Scabies is not always associated with an asocial lifestyle, and patients often do not realize the fact of contracting this infection, considering its symptoms to be manifestations of allergies.
Sometimes extremely clean people become infected with scabies, and the symptoms of scabies become erased and resemble mild skin irritation as a result of stress. The doctor must remember that the patient could easily pick up the scabies mite at a party – from other people's things and even at home – by contact with an infected family member.
Timely and accurate diagnosis of the disease will help prescribe adequate treatment. To do this, it is important to know the characteristic symptoms of scabies.
How and under what circumstances does scabies infection occur
Scabies – ectoparasitic infection of the skin, and the role of the mite as the cause of this infection is often underestimated, although if the patient has pleomorphic pruritic papular rashes, the doctor should immediately take into account the possibility of infection with the Sarcoptes scabiei mite.
The increase in mite infestations and the development of symptoms of scabies does not depend on the socio-economic situation (although the incidence is higher in underdeveloped countries), nor on the age or sex of the patients.
Often the cause of the spread of the disease in schools, hospitals, sanatoriums and rest homes, as well as in families, is the untimely recognition of the epidemic and, accordingly, inadequate treatment.
Follow us on Instagram!
Scabies is easily transmitted by direct contact with the skin of an infected person or objects that the patient has come into contact with (chairs, curtains, towels, bedding, toys, household items).
Clinical characteristics and symptoms of scabies
The skin disease associated with scabies results from a type IV immunological reaction to the mite or its feces. Skin foci are different depending on the local and general immunological reaction.
The first symptom of scabies and the complaint of a patient suffering from scabies is itching, especially at night.
It is assumed that it is associated with increased activity of female ticks in warm and dark conditions and is an immune response to their waste products. Scabies symptoms develop gradually, the itching begins slowly, and patients usually cannot remember exactly when they had symptoms and rashes.
Tick-borne dermatoses and other summer hazards
The most characteristic symptoms of scabies – scabies and vesicles, less characteristic papules, pustules, excoriations, nodes and blisters. The hands (interdigital spaces and palms), the lateral portions of the foot, the ankles and elbows, the mammary glands, the area around the navel, the genitals (especially the penis and scrotum) and the buttocks are affected.
An accurate diagnosis requires identification of the tick or its eggs in the presence of scabies, notes estet-portal.com. The burrows can be expressed in the form of erythematous or edematous linear foci elevated above the surface, sometimes with vesicles on top.
Possible complications of scabies:
• urticarial reactions;
• persistent dermatitis;
• itching after treatment;
• nodular lesions;
• psychological problems (parasitophobia).
Types of pruritus depending on human diseases
General therapeutic recommendations for the treatment of symptoms of scabies
There is a wide variety of scabicides, so the choice of treatment often depends on personal preference, the availability of the drug on the market or financial capacity of the patient.
In any case, the diagnosis must be confirmed and the source of the infection determined to avoid re-infection and symptoms of scabies.
Some questions need to be clarified to the patient before starting treatment. Because the use of scabicides can cause irritation, patients should be warned of the dangers of overtreatment and the doctor should only re-treat in cases of persistent and re-infection.
How to treat dermatitis and restore healthy skin
If a secondary infection is present, antibiotics are given. Sometimes itching persists for several weeks after the end of treatment, such patients are helped by antihistamines and emollients.
Treatment should be under the close supervision of a physician, as most failures are due to inadequate use of the scabicide. The whole family and persons in contact with a patient with scabies should be treated – even if they do not have manifestations of infection, because this does not exclude the appearance of symptoms of scabies in them in the future.
Share:
Add a comment