Scabies is a contagious skin disease caused by microscopic mites. These parasites burrow into human skin, lay eggs and make more mites that live on dead skin cells. While scabies are not a life threatening parasite, they do make the skin extremely itchy and if left untreated can create unnecessary problems.
Where Can You Catch Scabies?
Scabies is extremely contagious when you come into contact with an infected person, or the bedding of someone with untreated scabies. Any place where people are in close quarters can become a breeding ground for the scabies mites. Some common places where you can catch scabies are nursing homes, hospitals (units with long-term patients, especially) and schools.
What Are Symptoms of Scabies?
According to the National Institutes of Health, symptoms of scabies include itching that increases at night, rashes, sores that develop from scratching and digging into the skin, and thin lines that look like pencil marks on the skin. Scabies will not go away on its own, so if you experience these symptoms, get tested immediately and take measures to contain and kill this parasite before you infect other members of your family or workplace.
Traditional Treatment for Scabies
The Mayo Clinic describes traditional treatments as creams and lotions to kill the mites. The most common medications are permethrin (Elimite, Acticin) and crotamiton (Eurax). Your doctor may prescribe oral treatment as well, if you have an adverse immune reaction.
Alternative Treatment For Scabies
ScabiesReport.com recommends Tea Tree oil as a natural remedy for scabies, due to its natural antiseptic properties. Other topical remedies include Neem oil and Turmeric root paste, along with taking immune enhancing supplements like zinc and garlic.
Why Use Alternative Treatments?
Using an alternative treatment to cure scabies might be more effective than a traditional cure because these alternative cures have been around longer and have fewer documented side effects than the chemical treatments. Also, if you use the traditional treatments incorrectly, there is a chance the scabies on your body will gain resistance and come back. The natural remedies may work more slowly, but they are also oils and pastes that have traditionally been excellent skin care ingredients, so they will not cause any damage to your skin as they kill the mites.
Tags: kill mites, traditional treatments, Treatment Scabies