What is Scabies?

Scabies is a skin disease caused by a microscopic insect called Sarcoptes scabiei that burrows into the upper layer of the skin. The symptoms of scabies are itching that is especially severe at night, red rashes on the skin, and visible, raised lines on the skin surface. Itching and rash symptoms are more intense in skin folds such as between the fingers and toes, on the wrists, in the armpits, around the belly button, in the waist, around the nipples, and in the groin area.

Scabies, a highly contagious disease, is spread through skin-to-skin contact. Prolonged skin-to-skin or direct contact, and sharing personal belongings are ways scabies is transmitted.

What are the Types of Scabies?

There are 3 forms of scabies. These are classical scabies, nodular and crusted (Norwegian) scabies.

Classic Scabies

In classic scabies, the number of mites nesting in the body is usually between 10-15. The tunnels that the mites settle into, or the nests, are usually found in the skin layer on the wrists, hands, or feet. These nests are in the form of thin, wavy, and slightly scaly lines ranging from a few millimeters to 1 cm in length. The onset of itching occurs within 4 to 6 weeks, which is the time it takes for the body to react to the mite feces. In classic scabies cases, intense itching and rashes are the most typical symptoms in the areas where the mites nest. Itching is especially intense at night, and red rashes occur on the skin. 

Shellfish (Norway)

This type is usually seen in people with weak immunity, especially the elderly and disabled. It tends to form crusted areas covering a large area of ​​skin. Since the mites do not encounter resistance, they multiply very quickly. Instead of the 10 to 15 mites common in classic scabies, millions of mites can multiply. The most typical symptom is thick, gray crusts that can crumble when touched.

Nodular

Nodular scabies is less common than classic scabies and involves persistent, hard, itchy nodules that mostly involve the genital area. Nodular scabies can persist for a long time even if it is treated after it has been infested.

What Causes Scabies?

Scabies is a skin disease caused by small, eight-legged Sarcoptes scabiei von hominis mites that burrow under the skin and lay eggs. Direct contact with someone who has scabies, or sharing personal belongings of that person, is the cause of the spread of scabies.

Scabies, which increases especially in the autumn and winter seasons, is more common in crowded areas such as schools, hospitals and military barracks. Another question that is wondered is whether scabies can be transmitted from pets. Pets do not transmit scabies to humans. Scabies mites that affect animals do not survive in humans and do not multiply. However, contact with an animal with scabies can cause short-term may cause itching however, the mite dies within a few days and no treatment is necessary.

How is Scabies Transmitted?

Scabies is spread by direct skin contact. Scabies mites are transmitted by prolonged direct skin contact or by using personal items such as towels, sheets, and clothing. An average contact time of 15-20 minutes is sufficient for scabies to spread. They spread much more easily in places where there are crowded and close groups of people, such as personal items such as beds, sheets, pillows, and towels, in the same house, school, or workplace, or on public transport.

What are the symptoms of scabies?

The symptoms of scabies are severe itching, redness and rashes that resemble pimples, fluid-filled lesions, and grayish-white raised lines that resemble scars on the skin where the scabies have burrowed. The itching that is a typical symptom of scabies increases at night and after hot baths. 

The symptoms of scabies, which appear within four to eight weeks in people who have had scabies for the first time or within 1-4 days if they have had scabies before, are as follows:

• Itching that gets worse especially at night
• Rashes that appear in skin folds such as between fingers, wrists, armpits, around the belly button and around the nipple
• Grayish-white raised lines like scars on the skin
• Increased itching with hot baths
• Swelling and wounds that become infected as a result of scratching
• Formation of fluid-filled lesions in the genital area
• Formation of thick crusts
• Itching and redness occur on the head, face, neck, palms and soles of the feet of infants and children.

Severe itching

Itching is the most common symptom of scabies. In the presence of scabies, the desire to itch increases to the point of waking the person from their sleep at night. The increase in body temperature causes itching to become more severe, and the use of pajamas, thick sheets and blankets at night may be the cause of the increase in body temperature.

