FAQs – Dr. Scabies Frequently Asked Questions
SCABIES DIAGNOSIS
1. What is scabies?
Scabies is a contagious skin disease, caused by infestation with the parasitic itch mite, sometimes called the “seven-year-itch” because it was hard to get rid of before modern medications. They usually appear in the folds of your skin, but can be found on any part of your body. It is a common condition that your doctor can easily treat.
2. How do scabies mites live?
The tiny mites burrow into the skin layers where they live and reproduce. They may be located anywhere on the body, but usually are not found on the face or scalp. How do scabies mites develop? The adult female mite burrows into the skin,feeds on cell fluids, and lays two or three eggs a day inside the burrow. The eggs hatchin three or four days and the young mites grow to mature egg-laying adults in seven to ten days.
3. How long do scabies mites live?
Each mite lives about two months on the human host. During this time, a female can lay up to 120 eggs. Off the human host, mites can survive three to four days under the best conditions, but usually theywill live only a few hours.
4. How do we get scabies?
By skin-to-skin contact with someone who has scabies or by sharing their infested clothing, towels, or bedding.
5. Will human scabies mites live on pets?
No. This type of scabies mite can only live and reproduce on humans.
6. Can scabies mites hop, jump, or fly?
No. These mites can only crawl. They crawl about one inch per minute on the skin surface.
7. What are the symptoms of scabies?
Itching is the most noticeable symptom and is usually more severe at night. Scratching many cause bleeding resulting in blood spotting of bed clothing and sheets. There is usually a skin rash consisting of red, itchy bumps. Symptoms may not appear for four to six weeks after infestation. During this time, the body builds up a sensitivity to the mites before itching and rash will appear.
8. How do we know when we have scabies?
When symptoms as described above appear, see a doctor. The doctor will then determine if the condition is due to scabies or something else.
- I Have Got Some Red Bumps On My Arm. They Don’t Itch. Can it be Scabies?
- What Exams And Tests Help Doctors To Evaluate Or Test People For Scabies?
- Do You Have To Be Dirty To Get Scabies? Is it a Hygiene Issue?
- Why Does Scabies Itch So Badly?
9. How Do I know If It is Scabies Rash
If you answer YES to all of these questions, it is likely that you have scabies:
SCABIES IN ADULTS
- Do you recall any exposure (skin-to-skin contact or direct contact with clothing, bedding and towels) to people afflicted with scabies?
- Have you been to places with high incidence of scabies or areas with recent scabies outbreak?
- Do you see red, pimple-like rash (sometimes filled with pus) in between fingers or web spaces, flexor areas of the wrists, arm pits, abdomen, buttocks, breasts and genitals?
- Do you see fine, thread-like, zigzagging, burrow-like lines that are sometimes reddish, greyish white or skin colored?
- If you are a woman, do you see rash on the skin of your areola and nipples?
- If you are a man, do you see rash on the tip, penis shaft and scrotum area?
- Does the rash itch intensely at night or after a hot bath?
SCABIES IN BABIES AND CHILDREN
- Do you see pink-brown nodules in the face, neck, and scalp, in between the fingers, wrists, elbows, and palms of the hands, soles of feet, armpits, navel, thighs and external genitalia?
- Does the rash look like small, solid round lumps no bigger than 0.5 cm or sometimes blisters filled with pus?
- Does your baby behave in agitated way and seems to move in all directions as if trying to scratch their backs especially at night time?
- Was there a reported case of scabies in daycare center or school?
- Does your child experience distress, irritation and sleeplessness due to intense itching?
- Does the rash won’t go away even after applying topical lotion or ointment for itching?
10. Can Borax Treat Scabies?
Borax is a boron compound found in many household laundry and cleaning detergents. It may be effective in cleaning/disinfecting clothes and other things inside the house and its uses may go far beyond that, such as being used as pesticide and weed killer but there are no concrete evidences or studies that it can treat scabies. Experimenting on the use of borax that are not included on its indications is dangerous. Although borax is a natural product, it does not mean it is safe. Gloves are still needed in handling it and definitely not a good idea to apply on scabies rash and lesions as it may cause further irritation.
Read More: Can Borax Treat Scabies?
11. Is permethrin a prescription drug?
Permethrin belongs to a group of drugs called pyrethrins. Pyrethrin is commonly used in industrial and agricultural settings as “pesticides.” Permethrin 5% cream will need a doctor’s prescription to buy it. Read More: Is permethrin a prescription drug?
