What is scabies?
Scabies is a common skin condition which happens when tiny insects called mites burrow into your skin. The mites lay eggs in your skin. This can make your skin feel very itchy. Scabies can be passed easily from person to person and spreads mostly through close human skin contact. Here I talk about what causes scabies, its symptoms, and how it can be treated.
How do you get scabies?
Scabies is caused by tiny parasites called mites. They burrow into your skin and lay eggs. Your immune system (the system of your body that fights off harmful diseases) reacts to this by causing inflammation. This can make your skin feel itchy and cause a rash. Scabies affects both adults and children. You can get scabies if:
- you’ve been closely touching another person with scabies
- you had sexual contact with a person who has scabies, even when using a condom
You are unlikely to get scabies from shaking someone’s hand. You’re also not likely to get scabies from clothing or towels. On rare occasions you can get scabies from pets. Scabies is more common in crowded living spaces (nursing homes, prisons, barracks).
You’re more likely to experience scabies during the winter. This is because mites survive better when it is cooler. If you have a weak immune system, for example a result of HIV, you may develop crusted scabies. Crusted scabies is similar to normal scabies but is a lot more contagious.
What are the signs of scabies?
The main symptom of scabies is severe itching, especially at night. This can happen 3-6 weeks after you’ve come into contact with scabies. If you’ve already had scabies in the past then scabies symptoms will appear even earlier.
You might see lines on the surface of your skin which is where the mites have burrowed in. If you experience itching, you might develop a rash and see red marks or bumps appear on your skin. A scabies rash can appear anywhere on your body, but you might find it:
- between your fingers
- on the sides of fingers
- under your fingernails
- in your belly button
- around your waist
- on or around genitalia (your penis or scrotum if you have them)
- on your bottom
- on your feet
Children may also get scabies rash on their back and head.
Will scabies go away on its own?
If left untreated, your scabies symptoms may get worse. You should talk to a doctor if you think you have scabies. They can help you to get your scabies treated. People that you live with, as well as anyone you have had sex, with should also have treatment.
A doctor can tell you if you have scabies by asking about your itching and looking at your skin. They may need to take skin scrapings to check for mites, but this is often not needed. It’s best to avoid close contact with people until you have finished treatment.
What should I do if I'm embarrassed to talk to my doctor?
Seeing a doctor when you're embarrassed | Watch in 2:08 minutes
Dr Naveen Puri talks about how to make it easier to see a doctor about a health issue when you are feeling embarrassed.
Hello, I am Dr Naveen Puri, I am one of the GPs within Bupa Health Clinics.
Today I want to speak to you about embarrassing problems you might have and what we can do if you attend one of our clinics.
I want you to know that many people feel embarrassed or concerned about speaking about certain things with their doctors, but I'm here to reassure you these are the kinds of things we deal with every day.
For me, looking at someone's bottom or their breasts or their genitalia is no different to looking at their nose or elbow.
And that's true for all doctors as we train for many years in these parts of the body and are very used to having these conversations with people just like you.
So what I would encourage you to do if you have any concerns from your perspective, be it a change in your bowel habit, be it a lump, a rash, a swelling. Something on your genitalia or a part of your body you're not particularly familiar with or feel uncomfortable discussing.
Please be assured your doctor has done it all before.
Some of the ways we find patients find it easier to speak to a doctor is to either tell the doctor you feel embarrassed up front. That way a doctor can make extra effort to make sure you feel comfortable.
Or some patients come to us with pieces of paper and will write the problem down and hand it to us. That way we can help with whatever is going on for you as well.
You may also find it helpful to ask for a specific doctor, someone you're familiar with in your practice. Or you might want to ask for a doctor of a specific gender, or background to your liking as well.
I'd also say, doctors do this every day so don't be alarmed if we ask you certain questions around your symptoms. It is purely so we can help you get the best outcome for your enquiry.
And then finally, feel free to use language that suits you as well. We don't expect you to know the medical words for things, or a name for your diagnosis. That's our job to find out for you.
So, take your time, see a doctor, and hopefully we can help put your mind at ease.
How do you treat scabies?
Scabies treatment will include topical creams that you apply to your whole body. Scabies creams are also called insecticides. This type of cream kills the mites that cause scabies. The most common scabies creams include permethrin and malathion which a doctor can prescribe for you. If you’re given cream to treat scabies but the itching doesn’t go away in 2-4 weeks, let your doctor know.
You should also wash bedding, clothes and anything else that has been on your skin at very high temperatures (50 degrees or above). The heat from the high temperature will kill the mites. If you’re unable to wash your bedding and clothes, put them in a sealed bag for at least 72 hours to allow the mites to die.
Is scabies contagious?
Yes. Scabies spreads from person to person through close skin contact. When you spend a long time touching a person with scabies, you might get infected. You can reduce the spread of scabies by avoiding contact with others and regularly washing. This will help your scabies to clear up and keep others safe.
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Sources Sources
- 2016 UK national guideline on the management of scabies. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV. www.bashh.org, published 2016
- Scabies. NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries. cks.nice.org.uk, last revised November 2017
- Scabies. Patient. patient.info/doctor, last edited 21 Jul 2021
- Scabies. BMJ Best Practice. bestpractice.bmj.com, last updated April 2022
- Salavastru CM, Chosidow O, Boffa MJ et al. European guideline for the management of scabies. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2017 Aug;31(8) 1248-1253
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