Acne-like rash and redness

Rashes and redness on the skin are symptoms of scabies. It is a result of the body's reaction to scabies mites nesting in the body. These rashes are mostly seen on the wrists, between the fingers, in the armpits and elbow folds, in the groin area and in the folds of the buttocks. Rashes, kurdeşen, sivilce, ısırık veya pula benzeyen cilt lekesi şeklinde bir görüntü verir.

Grayish-white raised lines like scars

Another symptom of scabies is grayish-white, sometimes flesh-colored, lines that appear as marks on the skin surface. 

Increased itching after hot baths

In cases of scabies, itching increases at night and after contact with hot water.

Appearance of fluid-filled lesions in the genital area

Scabies mites that settle on the body leave eggs in the places where they create tunnels and leave feces in these tunnels. As a result of the body's reaction to the mites, eggs and feces, small itchy swellings and blisters occur.

Infected wounds and swellings as a result of scratching

As the itching increases in intensity, the itchy area begins to become infected. The resulting infection causes swelling and wounds. 

Dark spots on the skin caused by rashes

Small red rashes spread over the skin may turn into dark spots after a while. 

What Do Scabies Symptoms Look Like?

The symptoms of scabies, which occur after the mite called Sarcoptes scabiei, which causes scabies, settles in the body, are accompanied by severe itching, grayish-white or flesh-colored lines that are 1 to 10 mm long and visible on the skin, and itchy red acne-like rashes. These findings are seen more in areas such as between the fingers, hands, feet, wrists, elbows, belly, waist, hips and armpits.

In Which Parts of the Body Are Scabies Symptoms Seen?

The most characteristic symptom of scabies is itching, which is especially concentrated in folds such as between the fingers, around the wrists, under the arms, around the waist, in the groin and in the hips. Itching gets worse at night. Another symptom of scabies, acne-like rashes, can be seen all over the body.

The most common areas on the body where rashes appear in people with scabies are: 

• Between the fingers
• Armpit
• Inside of the wrists
• Waist
• Nipple circumference
• Hip
• Knee
• Around the genitals
• Soles of the feet

The places where scabies rashes are seen in babies, young children and the elderly are:

• Head area
• Face
• Neck
• Palm
• And the soles of the feet

How to Treat Scabies?

Scabies can be treated with a doctor's recommendation by applying antiparasitic creams and lotions such as permethrin, which can kill scabies mites, to the skin, or with the antiparasitic pill ivermectin.

How is Scabies Diagnosed?

The most obvious physical findings of scabies are itching, rashes and blisters that worsen at night and wake you up from sleep in folds such as between the fingers, underarms, wrists, around the nipples and buttocks. Grayish black dot-like formations resembling dirt accumulation are observed at the end of the tunnels where the scabies mite settles. These physical findings are diagnostic. In order to confirm the presence of scabies on the body, examination of the lesions under magnification with a dermatoscopy device or microscopic evaluation formalizes the diagnosis.

What is an Inkblot Test for Scabies Diagnosis?

Scabies mite nests can be detected using an ink test. Ink is poured onto the itchy area and then wiped off with an alcohol swab. If a scabies nest is present in the area, some of the ink will remain and run down the nest, forming a dark line. If dark lines do form, a skin sample can be taken from the affected area under a microscope to confirm the diagnosis.

How Is Scabies Treated?

Your doctor may recommend applying permethrin, an insecticide, cream or lotion, from the neck down and leaving it on the skin for 8-24 hours to kill the mites and the eggs they lay. Or, as another treatment method, they may prefer to apply the treatment plan by giving the antiparasitic pill ivermectin first in a single dose and then a second dose 1-2 weeks later. It is dangerous to act according to your doctor's instructions in the treatment of scabies, and to use any medication without your doctor's approval.

When starting medication, you should be careful to put everything that has come into contact with your skin, including your clothes, pillowcases, shoes, and other items worn in the last 3 days, in a plastic bag for 3 days, sealing it and preventing air exposure (mites can survive for 3 days outside the human body) or wash it at a temperature of at least 60 degrees to kill the mites.

