Scabies is a skin condition that happens when scabies mites burrow and feed under the human skin. It survives on blood and lays eggs. The burrowing of the mites causes the grey lines and itchiness people associate with scabies.
Who has it
It’s a common sight in places where living conditions are extremely crowded since skin-to-skin contact is the primary way of transmission, says the American Academy of Dermatology. In case of the Norwegian scabies, though, the condition occurs in people who have weak immune systems.
How it survives
Scabies can survive for as long as a month or two in a human host. But it can’t last for more than three days away. It doesn’t live on animals and is only able to crawl, not leap or fly, unlike fleas.
How long before you know
The human itch mite is too small for the naked eye so you won’t be able to tell if you’ve got scabies simply by visually checking your body for mites. You’ll need to wait for the symptoms to appear. For those who have never had scabies before, it can take up to several weeks before you even see signs or symptoms start to appear. In the meantime, scabies can live and lay eggs in your skin for weeks on end. Or at least, up until allergic reactions to the mite proteins cause the symptoms to appear. If you’ve had scabies, before, though, it’ll only take a few days for you to see the signs.
How to treat it
There are plenty of home remedies for this condition. You can start with a cream for scabies. Apply it regularly to ease the itchiness and rashes as well as eliminate the mites from your skin. Non-regular use won’t be as effective, so if you want a fast and speedy recovery, constant daily use is the key to achieving better treatment results.
