Human scabies mite

An itch mite provokes a serious dermatological disease - scabies. It is characterized by numerous rashes on the fingers, stomach, back, chest, buttocks, genitals. The scabies mite is a itch, capable of living outside the human body for some time, infection occurs by contact. The main symptom is severe itching, worse in the evening.

What does itch mite look like?

The intradermal parasite has a microscopic size of 0.1-0.4 mm. The body is light, flattened. The female is always larger than the male. Oval eggs about 0.1 mm long. No eyes. The paws are equipped with suction cups.

On a note!

The parasite digs passages under the skin of people, many animals. Most often settles on the hands, between the fingers, armpit, perineum. The strokes look like stripes of dirty brown color. The picture is clearly visible if we examine the affected area under a microscope. A photo of the scabies mite in humans is presented below.

Itchy Life Cycle

Mating occurs on the surface of the skin at night. After completion of the process, the male dies, the female creeps under the skin, lays eggs. Every night, an itch produces an average of 4 eggs. Dissolves the keratin epidermal cover with its own saliva, the resulting contents and feed.

After 2-4 days, larvae of the first age appear, which immediately begin to parasitize. Females build numerous passages, young males are only small branches. The formation of an adult scabies tick lasts about 14 days, during which time the larvae molt several times, gradually increasing in size. After reaching puberty, they crawl out to mate.

Infection

The itch mite outside the human body lives from 3 to 14 days. Life expectancy depends on climatic conditions. The higher the humidity, the more comfortable the parasite feels. Dies at a temperature of +21 degrees Celsius, with humidity from 40 to 80% after 36 hours. On the human body, the itch lives for about a month.

Mite infestation occurs in several ways - in contact with a sick person, his things, an infected environment. The parasite is also active in the aquatic environment, so you can pick up scabies by bathing in a pond with stagnant water.

Infectious can be a larva of different ages, adults. But more often the disease is transmitted through a fertilized female. In the afternoon, parasites are inactive, so the likelihood of infection is reduced. At night, mature individuals crawl out to mate, after which they creep out into different parts of the body. For a day, the female pulls out a passage under the skin 3 mm long. In the process of vital activity of itching in humans, itching intensifies.

On a note!

The incubation period of scabies is 14 days. During this time, larvae of the first age appear, the parasitization of which becomes noticeable. However, due to the individual characteristics of the body, the disease proceeds unnoticed for a month. Often the question arises of where scabies comes from, already at the time of the active development of the disease. Determining the site of infection is problematic.

Features of the transmission of itch are explained by their life cycle:

• itching is inactive during the day;
• in the evening, at night, imagoes mate, larvae of different ages intensify their activity in digging moves;
• for the tick to penetrate under the skin, it takes half an hour.

The parasite focuses on the skin of a person, his personal belongings, clothes, bedding, towels. Infection also occurs through them.

Symptoms of the scabies mite on the body in humans

The clinical picture of scabies is due to the reaction of the immune system to the invasion of parasites. It manifests itself in the form of an allergic reaction to tick waste products. Itching appears, which causes a person to constantly itch. Pathogens penetrate into small but numerous wounds, pustules and ulcers form on the surface of the skin. The longer a person delays with treatment, the larger the activity of itchy.

Interesting!

The bite of the scabies mite itself does not cause itching, it is not felt by a person. Only with the accumulation of excrement does the immune response in the form of an allergic reaction appear under the skin. Over time, a kind of protection against itching is developed. With repeated infection, the number of parasites on the human body is always less than with primary infection.

The main symptoms are:

• It all starts with small transparent bubbles between the fingers or on the back of the hands. Initially, it looks like a normal allergic reaction.
• Towards evening, itching intensifies at night. When combing, the bubbles burst, ulcers, wounds, crusts remain.
• After some time, the skin on the affected areas changes: it acquires a gray tint. Under the microscope, you can notice the moves of the itch mite.
• For several days, scabies spreads to other parts of the body: stomach, hips, buttocks, back, chest, genitals, neck, localized by the armpits, in the perineum. At night, the itching is so severe that a person wakes up, cannot sleep.
• Large inflamed tubercles appear on the skin, lymph nodes increase, the body temperature rises slightly, and fever appears.

