If you’ve never had a brush with scabies, consider yourself very lucky. This skin condition affects about 130 million people around the world. The symptoms of scabies include a red rash and an intense itchy feeling. Moreover, the itchiness tends to increase at night.
The Basics of Scabies
Scabies occurs when the human itch mite burrows into your skin. It starts feeding on it, which triggers the rash. These mites are tiny, so you can’t see them with your eyes. They can hop between different surfaces, which makes scabies very contagious. You can contract the mite through skin-on-skin contact, but also from linens, bedding, and furniture.
The symptoms of scabies usually take six weeks to develop. They may also be more severe for people who’ve already had a case of scabies. Even though the condition won’t cause any permanent damage to the skin, some complications may occur. For example, if you scratch the rash, infected sores may pop up.
Can Scabies Become More Serious?
People with a weak immune system may also develop Norwegian scabies. The condition is caused by many more mites than a regular case of scabies. They may notice crusted areas of skin, which house these mites. At the same time, they might not experience any of the other common symptoms of scabies.
As a rule, doctors treat the symptoms of scabies with various ointments. But in the case of Norwegian scabies, they will often prescribe you an antibiotic. This is to prevent an outbreak of scabies, seeing as this type of the condition is much more contagious.
Final Word
To prevent scabies, make sure to maintain proper personal hygiene and change your bed sheets on a regular basis. Also, avoid contact with anyone who may have the condition.
The symptoms of scabies usually go away with proper treatment. But if you fail to treat them, you might spread scabies to other people. What’s more, you may also develop a bacterial infection. It is thus important to visit your doctor as soon as you notice the first sign of scabies.
