If you think that you or a member of your family may have scabies it is important that treatment is started quickly because scabies by nature is highly contagious.
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So, what is the best treatment for scabies?
The starting point has to be having the condition confirmed by a doctor, after all, there are other skin conditions which can cause a rash and itching.
Once this has been established you can begin to consider what the best treatment for scabies may be for you.
Treatments for scabies – conventional medical treatments:
1. The most widely prescribed treatment is Permethrin Cream – now, Permethrin can be bought over the counter and is often used as a treatment for head lice. You should be aware however, that the over the counter preparation only contains 1% Permethrin and will not get rid of scabies you will have to see a doctor who will prescribe a stronger permethrin cream at 5% strength.
This cream is fairly safe and it is effective in the treatment of scabies even in young children over the age of two months.
2. In some cases your doctor may prescribe an additional medication in the form of tablets however, in the majority of cases this is not required.
3. If you are unfortunate enough to have crusted scabies you will require copious amounts of cream and most likely oral medication too because this type of scabies is notoriously difficult to treat. Your skin will require a lot of additional care and attention to rid it of the crusted almost wart like appearance.
4. With the itch of scabies being so intense it is virtually impossible not to scratch at some point. Scratching however can lead to the skin getting infected causing the bumps or blisters to become red and inflamed and possibly pusy. Another trip to the doctors is required should this happen, this time for antibiotics either in cream or pill form.
5. Unfortunately for anyone who has fallen victim to scabies the symptoms of rash and itching may continue for anything up to fourteen days after treatment. Any longer than this and reinfection could be a real possibility or the original medication has not been effective (scabies do seem to be becoming more resistant to some creams.) In this instance a second course of treatment may be required.
Who should receive Scabies Treatment?
It is equally important that everyone living your house, close friends, contacts and sexual partners – basically anyone who may have had skin to skin contact with the infested person within the last four weeks are treated simultaneously. This should include staff at child day care centres, nursing or care staff in care homes etc. Treatment should be started regardless of them presenting with symptoms of scabies or not. This will reduce the chances of reinfection.
