What are the symptoms of scabies?

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The scabies, which is often referred to as “scabies” in the vernacular, is a parasitic disease that leads to severe itching in those affected. The disease often occurs in places where many people meet. These are for example old people’s homes or nursing homes, schools and other community facilities.

The transmission is from person to person. The symptoms are caused by the itch mite. This is less than 1 mm in size and therefore not visible to the naked eye.

The mites burrow into the uppermost skin layers and form tunnel systems there. They lead to a reaction of the immune system, which explains the severe itching. This tormenting itching in turn causes those affected to scratch and chafe constantly, so that the skin becomes even more irritated.

Symptoms of scabies

The most prominent symptom of scabies is probably itching. This is caused by an immunological reaction to components of the mite. The itching is particularly pronounced at night.

The reason for this is as follows: The warmth of the bed lowers the itching threshold, so that the itching is intensified. Warm wool sweaters or very warm outside temperatures also aggravate the symptoms. The itching affects the entire body and also occurs in regions without mites.

In addition, a burning sensation of the skin occurs. Redness is also very typical. Longish papules appear on the skin.

These are skin phenomena that rise above the skin level and look like elongated “corridors”. These are the tunnels that the mites dig in the uppermost layers of the skin. Scaling of the skin is also possible.

Due to the severe itching, affected persons tend to scratch their skin open. This leads secondarily to small injuries to the skin, which can become encrusted. These small injuries favour a secondary infection with bacteria.

Then small pustules or blisters can also be seen. Very typical is the appearance of the different skin symptoms on certain parts of the body. These include the spaces between the fingers and toes, the genital region, wrists, the region around the nipples and the front axillary fold.

Probably the most common and worst symptom for those affected is itching. This is also the main symptom of scabies. It is caused by the immune system reacting to components of the itch mites.

The result is itching, which is particularly severe at night. This can be explained by the fact that the warmth of the bed lowers the itching threshold. The itching occurs all over the body, so that even parts of the body without mites are affected.

Which could also be of interest to you: Itching in the vagina However, the itching is absent in some affected persons. Especially patients with a weakened immune system often show no itching at all or only a very slight itching. This is because the immune system in these people cannot exert a particularly strong reaction to the itch mites.

Typically, the itching appears for the first time 3 weeks after infection with the itch mites. Children can be affected by itchy mites just like adults. Especially community facilities like schools or kindergartens, where many children meet and also have skin contact, promote the transmission of the itch mites from person to person.

The symptoms are basically the same as in adults. Here, too, the typical leading symptom is itching. However, this can occur in varying degrees.

Children with an immune deficiency often show only very weak itching or even no itching at all. In contrast to adults, however, the typical skin changes in scabies occur on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet in addition to the usual skin regions. Children also tend to scratch their skin when it is itchy, and therefore also have small injuries, scaling and other eczema-like skin changes in the course of time.

An infection with the scabies is not noticed at first. The pathogen, namely the itch mite, is usually transmitted via direct skin contact. Only very rarely does infection occur through the shared use of textiles.

However, the transmission of the pathogen is not noticed at all. Only about 3 weeks after transmission do the symptoms begin to appear. An infection with the itch mite causes neither itching nor are any other symptoms noticeable.

In the early stages of scabies, itching occurs, which can be of varying intensity.It appears about 3 weeks after infection with the pathogen. The itching is particularly severe at night. Gradually the itching affects the entire body and typical skin changes appear.

In the course of the scabies, their symptoms also change. First of all, about 3 weeks elapse between infection with the pathogen and the appearance of the symptoms. This is the so-called incubation period.

Then the disease usually begins with itching. The itching is in some people very strong in others rather less pronounced. It first affects individual parts of the body and then very quickly spreads to the entire body.

At the same time, elongated, slightly elevated skin appears, which is called papules and looks like corridors or small tunnels. A general reddening of the skin in various places is also typical. The itching causes the affected persons to scratch their skin.

This results in small injuries, scaling and incrustations of the skin in the course of time. Furthermore, eczema develops, which worsens the longer the disease is not treated. Typically, scabies are treated in Germany with the active ingredient permethrin.

This is applied to the entire skin and washed off after a specified period of exposure. The treatment is repeated after 7 days. It is important to know that the itching and also the eczema of the skin can persist for several weeks after a successful treatment.

Especially people with allergies or diseases such as neurodermatitis and asthma often show symptoms for a period of a few days to two weeks even after a treatment. However, a cure can also be prevented by application mistakes in the therapy or a renewed infection in contact persons, so that symptoms continue to occur. It is therefore very important to treat contact persons in the same household, for example.

In control examinations, however, the physician can distinguish whether the symptoms persist after a cure or whether the infection is active. The incubation period of the disease is about 3 weeks. The incubation period is by definition the time between the onset of the pathogen and the appearance of the first symptoms.

This depends on the disease and the respective pathogen. From this explanation of terms can also be derived that no symptoms occur during the incubation period. However, until the first symptoms of scabies become noticeable and visible, some reactions occur in the immune system of those affected. These reactions occur silently and are not noticed by the affected persons.