VIDEO
Dermatology Answers : Best Treatment for Itchy Skin
I’m itching at night and can’t seem to stop. What can I do?
Helen said this:
I visited a friend in a nursing home and now I have an awful itch that is worse at night. I’ve tried a bunch of medications, and nothing seems to help. What do I do?
Human scabies is almost always caught from another person as a result of close contact. It is not uncommon to treat a whole family that has been infected, along with their friends.
The parasite Sarcoptes scabiei is a tiny skin mite that brings on a nasty, itchy rash and can spread to others by contact. The disease is very common-more than 300 million cases of scabies occur worldwide every year-and can strike anyone of any race, age, or socioeconomic status.
The microscopic mite burrows, and the body develops an intense reaction that results in severe itching that can lead to a skin infection. An infected person may not notice the itching or swelling until 4 to 6 weeks after the initial infestation.
Scabies may appear as little hive-like red bumps, tiny bites, or pimples and may be crusty or scaly in more severe cases.
It usually begins in skin folds and crevices-between the fingers and on the wrists in younger people and around the nipples for women and on the penis for men. The head and face are usually free of infestation, except in those that are immuno compromised.
Treatment must be complete and prompt once the diagnosis is made. Topical treatment with Elimite® Cream on the entire skin from the neck to the soles of the feet should be thorough and left on overnight. Clip your nails short to clear any scabies mites hiding under the fingernails and to decrease the likelihood of further irritation when scratching.
Clean your sheets and clothes that were used within the previous 3 days. Do not use pesticides or fumigate the affected areas-the scabies mite requires human skin contact to survive. An alternative treatment is with Ivermectin®, a pill taken twice and then repeated in a week. Medications for itch may also be prescribed, including antihistamines and oral or topical steroids.
