These mites are easily passed between people. Direct skin-to-skin contact is the most common way to share the infestation. The mites can also be spread through infested:. Facilities where people live in close contact to one another often see infestations spread easily.
These may include nursing homes or extended-care facilities. Treatment for scabies usually involves getting rid of the infestation with prescription ointments, creams, and lotions that can be applied directly to the skin. Oral medications are also available. Your doctor will probably instruct you to apply the medicine at night when the mites are most active. You may need to treat all of your skin from the neck down. The medicine can be washed off the following morning.
You may need to repeat the topical treatment in seven days. Your doctor may also prescribe additional medications to help relieve some of the bothersome symptoms associated with scabies.
These medications include:. More aggressive treatment may be needed for severe or widespread scabies. An oral tablet called ivermectin Stromectol can be given to people who:. Sulfur is an ingredient used in several prescription scabies treatments. You can also purchase sulfur over the counter and use it as a soap, ointment, shampoo, or liquid to treat scabies. During the first week of treatment, it may seem as if the symptoms are getting worse.
Some traditional scabies treatments can cause unwanted side effects, such as a burning sensation on the skin, redness, swelling, and even numbness or tingling. While these are typically temporary, they may be uncomfortable. Small studies show tea tree oil may treat scabies, while also easing itching and helping eliminate the rash. This gel is known for its ability to ease skin irritation and burning, but a small study found that aloe vera was just as successful as a prescription treatment at treating scabies.
Just be sure to buy pure aloe vera , not an aloe vera-infused product. Though it will not kill the mites, creams made with capsaicin from cayenne peppers may relieve pain and itching by desensitizing your skin to the bothersome bites and bugs. Clove oil is a natural bug killer, so it stands to reason mites might die in its presence.
Other essential oils , including lavender, lemongrass, and nutmeg, could have some benefit at treating scabies. Active components from the bark, leaves, and seeds of the neem tree may kill the mites that cause scabies. Home remedies for scabies show some promise for both relieving symptoms of an infestation and killing the mites that are causing the uncomfortable symptoms.
Learn more about these natural scabies treatments so you can decide if one is right for you. Since scabies is mostly transmitted through direct physical contact, the infestation can easily be passed on to family members, friends, and sexual partners. The infestation may also spread quickly in:. This mite is called Sarcoptes scabiei. However, these mites can cause several types of infestations.
This infestation is the most common. If you have questions about your care, contact your healthcare provider. For more resources, visit www. Back to top About Scabies Scabies is a skin condition caused by tiny mites. Back to top Signs and Symptoms of Scabies Figure 1. Scabies rash and burrows. Figure 2. Common locations of scabies rash. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form.
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Scabies sometimes is spread indirectly by sharing articles such as clothing, towels, or bedding used by an infested person; however, such indirect spread can occur much more easily when the infested person has crusted scabies. Diagnosis of a scabies infestation usually is made based on the customary appearance and distribution of the rash and the presence of burrows. Whenever possible, the diagnosis of scabies should be confirmed by identifying the mite, mite eggs, or mite fecal matter scybala.
This can be done by carefully removing a mite from the end of its burrow using the tip of a needle or by obtaining skin scraping to examine under a microscope for mites, eggs, or mite fecal matter. It is important to remember that a person can still be infested even if mites, eggs, or fecal matter cannot be found; typically fewer than mites can be present on the entire body of an infested person who is otherwise healthy.
However, persons with crusted scabies can be infested with thousands of mites and should be considered highly contagious. On a person, scabies mites can live for as long as months.
Off a person, scabies mites usually do not survive more than hours. Products used to treat scabies are called scabicides because they kill scabies mites; some also kill eggs.
Always follow carefully the instructions provided by the doctor and pharmacist, as well as those contained in the box or printed on the label. When treating adults and older children, scabicide cream or lotion is applied to all areas of the body from the neck down to the feet and toes; when treating infants and young children, the cream or lotion also is applied to the head and neck.
The medication should be left on the body for the recommended time before it is washed off. Clean clothes should be worn after treatment. In addition to the infested person, treatment also is recommended for household members and sexual contacts, particularly those who have had prolonged skin-to-skin contact with the infested person. All persons should be treated at the same time in order to prevent reinfestation.
Retreatment may be necessary if itching continues more than weeks after treatment or if new burrows or rash continue to appear. Anyone who is diagnosed with scabies, as well as his or her sexual partners and other contacts who have had prolonged skin-to-skin contact with the infested person, should be treated.
Treatment is recommended for members of the same household as the person with scabies, particularly those persons who have had prolonged skin-to-skin contact with the infested person. All persons should be treated at the same time to prevent reinfestation.
If itching continues more than weeks after initial treatment or if new burrows or rash continue to appear if initial treatment includes more than one application or dose, then the time period begins after the last application or dose , retreatment with scabicide may be necessary; seek the advice of a physician.
Animals do not spread human scabies. However, the animal mite cannot reproduce on a person and will die on its own in a couple of days. Scabies is spread by prolonged skin-to-skin contact with a person who has scabies. Scabies sometimes also can be spread by contact with items such as clothing, bedding, or towels that have been used by a person with scabies, but such spread is very uncommon unless the infested person has crusted scabies. Scabies is very unlikely to be spread by water in a swimming pool.
Except for a person with crusted scabies, only about scabies mites are present on an infested person; it is extremely unlikely that any would emerge from under wet skin. Although uncommon, scabies can be spread by sharing a towel or item of clothing that has been used by a person with scabies. Scabies mites do not survive more than days away from human skin. Although the treatment kills the scabies mites quickly, the itching can carry on for a few weeks.
Scabies are passed from person to person by skin-to-skin contact. You cannot get scabies from pets. People who live or work closely together in nurseries, university halls of residence or nursing homes are more at risk. Scratching the rash can cause skin infections like impetigo. Scabies can make conditions like eczema or psoriasis worse. Page last reviewed: 17 November Next review due: 17 November
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