subject: Scabies Causes, Sign And Symptoms, Diet And Natural Home Remedies To Treat Scabies [print this page] Scabies is an infestation that causes an itchy skin condition by a parasitic, microscopic mite called Sarcoptes scabei. Scabies rash is highly contagious and spreads quickly under crowded conditions when the mite gets an opportunity to find new hosts by direct and prolonged skin contact. It occurs worldwide and is not caused by lack of personal hygiene or is limited to a race or social condition. It can affect any unsuspecting individual who may have only shaken hands with an infected person. An estimated 300 million people are affected by the scabies rash every year.
How do you get scabies?
Direct skin-to-skin contact is the mode of transmission. Scabies mites are very sensitive to their environment. They can only live off of a host body for 24-36 hours under most conditions. Transmission of the mites involves close person-to-person contact of the skin-to-skin variety. It is hard, if not impossible, to catch scabies by shaking hands, hanging your coat next to someone who has it, or even sharing bedclothes that had mites in them the night before. Sexual physical contact, however, can transmit the disease. In fact, sexual contact is the most common form of transmission among sexually active young people, and scabies has been considered by many to be a sexually transmitted disease (STD). However, other forms of physical contact, such as mothers hugging their children, are sufficient to spread the mites. Over time, close friends and relatives can contract it this way, too. School settings typically do not provide the level of prolonged personal contact necessary for transmission of the mites.
Signs and Symptoms of Scabies
1.Small red blisters and bumps on the skin are signs of scabies. These are rashes that pop up at specific parts of the body.
2.Scabies can affect the webbed skin between fingers, at the back of elbows, wrists, around the waist, the knees and umbilicus. Scabies can also affect the skin on the buttocks, genital area, feet and around the nipples.
3.Papules or the bumps can contain blood crusts. But do not confuse the bumps with scabies mites. There might be lots of bumps on the skin, but for all you know, they might be caused by about ten to fifteen mites.
4.Scabies rash is visible on the soles of the feet, palms, neck, face and head of children and babies.
5.It is important to remember that the symptoms might show up a month or two after the mite infestation. Itching is the most relentless symptom, and it just gets worse. It might become unbearable after a few weeks.
Home Remedies for Scabies
1.Washing the affected area with water boiled with neem leaves cures scabies, as Neem has antibacterial properties.
2.Onion juice mixed with sea salt if applied on the affected parts reduces itching.
3.Avoiding the use of perfumed soaps prevents further infection.
4.Children should be given light diet and fresh juicy fruits.
5.Margosa oil if massaged gently on the affected areas reduces itching and kills the scabies mites because of its anti bacterial and anti fungal properties.
6.Menthol present in ginger, mint, peppermint due to its cooling reduces scabies infection producing a soothing effect on the skin.
7.Aloe Vera oil also soothes the skin and reduces the scabies.
8.Mixture of pure lavender oil and alcohol if added in substantial amounts kills the scabies mites reducing the infection.
Diet for Scabies
If a person is being treated for scabies, the diet should contain only light foods. Fresh citrus fruits are the best for this condition. Apple, pear, peaches, pineapple, and oranges can be included in the diet. You should also consume fresh fruit juices if you are suffering from scabies. This will help you improve immunity.