On a note!

Experts distinguish several types of scabies - nodular, cortical, Norwegian. The general symptomatology in all cases is identical.

Diagnostics

It is possible to determine the presence of scabies independently by pronounced symptoms, however, to confirm the diagnosis, you should seek the help of specialists. Scraping on an itch mite is taken in a dermatologist's office. After receiving the results, the doctor prescribes therapy.

On a note!

Itching can be clearly seen if the skin is treated with a weak iodine solution.

Scabies Mite Treatment

Therapy is aimed at eliminating the parasite, eliminating unpleasant symptoms. In the uncomplicated form of scabies, special preparations are prescribed for external use in the form of a spray, ointment, lotion. If a person has a severe allergic reaction, antihistamines are additionally prescribed. When attaching a secondary infection, a course of antibiotics is prescribed.

Features of combating scabies mite:

• Before starting therapy, you need to take a shower, cut short nails, change bedding, underwear.
• The skin should be processed, except for the face, head. Even if signs of infection are only on hand.
• After processing the skin, you can not take a shower, swim in the bathroom for 3 days. After this time, you need to wash, change bedding, re-treat the skin.
• To kill a parasite on clothing, it must be washed in hot water or boiled. Then ironed with steam.
• In the house you need to carry out wet cleaning, wipe the furniture, door handles with a solution containing bleach.
• Hands should be treated with ointment after each contact with water.

On a note!

The course of therapy is 7-14 days.If there are unpleasant symptoms, they continue to treat scabies for another week.

How to get rid of scabies mite

For the treatment of scabies at home are available in old and new ways.

• Benzyl benzoate emulsion. An effective drug after a single treatment destroys parasites of any stage of development. However, does not affect eggs. Reprocessing is required after 2-4 days. For the extermination of scabies mite, the action of the ointment for 10 hours is enough. Unpleasant itching disappears almost immediately. Suitable for treating babies. Of the disadvantages - a characteristic specific smell. The price of the bottle is 17 rubles.
• Medifox. The active ingredient is permethrin. Destroys adults, larvae, eggs. For the full treatment of uncomplicated forms of scabies, just one skin treatment is enough. Parasites begin to die after 2 hours of exposure. During this time, itching intensifies. Change bedding before applying the spray and after completion of treatment after 3-5 days. The cost of the tool is about 110 rubles.
• Spregal. Combined effective drug of French origin. It contains several active ingredients. Neurotoxic poison - esdepalethrin, synergist - piperonyl butoxide. It is produced in the form of a spray. They treat the skin in all areas except the face and head. The procedure must be performed in the evening. After 12 hours of exposure, take a shower, change bedding, clothes. Kills larvae, adults, eggs. The price of the drug is 980 rubles.

To consolidate the effect, prevent re-infection, if it is impossible to use professional remedies for scabies mites in humans, a folk recipe is used - tea tree oil. Add shampoo to the shower gel, treat the affected areas of the skin after water procedures. The duration of getting rid of scabies is from 2 to 20 days.

On a note!

If itching at night does not allow severe itching, the remedies for scabies have not yet been acquired, you need to take a cool shower or just wipe the body with cold water. In this way, you can reduce the number of sexually mature individuals on the body, reduce the activity of parasites for a while.

Prevention

What the scabies mite is afraid of: high temperature, humidity over 80%. Protect yourself from scabies You can follow simple rules of personal hygiene.

• After returning from public places, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and shower.
• Wash clothes regularly.
• Change bedding every 2 weeks, wash at high temperature, iron with steam.
• Avoid handshakes, contact with personalities of untidy appearance.
• On trains, buy new bedding.
• Wet the house every week. Wipe the door handles thoroughly.

Infection can occur anywhere, to protect yourself is 100% impossible. If you have the first signs of scabies, you should immediately begin therapy. Uncomplicated form is treated quickly, requires only a few body treatments. In the absence of qualified treatment, complications arise.