Fact Sheet for Scabies

Scabies is a skin condition in which small, microscopic mites burrow under a person's skin. These mites, known as Sarcoptes Scabiei, cause extreme itching and require medical treatment. Scabies is simple to treat, though the itching can last for weeks after the mites are gone. The condition is highly contagious and often results in an outbreak in families or groups that live in constant contact with each other.

Symptoms

• The symptoms of scabies include constant itching, which may worsen at night, and small, red bumps or blisters on the skin. These bumps are often found in the folds of skin, but can appear almost anywhere. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common locations for these bumps include between the fingers, inside wrists, under armpits, on the inner elbow, the bottoms of feet, around the breasts, in the genital area of men, the waist, knees, buttocks and on the shoulder blades. Children may show signs of infection on their scalp, neck, palms of the hands, bottoms of the feet or on the face.

Causes

• Scabies is spread through physical contact with other people and, in rarer cases, through contact with infected bed linen or clothing. Because scabies spreads so rapidly from person to person, a doctor may treat everyone in a family or group where one person has been infected. This ensures that if the scabies has already passed on, it will be killed and not spread back to the person after treatment.

Seeking Medical Attention

• See your doctor if your skin is itching, or has red bumps or blisters. Scabies cannot be killed through over-the-counter medicine or by washing the affected areas. Only a prescribed medication can wipe them out. If you have been around a person who has scabies, you should see your doctor even if symptoms are not present. This ensures you are not carrying the scabies and don't know it yet.

Treatment

• When you are treated for scabies, it is a good idea to wash all your clothing and bed linen in hot, soapy water and dry them on a high heat setting. For items that can't be washed or dry-cleaned, seal them in a bag and store them in the garage or an unused room for a week to allow the mites to starve to death.

  During your doctor visit, he will look for signs of mites and look at a skin sample under a microscope. If you have scabies, your doctor will give you a cream to apply all over your body, usually from the neck down, and leave on for eight hours. For special cases, an oral medication may be prescribed.

Itching

• Itching can persist even after treatment is complete. To help sooth the itching, apply cool water to the area with a washcloth or by soaking in the bathtub. Use calamine lotion on itchy patches of skin. If the itching is severe, ask you doctor if an over-the-counter antihistamine is right for you.