The intensity of health effects from permethrin will depend on how someone is exposed to it. When people get permethrin on their skin, they may have irritation or tingling, burning and itching at that spot. If permethrin accidentally gets caught in the eyes, it can cause redness, pain or burning. If people ingest permethrin it could cause sore throat, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. People that have breathed in permethrin have had irritation in the nose and lungs, difficulty breathing, headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
Due to known harsh effects of permethrin and other pharmaceutical scabicides, Dr. Scabies encourages everyone to choose healthier and safer alternative. Dr. Scabies Solutions are formulated in such a way it will not allow the scabies mites to develop resistance nor cause any changes on the body that will compromise its safety.
12. Is permethrin a carcinogen?
Permethrin was classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as “not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans” in 1991. This means that IARC could not decide whether or not permethrin can cause cancer. The U.S. EPA decided that permethrin was “likely to be carcinogenic to humans” if it was ingested. This decision was based on the structure of permethrin, what happens to it in the body, laboratory tests that caused tumors in mice and evidence of tumors in rats.
At the time of EPA’s last evaluation of the carcinogenic potential of permethrin in 1989, they classified permethrin as Group C-a Possible Human Carcinogen. The World Health Organization reported that permethrin increased the frequency of lung tumors in female mice in 2 out of 3 studies conducted. In a study on the effects of permethrin on breast cancer cells, researchers found that permethrin increases the expression of a gene that is involved with proliferation of cells in the mammary gland. Permethrin has also been linked to prostate cancer; in a study of farmers and professional pesticide applicators, permethrin was shown to increase the risk of prostate cancer in men with a family history of prostate cancer.
Read more: Can Scabies Come Back 1 Day After Using Permethrin Cream?
13. Can Re-infestation Occur After Using Permethrin Cream?
Yes, re-infestation can still occur after using permethrin cream.
Implacable nodules and blisters are quite common even if the mites have been reduced. However, newer burrows on the skin are certainly a sign of active infestation or re-infestation. Scabies is certainly curable however you must not suffice to one form of treatment because resistance to permethrin appears to be on the rise. It would be best to use natural treatments like Dr. Scabies, in order to get rid of the underlying mites without worrying of developing resistance over prolonged use.
Scabicides in topical cream form preparation like permethrin do not have deep penetrating, cleansing action that can easily cover the entire body, from head to foot without missing important areas. It may kill the scabies mites inside the burrows but it cannot exterminate mites totally. It is also difficult for the topical cream to unclog the burrows from dead mites, eggs and fecal pellets, thus, re-infestation and post-scabies syndrome are likely to occur.
- I Have Scabies And The Permethrin Made Me Itch Really Bad; Anything Else That Might Help?
- Are “Hives” A Side Effect Of Using Permethrin Cream?
14. Signs of FAILED Permethrin Treatment
It is utterly frustrating and depressing to find out after doing rigorous and meticulous routines of applying permethrin cream and cleaning the surroundings that treatment has FAILED! These are the things that need be observed in order to detect failed permethrin treatment:
- The itching still persists for more than 6 weeks after the first application of permethrin
- Treatment instruction was not executed properly or uncoordinated between close contacts.
- New burrows appear.
- Have Swelling On My Face, Lips, Tongue And Throat After Using Permethrin Cream For Scabies. Help!
15. How to cure scabies fast at home?
Scabies treatment that can provide fast cure and rapid relief are of essence to people with scabies and their families. And of course, with special consideration to ease of use, convenience of doing it at home and non-invasiveness in nature. Apparently, the market is filled with different scabicides manufactured by pharmaceutical companies. Even if these pharma-grade products are approved by FDA, it does not mean they are completely safe to use. It goes without saying that benefits of these medicines are more important than any minor side effects. Unfortunately, not all side effects are tolerable, it can be mild, moderate, severe and even life-threatening.
Dr. Scabies dares to be different by defying the norms set by gigantic pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Scabies’ proprietary solutions are formulated to have the highest strengths that are still within the safe zone according to the standards of Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of United States (HPUS) and FDA. Our products really far exceed anything out there and really deliver the results strengthened through evidence-based practices and product tests. The premium blends of Dr. Scabies products comprising of sulfur and essential plant oils can treat other skin conditions such as athlete’s foot, eczema, ringworm, parasites, and all kinds of mite infestations.
In comparison to widely known treatments such as permethrin cream 5%, Dr. Scabies can efficiently destroy both mites and eggs whereas permethrin does not end up killing all the scabies eggs which is a common occurrence in relapsed cases.