Introduction:
Itching is an uncomfortable sensation that makes a person scratch their body until they feel relieved. On the other hand, scabies is an infection or itchy rash caused by mites. Both these conditions are linked with itching, which will be discussed in this article.
What Is Itching?
Itching is an unpleasant sensation where an individual desires to scratch their body. Itching can be caused due to many reasons. It can affect any area of the body, and it can either be
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Generalized (itching occurs all over the body).
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Localized (itching only occurs in a particular area).
The itching is primarily mild, gets severe occasionally, and is tough to live with.
What Are the Causes of Itching?
Some of the common causes of itching include -
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Skin conditions such as eczema (a condition that causes dry, itchy, and inflamed skin).
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Allergic reactions to food products, pollen, insect bites, and some medicines.
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Insect bites and stings.
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Irritating chemicals, cosmetics, and other substances.
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Parasitic infestations such as scabies.
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Fungal infections.
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Hormonal changes during pregnancy or menopause.
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Systemic conditions include liver or kidney problems or an overactive thyroid gland.
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Diseases affecting the brain or nervous systems, such as diabetes and shingles.
What Are the Complications of Itching?
Itchy skin that lasts for more than six weeks can cause discomfort and affect the quality of life.
Prolonged itching can damage the skin and lead to infection or scarring.
What Is the Treatment for Itching?
Itching is a normal condition that goes on its own, and to get relief from it faster, a person can try -
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Applying cold compresses.
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Taking lukewarm or oatmeal baths.
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Using moisturizing lotions.
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Using over-the-counter Hydrocortisone cream or antihistamines.
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Patients should also avoid excessive scratching, wearing uncomfortable fabrics, and exposure to heat or humidity.
The patient should contact the healthcare provider if the itching does not go away after a few weeks.
What Is Scabies?
Scabies is a skin condition caused by an infestation of mites that spread by contact, which is why members of the same family rapidly spread infection and are caused by Sarcoptes scabiei var hominis mite. These mites or bugs get under the skin and cause red bumps or rashes and severe itching. Scabies is characterized by severe itching on the body, especially at night. Itching is associated with small red papules on the body and can get secondarily infected by bacteria leading to pustule formation. Secondary eczematous changes can also occur over it.
What Are the Causes of Scabies?
As already mentioned, scabies is caused by a tiny eight-legged mite. This bug burrows beneath the skin and creates a tunnel where it lays eggs. When the eggs hatch, the larvae travel to the surface of the skin and stay there until maturation. Later, it can travel to other areas and spread to other people through direct contact. Itching is caused by the allergic reaction of the body to the mites and their eggs and wastes.
Having close contact with the patient affected with scabies can spread the mites and even on sharing clothing with the infected person.
What Are the Most Affected Areas of the Body?
The mites can be found anywhere on the body, but the most commonly affected areas are the folds and narrow skin cracks. In adults, the commonly affected areas include -
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Skin folds between the fingers and toes.
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Folds in thighs and genital area.
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Bends at wrists and knees.
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In armpits.
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On the buttocks.
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Around the belly button.
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The area around your waist.
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Under fingernails.
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Under rings, watch bands, and bracelets.
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The area around the nipples.
In infants and young children, common sites include -
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Fingers.
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Face, scalp, and neck.
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Palms of the hands.
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Soles of the feet.
What Are the Different Types of Scabies?
Scabies can be differentiated into multiple types, which include -
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Crusted (Norwegian)- This type is most commonly seen in people with weak immune systems and affects a large area of the skin.
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Nodular- This is more common in children and causes brown-red nodules.
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Bullous- It is more common in adults and causes blisters on the skin.
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Scalp- This has the same symptoms as basic scabies but primarily occurs on the scalp.
What Are the Symptoms of Scabies?
A person infected with scabies may feel itchy for weeks, even before skin rashes or bumps appear. The rashes might look like pimples or bumps and spread slowly over weeks or months. Other than that, some of the common signs and symptoms include the following -
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Intense itching more at night.
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Bumps can become infected because of scratching.
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Children can experience itching all over their bodies.
What Are the Complications of Scabies?
Scabies includes intense itching, leading to scratching, and can break the skin and cause an infection such as impetigo. It is a skin infection caused by the bacteria staphylococci or sometimes by streptococci.
How to Prevent Scabies?
Scabies can be prevented by following some of the following steps, which include -
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Washing all the clothes and lines properly before wearing them. Hot soapy water should be used to wash the clothes as heat kills the mites and their eggs.
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Limiting close contact with the people affected with scabies and keeping the surroundings clean.
How Is Scabies Diagnosed?
Scabies can be detected by performing a physical examination of the patient. The healthcare provider may try to remove a mite with a needle from the skin to confirm the diagnosis. But in most cases, the healthcare provider may scrape off a small section of skin to obtain a tissue sample. After that, the tissue sample should be examined under a microscope to confirm the presence of scabies mites.
Another test can also be performed as the scabies ink test or burrow ink test. This test helps spot the burrowed paths in the skin created by the mites. It can be simply done by dropping a fountain pen ink on the area of the skin that appears to be infested. The ink that falls into the path created by the mites can be easily visible to the naked eye.
What Is the Treatment for Scabies?
The treatment for scabies includes -
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Treatment should be given to all family members, whether they have itching or not.
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Lotions should be applied from the neck to the toe, leaving the face and scalp area.
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Treatment should be repeated after one week to eradicate the infestation.
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Clothes and bed linings should be washed in hot boiling water.
The medications available for its treatment are:
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Permethrin.
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Lindane.
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Crotamiton.
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Sulfur.
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Benzyl benzoate.
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Oral Ivermectin.
Conclusion:
Itching can be a very annoying and uncomfortable experience. If a person has a severe itch and cannot sleep, he or she might be infected with scabies. In that case, the patient should seek medical assistance as soon as possible. This infection can be easily managed, but the patient has to be very cautious.