that resembles tunnels of tiny blisters on the skin

Scabies are typically found in the skin folds; however, they can appear on almost any body part. In general, scabies is most often found in the following areas of the body:

• On the hands, between the fingers and toes
• Along the insides of the wrists
• In the armpits
• On the waist
• On the chest
• Inside the elbows
• On the soles of the feet
• Around the belly button
• Around the nipples
• In the groin area
• The buttocks
• The genitals

In infants and younger children, scabies usually occurs on the following body parts:

• Palms of hands and fingers
• Face, scalp, and neck
• Soles of the feet

If you've previously had a scabies infection, symptoms typically start much sooner than the first infection (often after a few days of exposure). However, if you've never had scabies, symptoms can take as long as six weeks to show. It's important to note that you can spread scabies to others even if you aren't displaying symptoms yet.

There is also a more severe type of scabies, called crusted scabies. Crusted scabies can affect certain people, such as young children, people with weakened immune systems, people who are sick, the elderly, and the very young. 

Crusted scabies cause the skin to become crusty and scaly and typically affect large areas of the body. As it is very contagious, crusted scabies can be difficult to treat. It's important to treat crusted scabies quickly. A combination of both a skin cream and prescription pill is typically needed.

Treatments for Scabies

Early treatment is important when dealing with scabies. This is because scratching can break the skin and lead to a bacterial infection, such as impetigo. Impetigo is an infection of the skin typically caused by staph bacteria or strep bacteria. Impetigo causes red, itchy sores to develop on the surface of the skin. These sores break open and leak fluid or pus. 

Scabicides are drugs that kill scabies mites. Some scabicides also kill mite eggs. Scabicides are available only with a doctor's prescription, and there are no "over-the-counter" products that have been approved for scabies. It's essential to follow the directions of scabicides carefully. Scabicide lotion must be applied to all body areas, from the neck all the way down to the feet and toes. If you are treating an infant or young children, scabicide lotion or cream should also be applied to their entire head area.

It's important to note that even if scabies treatment is effective, symptoms such as itching may not resolve for several weeks. If you find that itching is still present four weeks after treatment, or if you notice new burrows or a return of the rash, you may need to repeat your treatment.  

If you think you might be infected with scabies, it's essential to seek treatment as soon as possible. Scabies is highly contagious and can spread rapidly between people.