What are the symptoms of scabies?

General information about scabies

Scabies, which is also popularly known as "scabies", is a parasitic disease that causes severe itching in those affected.

Often one encounters the disease in places where many people meet. These are, for example, retirement or nursing homes, schools and other community facilities.

The transmission takes place from person to person. The symptoms are caused by the itch mite. This is less than 1 mm in size and therefore cannot be seen with the naked eye. The mites burrow into the uppermost layers of the skin and form tunnel systems there.
They lead to an immune system reaction that explains the severe itching. This excruciating itchiness, in turn, causes those affected to constantly scratch and scrape, so that the skin becomes further irritated.

Read more about the topic here: Itchy skin - these are the causes

It is often mistakenly assumed that people with scabies neglect their personal hygiene. However, this is by no means true. Anyone can become infected with scabies if they have skin contact with an infected person.

Symptoms of scabies

Probably the most striking symptom of scabies is that Itching. This comes through a immunological reaction on components of the mite.

Especially at night the itching is very pronounced. This has the following reason: The warmth of the bed lowers the itch threshold, so that the Increased itching becomes. Also warm wool sweater or very warm outside temperatures aggravate the symptoms.
The itching affects the entire body and also occurs in regions without mites. In addition occurs Burning of the skin on. Redness are also very typical.

Show on the skin elongated papules. These are skin manifestations that rise above the skin level and how elongated "Courses" appearance. These are the tunnels that the mites dig in the top layers of the skin. Also Scaling of the skin are possible. Because of the intense itching, those affected tend to feel the skin scratch up. Secondarily, this leads to small injuries to the skin that can crust. These small injuries encourage secondary bacterial infection. Then you can too small pustules or vesicles be visible.
The appearance of the various skin symptoms on certain areas of the body is very typical. This includes the Spaces between fingers and toes, the Genital region, wrists, the region around the Nipples around as well as the front Axillary fold.

itching

Probably the most common and worst symptom for those affected is itching. This is also the main symptom of scabies.
It arises because the immune system reacts to components of the itch mites. The result is itching, which is very bad, especially at night. This fact can be explained by the fact that the warmth of the bed reduces the itching threshold. The itching occurs all over the body, so that parts of the body without mites are also affected.

What might also interest you: Itching in the vagina

In some sufferers, however, the itching is absent. Especially patients with a weakened immune system often show no or only very slight itching. This is because the immune system cannot react particularly strongly to the itch mites in these people. Typically, itching first appears 3 weeks after infection with the itch mites.

Read more about the topic here: What can be behind an itchy rash.

Symptoms in Children

children can be affected by scabies just like adults. Especially community facilities like schools or Kindergartens, in which many children meet and also have skin contact, promote the transmission of itch mites from person to person.

The Symptoms are basically same as in adults. Here, too, the typical leading symptom is the itching. However, this can occur in different degrees.
Children with an immune deficiency often show only very weak itching or even no itching at all. In contrast to adults, however, the typical skin changes in scabies occur, in addition to the otherwise usual skin regions, also on the Palms and soles on.

Children also have a tendency to scratch their skin when they itch and therefore have small injuries, flaking and other eczema-like skin changes over time.

Symptoms of infection

An infection with the scabies becomes first once not noticed.
The pathogen, namely the itch mite, is usually about direct skin contact transfer. Only very rarely does it come to infection through sharing textiles. The transmission of the pathogen is not noticed at all. Only about 3 weeks after the transfer symptoms begin to appear. Infection with the itch mite does not cause itching or any other symptoms.

Symptoms in the early stages

In the initial stage of scabies, itching occurs, which can vary in severity. It shows up around 3 weeks after being infected with the pathogen. The itching is particularly bad at night. Gradually, the itching affects the entire body and typical skin changes appear.

Symptoms in the course

in the course of scabies to change their symptoms too. First of all, about 3 weeks between infection with the pathogen and the appearance of symptoms. This is the so-called incubation period.

Then the disease usually begins with itching. The itching is very severe in some people and less pronounced in others. It initially affects individual parts of the body and then quickly spreads to the entire body. At the same time, elongated skin appearances that are slightly raised above the skin level and are known as Papules be designated and how Corridors or small tunnels appearance. General reddening of the skin in various places is also typical. The itching causes those affected to scratch their skin. This leads to small injuries, flaking and crusting of the skin. Continue to emerge Eczemawhich the longer the disease is left untreated, the worse it is.

Symptoms after treatment

In Germany, scabies are typically treated with the active ingredient Permethrin. This is applied to the entire skin and washed off after a set exposure time. Treatment is after Repeated for 7 days.

It is important to know that the itching and also the eczema of the skin a few more weeks after a successful treatment consist can. In particular, people with allergies or diseases such as neurodermatitis and asthma often show symptoms for a period of a few days to two weeks even after treatment.

However, a cure can also be prevented by application errors in therapy or a renewed infection with contact persons, so that symptoms continue to occur. Hence the Co-treatment of contact persons, for example in the same household, very important.

In check-ups, however, the doctor can distinguish whether the symptoms persist after healing or whether the infection is active.

Symptoms in the incubation period

The incubation period of the disease about 3 weeks. By definition, the incubation period is the time between the onset of the pathogen and the appearance of the first symptoms. This depends on the disease and the particular pathogen. From this definition of terms it can also be deduced that no symptoms during the incubation period occur.

However, before the first symptoms of scabies are felt and visible, some reactions take place in the immune system of those affected. These take place in silence and are not noticed by those affected.