Worried about scabies? An expert's advice on symptoms & seeking treatment
Scabies, a highly contagious skin infestation caused by parasitic mite burrowing in the skin, is on the rise across the UK. GPs in England are now warning the public not to ignore an itchy rash which could be a symptom and to seek out treatment immediately.
According to NHS figures, there were also 3,689 scabies cases diagnosed in hospitals in England in the year to April, marking a 73 per cent increase on the previous year, when there were 2,128 cases recorded. It's known that around 200 million people worldwide suffer from scabies at any one time, according to the World Health Organisation.
Speaking to the BBC, Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, has said that, while incidences remain infrequent, the number of GP diagnoses was 'above the five-year average and rising, with the north of England seeing a spike in cases'.
Dr Angela Tewari, consultant dermatologist at GetHarley tells WH 'The British Society of Dermatology inform us that one of the key factors is that people feel there is a stigma of dirtiness attached to this which is entirely not the case.'
Scabies is not about having bad hygiene, she explains. 'People think if you’re clean you won’t have it and it's only associated with those share a small living space such as squatters but that's not the case, anyone is susceptible. The key is getting treatment early and seeking medical help.'
She believes the rise is due several factors such as seeking treatment late. 'Given it's highly contagious, more people are infected at any one time. There is also a shortage of treatments available.'
What is scabies?
The condition is caused by microscopic mites that burrow into the skin. They're naked to the human eye as the measure at around 0.4 millimetres in length. They can crawl 2.5cm into the depths of your skin in under a minute and only 10 female mites are needed to start a nest in the folds of your skin. They like to stay in areas that are nice and warm, think under your breasts, groin area and in between fingers, although the rash can appear everywhere.
Dr Tewari says; if you have symptoms of severe itch particularly at nighttime, or small sores in between your fingers, the instep of your feet and your groin and if others in your household are itchy, then I would seek help. It is important to remember this is nothing to do with hygiene. Signs to look out for are itchy bumps and breaks (or track marks) in your skin that will come up as red or purplish in hue.'
The rash that arises is an allergic reaction your skin is having the faeces of the mites and while not a serious condition, scabies can be very itchy and irritating. If not properly treated, it can spread and increase a patient’s risk of complications, such as secondary skin infections or make existing skin conditions worse.
In its report this week, the BBC spoke to students at five universities who described multiple cases arising “out of nowhere” and entire houses of students becoming infected.
Where does scabies start from?
'Skin to skin contact is the how the infestation is passed on. While scabies is often positioned as an infestation that you can get from having sexual intercourse, the reality is that touching someone with the infection for just 15 minutes could be enough to spread it.'
Public transport and the underground could also be a source as you're sharing very closes spaces with others. Soft furnishings, sharing towels and bedding are also known as sources but aren't as risky as skin-to-skin contact.
As for staying in different hotels or traveling? 'That's associated more with bed bugs bites rather than scabies,' she says.
How to treat scabies
'You can visit your pharmacist and get permethrin or malathion.’ These are topical creams that you apply to dry skin for at least hours before washing off. They work to kill the mites and often need reapplying 7 days later to kill off any left-over eggs.
‘If you’re questioning scabies then you think about visiting your GP first. This is because there are many causes of itch that should be ruled out first before using strong treatments.'
'In fact, you can get a post treatment itch as the creams can be very irritating for some skin types and often by the time a patient has got to me, they have used multiple treatment courses when in fact that didn’t have scabies in the first place. Overuse might be one of the reasons we have a short supply with scabies treatment availability.'
In addition to treatment, which works best if carried out at the same time as other infected people with whom you share accommodation, people infected with scabies are advised to wash their bedding and clothes frequently and on a high heat to prevent from becoming reinfected.
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