Methods Used in Scabies Treatment

• Locally applied antiparasitic lotions (most commonly scabies cream with permethrin active ingredient or classic magistral drugs containing sulfur-tar)
• Systemic antiparasitic drugs in oral tablet form (with ivermectin active ingredient) 
• Hygiene measures (before applying the medication, the patient should first take a bath with a bath glove. After the bath, the skin should be dried and then the scabies medication should be applied to the entire body, starting from behind the ear and including the toes)
• If nails are long, they should be cut short.
• Antihistamine pills or topical steroids for itching

What are the medications used to treat scabies?

The most commonly used treatments for scabies are creams containing permethrin. In addition, creams containing sulfur and benzyl benzoate are also used. In some cases, pills containing ivermectin are also beneficial.

What is the most effective scabies medicine?

Permethrin cream 5% is the preferred drug in the treatment of scabies because it can kill scabies mites and the eggs they lay.

How to treat scabies during pregnancy?

Sulfur creams and permethrin creams can be used for scabies seen during pregnancy. Do not exceed the recommended doses.

How to Prevent Scabies?

Scabies is transmitted through skin contact, bed linens, towels and clothing, and personal items of a person who has scabies mites on their body. Therefore, to protect yourself from scabies, hygiene should be observed, especially in public transport areas and crowded environments. Since scabies is transmitted through contact, contact with these people should be avoided and personal items such as towels, bed linens and underwear should not be shared.

SUMMARY:

After the mites settle on the skin, it takes time for symptoms to appear. If you are exposed to the scabies mite for the first time, it will take 4-8 weeks, if you have had scabies before, it will take 1-4 days. Symptoms of scabies include itching, redness and rash on the skin, grayish-white marks on the skin in the form of raised lines, and itching that increases at night and after contact with hot water.

People with scabies will experience the following symptoms:

Severe itching, especially at night

Itching is the most common symptom of scabies. The person cannot control the urge to itch, and it becomes so intense at night that the person has difficulty sleeping and/or wakes them up if they are asleep.

Rashes

Scabies causes a rash that looks like a line of raised bumps. The rash, which also looks like scaly patches, often resembles acne.

Wounds that can develop infections

The desire to itch is so great that scratching can cause wounds on the skin. Some wounds can develop an infection.

Itching and rash are more concentrated in the fold areas

Symptoms of itching and rash caused by scabies are mostly seen between the fingers, on the skin around the nails, on the elbows and wrists, around the hips, penis and nipples.

In the treatment of scabies;

The most effective method is Permethrin cream 5%. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Scabies Symptoms

What are the first symptoms of scabies?

The first symptoms of scabies are intense itching and small red pimple-like rashes that appear in skin folds. As the scabies mites lay eggs and multiply, bumpy lines appear on the skin in the area where the mites burrow.

How is scabies spread?

Scabies is spread through prolonged skin-to-skin contact. A common way for scabies to spread is through sharing clothing, sheets, comforters, or towels that have been used by someone who has scabies mites on their body.

What is good for scabies itching?

In order to reduce the severity of itching in scabies, using antihistamine allergy pills and non-prescription skin creams such as calamine lotion can help relieve itching.

How do you catch scabies?

Scabies is a skin disease and skin-to-skin contact causes the scabies mite to spread. Scabies mites nest in the upper layer of the skin and lay their eggs. 

How to kill scabies mites quickly?

The most common method for scabies mites that settle on the body is the use of permethrin. Permethrin, which is widely preferred in scabies treatment, kills the mites nesting in the body and the eggs they leave. 

What is the difference between scabies and eczema?

Eczema scars can be red, purple, brown or ash-grey and cause dry, scaly patches on the skin. Scabies causes a pink or red, pimple-like rash and raised, fluid-filled bumps.

How to tell the difference between scabies and urticaria?

Unlike hives, scabies, which is caused by mites burrowing under the skin, causes itching and red, pink rashes. The skin reaction to scabies bites is seen in the skin folds between the fingers, on the wrists, elbows, above the knees and around the genitals.

How do I know if my itching is scabies?

Intense itching is the main symptom of scabies. There are small red, bumpy rashes that are spread out in skin folds. If there is no itching, it is not scabies.

How to understand the presence of scabies on the body?

The symptoms of scabies that make it easy to diagnose are intense itching (worsening at night) and acne-like skin rashes. If you have these symptoms, you should see a dermatologist for diagnosis and treatment:

Does scabies go away on its own?

