An Introduction to Scabies Diagnosis and Treatment
In order to make a
scabies diagnosis, the doctor will ask a number of questions, perform a physical exam, and possibly order certain tests.
A scabies diagnosis is most commonly made by looking at the burrows, or rash, on the skin. The doctor will pay particular attention to:
- Where the rash is located
- Its appearance
- The possible symptoms of scabies the person is experiencing.
The Skin Scraping
A scabies diagnosis can be confirmed by taking a skin scraping and seeing if mites, eggs, or mite fecal matter are present when the scraping is looked at under a microscope. If a skin scraping or biopsy is taken and returns negative, it is possible that you may still be infested. Typically, there are fewer than 10 mites on the entire body of an infested person; this makes it easy for an infestation to be missed.
Medicine Used to Treat Scabies
- Sulfur
- Lindane
- Permethrin (Elimite® cream).
Always follow the directions provided by your physician or the directions on the package insert. Apply lotion to a clean body from the neck down to the toes, and leave on overnight (8 hours). After 8 hours, take a bath or shower to wash off the lotion. A second
scabies treatment of the body with the same lotion may be necessary 7 to 10 days later.
For people with
HIV or
Norwegian scabies, ivermectin, which is taken by mouth, may be used for scabies treatment.
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