Rash from mites

Definition

Diseases caused by mites in general are called acariosis, and certain types of mites can cause characteristic rashes.
While house dust allergy is a common disease caused by certain excretion products of house dust mites, a very itchy rash caused by so-called grave mites, which lay eggs in passages under the skin, is less common - the latter is most likely known as scabies .
The itching of the skin rash caused by mites is often accompanied by differently sized, often reddish papules, nodules or blisters.

causes

The rash caused by mites is usually caused by something called female grave mites or itch mites (Sarcoptes scabiei). You are capable of yourself through the top layer of skin to drill and there in the smallest of channels Laying eggs and feces.

The excretion products cause the characteristic symptoms (itching, wheals, vesicles, papules, etc.). Laying eggs, on the other hand, serves to multiply. With an intact immune system and in adequate hygienic circumstances, this disease occurs only very rare at or is kept at a low level of expression.

diagnosis

The diagnosis that one has a skin rash caused by mites can often be made based on medical history and clinical appearance alone.
The classic thing is that the itching of the rash strongest at night occurs and often several family members at the same time or several people in the immediate vicinity (e.g .: community facilities) are affected.
To secure the diagnosis, the treating doctor or dermatologist can also use a so-called Dermatoscope examine the skin to detect the small mites directly or a small one Skin sample from an affected area of ​​skin in order to then examine it under a microscope.

Symptoms

Characteristic symptoms of the skin rash caused by mites (scabies) are similar to those of an allergic reaction. The first characteristic can (but does not necessarily have to be) reddish, often comma-shaped, up to 1cm long passages in the skin (preferred point in the spaces between the fingers and toes), at the end of which the mites can stand out as tiny, black dots.
Approx. 3-4 weeks after infestation the mites then create the severe itching with the rash characterized by wheals, vesicles, papules and crusts. He is strongest at night and in bed warmth and will aggravated by scratching becomes.

Also read: What are the symptoms of scabies?

Duration

With correct treatment, the mite rash usually heals within one to two weeks without consequences, the excruciating itching can be but also beyond the visible rash stop and only stop some time after successful treatment.

If the rash is treated inadequately, incorrectly or not at all, it may even become chronic, which is due to the permanent colonization of the skin with mites. If the disease has already become chronic, in some cases, however, spontaneous healing can still occur after years.

What can I do if I have a mite rash?

The rash caused by mites or scabies is normal treated with mite-specific drugsthat can either be applied directly to the skin or taken as a tablet.
These drugs kill on the one hand existing mites and their eggs, on the other hand prevent she re-infectionif there are also infected people in the immediate vicinity.

Outwardly as a cream can be applied Permethrin, a artificial insecticide, which is applied to the skin one or more times and washed off after 8-12 hours of exposure. Alternatively, other creams can be used with the Active ingredients allethrin or benzyl benzoate be tried. In tablet form the active ingredient is to be taken Ivermectin in two applications with an 8-14 day interval.
In addition to this specific drug therapy, it is also advisable to treat the immediate environment, to eliminate hygienic grievances and Clothing and bedding thoroughly to clean. If scabies occurs in communal facilities, they must affected people isolated from others and strict hygienic safety precautions are observed.

Home remedies

Regarding the non-drug treatment measures for the skin rash caused by mites, the following applies in the first place: do not scratch! Scratching aggravates the itching and, through injuries to the skin, can offer new entry points for additional pathogens.

Further measures are the daily change and the daily cleaning of worn clothes and used bed linen in order to remove any mites they may contain. The affected skin areas can be rubbed with tea tree or lavender oil, this primarily takes away the itching and also has an antibacterial and anti-parasitic effect. Daily bathing (full bath) can also reduce the number of mites, but care must also be taken to clean the towels used directly. If children are affected by mites, cleaning of used cuddly toys or toys should also be considered. Vinegar can also be applied to the affected skin, which kills the parasites, and cold, damp wraps also relieve the itching.

Read more about this under Home remedies for a rash

homeopathy

One possible homeopathic approach to treating a rash caused by mites is to use one hot full bath followed by rubbing in with a Ointment made from balsam of Peru and fat or Lysol and olive oil.
This is repeated on three consecutive evenings and concluded with a second hot full bath.

The itching can be relieved by rubbing it with Sulfur VI, as well as with vinegar or lanolin.

Contagious rash caused by mites

Mites are primarily transmitted from person to person, but this usually requires one repeated (longer) and / or closer contact between the infected and the non-infected person (e.g. sexual intercourse, breastfeeding, care in old people's homes, closer contact between family members).
Shorter contacts, such as is the case with a fleeting handshake, are usually not sufficient for a transfer.
Also the Infection through "inanimate objects" such as. Bedding, clothing, furniture, etc. is more likely Rare, since the small mites can only survive outside the body environment for a very short time (24-36 hours).

As a rule, if the immune system is intact, the body manages to keep the number of mites under control and to enable a mild course of the rash, but if people with a lowered immune system become infected, this can lead to a massive increase (Scabies norvegica), which is below Among other things, this means that these patients are highly contagious and can more easily cause infection in groups.

scabies

If there is a really classically pronounced skin rash as part of an attack by mites, it is usually the so-called scabies (Scabies) caused by a certain subspecies of mites (grave mites), the Sarcoptes scabiei.
Although the more widespread skin dust mites, which mainly trigger the well-known house dust allergy, can also show slight allergic skin reactions as an accompanying reaction in the context of the allergic reaction, a very itchy rash is more typical for the somewhat less common scabies.

Above all, they are female itch miteswhich penetrate the skin of the affected person and form small ducts under the top layer of skin in which they move and lay feces and eggs for reproduction.

Transfer become the mites from human to human, but animals too can be infested with itch mites, but these are often other types of mites (scabies in animals = mange; an infection from animal to person is also possible!)

Rash caused by mites on the face

Of mite rash, those are preferred Affected areas of the skin that have a warm or warmer environment - it often occurs, for example, between the fingers or toes, in the area of ​​the ankles or wrists, in the buttocks or genital area, in the armpit, the elbows, in the chest area or the navel area.

Of the head is usually - in adults - not infested and is left out, in infants and young children however, a rash can also occur here.

A sub-form of scabies, the scabies crustosa, in which there is increased crust formation and which is highly contagious, can typically also lead to an otherwise rather rare infestation of the neck, face, back and scalp.

Mites rash in children

Children can also get a skin rash caused by mites or scabies, although this is not necessarily - contrary to many earlier opinions - due to poor hygienic conditions in their environment.

The main route of transmission is the direct skin contact with infected other peopleso that children can become infected, especially from infected family members or in daycare or kindergarten groups.
The course, the symptoms and also the treatment of scabies in children do not differ from adults.

Grass mite rash

Grass mites (or autumn mites) can also cause rashes from their bites. The most common places for this are covered parts of the body.

3-4 hours after the bite, intensely itchy red dots appear, which usually appear in groups. After a maximum of 14 days, all complaints subside on their own.

Read more about this at: Grass mites