A man’s itch mite: how it looks, how long it lives, how to get rid, symptoms and treatment of scabies

Skin diseases are a very common and unpleasant pathology. In view of the specific symptoms, such conditions can bring a person a lot of inconvenience. Especially when it comes to scabies, the causative agent of which is the scabies mite

What is a scabies mite?

What does the scabies mite (scabies itch) look like? This microscopic parasite is not monitored by the naked eye of a person. The length of his body is from 0.3 to 0.4 mm.

The tick parasitizes on the human body: it can take 4 days to be outside these conditions at room temperature. At a temperature of 60 degrees and above, it dies in about an hour, falling into frost or boiling water - instantly.

Types of disease

The most common type of disease is typical scabies, for which all manifestations of this pathology are characteristic. If the infection occurred from a female tick, itching and passages are present on the skin integument, and if from larvae, the passages are not expressed. In the absence of timely therapy, typical scabies develops into a complication. In this case, the infection joins the disease.
The most difficult type of scabies is the Norwegian variety. Most often, it affects people with weak immunity, as well as patients with AIDS, tuberculosis, patients with Down syndrome.

Also stand out:

1. Pseudochondria is observed in patients in contact with infected animals. Moreover, they have severe itching without additional typical symptoms of the disease. All signs pass by themselves after the termination of contact with animals.
2. "Scabies clean."It manifests itself in minimal clinical signs, less pronounced strokes and rashes.
3. Nodular scabies. It is a kind of immune response of the body to the pathogen. Its main manifestations are the formation of reddish-brown nodules on the surface of the skin.
4. "Crust scabies." It manifests itself in the appearance of crusts throughout the body. Since most often the disease is provoked by an immunodeficiency state. Symptoms may be practically absent, which greatly complicates the diagnosis of the disease.

How can a person get infected

Often scabies appears as a result of contact with an infected person, as well as in the household way in the case of using things or bedding of an infected person. Another method of transmission is sexual intercourse.

Note! A tick often affects people with diabetes.

A female itch, getting under the skin, makes moves, simultaneously leaving 2-3 eggs daily. The life span of the parasite is a month, after which it dies. By this time, a new generation of larvae is growing up, after 2 weeks turning into adult ticks. Gradually rising up to the surface of the skin, they mate and again clog the human body.

Fertilized females penetrate the skin, males die.

Note! Infection with scabies can also be caused by contact with some animals that are inhabited by special species of ticks (dogs, rats, cats, pigs, etc.).

Incubation period

The incubation period of scabies largely depends on seasonality (in the warm season, it is shorter) and the number of parasites. On average, in a healthy person in contact with the carrier, this period lasts 4-6 weeks.

Symptoms and signs of scabies mite

In some cases, a person does not immediately realize the presence of a parasitic life on his skin, since the manifestations may be specific, not indicating the presence of scabies. It is for this reason that people who are carriers of itching do not immediately contact a dermatologist and thus manage to infect others.
The main clinical symptoms typical of the disease appear after 24 hours (if the mature female was the causative agent) and 4 days later (if the larva was the causative agent).

Typical symptoms of scabies are as follows:

1. Itching of the skin. Since ticks have their own life rhythm, during the day unpleasant manifestations of scabies may not bother a person. At night, the desire to scratch itchy places is especially strong: at this time, ticks are most active.
2. The appearance of characteristic lines on the surface of the skin. Their length is 5-7 mm, the color may be grayish, the shape is straight or curved.
3. The appearance of grassy and purulent crusts. Indicate traces of itching.

The most characteristic places of accumulation of ticks are those in which the skin is quite thin: palms, abdomen, feet, buttocks, elbow bends, mammary glands, and external genitalia. Typically, with typical scabies, the neck and head do not suffer, but small children can be attacked by ticks in these areas.

The main symptoms of cortical scabies, in addition to the appearance of characteristic crusts, are:

1. Dull hair color. The result of active population of ticks in the scalp.
2. Removing crusts causes severe pain.
3. Deformation of the nail plates, a change in their color.

Important! In cases where a person who follows the rules of hygiene has been infected, the manifestations of the scabies mite will be minimal (the number of rashes is small, night itching is not too disturbing).

Diagnostic measures

The following methods for diagnosing scabies are as follows:

1. Removing itching from the formed entrance using a needle with further microscopic examination of the parasite.
2. The most thin section of the skin in the area of ​​advancement of the tick.
3. Scraping in the affected areas until the first drops of blood appear and further microscopic examination of the material.

Note! The most accurate results are obtained in the process of taking fresh scrapings.You can independently determine the inputs of pruritus by applying iodine tincture. When this liquid enters the entrances, the latter acquire a saturated brown color.

Scabies Mite Treatment

Modern drugs for the treatment of scabies are affordable, safe and most effective. The basic groups of medicines used for treatment are antiparasitic and antiseptic with the inclusion of antihistamines.

The most popular pharmacy products include:

1. Spregal. Complex preparation in the form of an aerosol. They need to irrigate the skin without touching the head. It should be used once a day, without rinsing for 12 hours. After this time, you must take a shower with soap. Treatment continues for 2 days, and another procedure should be performed on day 4 for general control. In severe cases, aerosol must be used twice a day.
2. Permethrin. Non-toxic solution for pregnant women and children. Affected areas are treated at night and washed off in the morning. The course of treatment is similar to that described above (with Spregal).

 

After washing off these preparations, sulfuric ointment is used, applying it to the surface of the skin daily for 5 days.
In case of defeat by cortical scabies, ointments with salicylic acid in the composition are initially used. The latter is able to effectively dissolve crusts. Only after this is it necessary to carry out general treatment. With such a diagnosis, the use of antihistamines (Cetirizine, Suprastin, Tavegil) is necessary.

Recommendations for the scabies treatment process:

1. When processing with drugs, not only affected areas should be involved, but also the entire surface of the skin.
2. After the treatment, itching may intensify. This is due to the mass death of itch. For this reason, drugs should be taken under the supervision of a doctor who prescribes antihistamines in a timely manner.

The use of exclusively antihistamines will not help to eliminate itching, but will only reduce the clinical manifestations of the disease. This approach to treatment will not only not produce results, but can also significantly harm others.

Disease prevention

It is possible to prevent manifestations of scabies, observing the elementary rules of prevention:

Personal hygiene should be followed.

1. After communicating with a person carrying itchy itch, or if this fact is suspected, you must wash your hands thoroughly and wipe them dry with a towel.
2. If, after some time after such contact, a person begins to be bothered by itching, you should immediately consult a doctor. It is better to exclude the presence of scabies than to launch this disease.
3. Regular wet cleaning of the house, timely change of bed linen and ironing on both sides should be carried out.
4. Accidental intimate relationships should be avoided.

 

Scabies is a disease that is highly unpleasant and significantly complicates the usual course of a patient’s life. At the first suspicion of a disease, a dermatologist should be visited immediately. The latter will prescribe drugs that help get rid of the symptoms of pathology in the shortest possible time.