No, scabies does not go away or heal on its own. If left untreated, bacterial infections can also occur due to wounds on the skin surface caused by itching. Therefore, if you have scabies, you should definitely see a specialist.

Where does scabies first start?

Sarcoptes scabiei von hominis mite, commonly known as the scabies mite, appears on the upper part of the skin and causes scabies. The mite progresses further into the skin and begins to cause itching. If left untreated, itching leads to rashes and wounds.

How long does it take for scabies symptoms to appear?

Scabies parasite When it infects a healthy person, it enters under the skin, opens tunnels and begins to reproduce rapidly. If the person has scabies for the first time, symptoms begin to show within 2-6 weeks, but people who have had scabies before usually begin to experience scabies symptoms within 1-4 days.

Is scabies contagious?

Scabies is a highly contagious disease. The disease can be transmitted through close contact, as well as shared bedding, sheets, towels and clothing. The reason for this is that the mite can live outside the human body for 1-2 days.

How long does itching last after scabies is gone?

With antiparasitic treatment for scabies, even if the mites and eggs are eliminated, the itching does not stop immediately. The sensitivity (allergy) on the skin continues for a while and it may take 2-4 weeks for the itching to completely go away.

Can scabies be transmitted from animals?

Pets can also get scabies. However, the type of scabies mite observed in animals is different from the human scabies mite. Therefore, even if scabies is transmitted from animals to humans, it does not cause any parasitic infection other than short-term itching.

At what temperature should items be washed for scabies treatment?

During the scabies treatment process, all clothes, underwear and bedding used in the last week should be washed and ironed at at least 60 degrees. It is sufficient to store items that cannot be washed, sealed and out of air for 7 days.

How does scabies live on the body?

The life cycle of the scabies mite begins with the mating of the male and female parasites. After mating, the male scabies mite dies, and female scabies mites live for an average of 4-6 weeks. The female mite (sarcopt) can tunnel in 30 minutes. Females lay 2-4 eggs every day in the tunnels they dig under the skin. Larvae hatch from the eggs after 2-4 days, and the adult parasite develops after 10-14 days. The female sarcopt can travel 2.5 cm per minute on living skin. The scabies mite cannot jump or fly. A person with scabies normally has 10-12 scabies mites. Children have an average of 20 scabies mites, and they mostly settle in areas such as the hands and feet. However, in people with weak immune systems, cortisone treatment Millions of scabies mites can be seen in people who have had a history of scabies and those with crusted scabies. It can be seen at any age. It is more common in communities with low socioeconomic status and poor hygiene conditions.

Which doctor should I see for scabies?

For the treatment of scabies, it is necessary to make an appointment at the Skin and Venereal Diseases (Dermatology) department of the hospitals.

How to heal scabies quickly?

The preferred medication for treating scabies is permethrin cream. Permethrin helps kill the scabies mites and their eggs.

Can scabies be transmitted through bed infestation?

Scabies is a disease that spreads through direct skin contact. Since scabies mites are invisible to the eye, you cannot see if they are in the bed, but yes, beds can be contaminated. It can be transmitted not only from the bed, but also from any contaminated object. 

Does scabies live in hair?

Scabies is more common on the body. Scabies is not usually found in the hair. Scabies itching is severe and usually worsens at night. If you have an annoying itch in your hair, it is because BIT it could be.

In what cases does scabies itching become more severe?

Scabies itching is often worse at night or after a hot bath or shower. 

How does scabies appear on the body?

Scabies manifests itself as small, red bumps and a rash that can look like pimples, insect bites, or hives and is accompanied by intense itching.

How long does it take for scabies to go away?

When the correct and complete treatment method is applied, it may take up to 4 weeks for the mites nesting in the body and the eggs they lay to die completely. If the symptoms have not disappeared after 1 month, there may still be mites in the body.

How can a person with scabies spread scabies?

The scabies mite spreads from one body to another through prolonged skin contact.

Can scabies be seen with the naked eye?

Scabies mites are too small to be seen with the naked eye. Scabies mites dig tunnels on the skin surface and lay eggs in these tunnels. As a result of the allergic reaction of the skin to this situation, itching begins on the skin and the presence of scabies on the body can be noticed in this way.