Scabies are itchy, scratchy and painful rashes on the entire body. Usually children and young adult contact this highly contagious skin condition, but anyone can get scabies anytime.
Scabies rashes appear as small red bumps all over the body, and if not treated timely then they can become very painful pus filled blisters. There are a large number of home remedies that can heal scabies before they turn into blisters.
The skin areas that may begin showing first signs of scabies rashes on the body are armpits, spaces between fingers, under the breasts, genital area, buttocks, knees, waist, wrists, elbows and shoulder blades, before they spread to the rest of the body.
What Causes Scabies?
These mites survive on dead skin cells for about a month and if they are not treated on time then they quickly multiply and make the condition worse.
Scabies are transmitted from infected persons by contact that is why more cases of scabies are found in homes, nursing homes day care centers, hospitals and schools. Scabies are also transmitted through sex among adults.
Scabies require intimate and prolonged contact to spread from one person to the other. Scabies is not a sexually transmitted disease (STD), but the sexual act provides perfect conditions for prolonged skin contact for the scabies mites to reach other bodies.
So, don't worry occasional skin to skin contact such as handshake will not give you scabies if the other person is infected.
Home Remedies for Scabies
Before you look at the home remedies, you need to ensure that you do not pass it on to others, particularly to your family members.
Since these mites survive on dead skin, they can not survive on the affected persons clothes and linen. So wash all linens, bed sheets and clothes on a very high temperatures wash cycle.
If anyone in your home has contacted scabies then you and others in the house must take all precautions to ensure that you don't contact scabies. Stay away from affected people and maintain high personal hygiene. Stunning your body twice a week is a good habit to remove all dead skin from your body.
Following remedies will help affected people to get rid of scabies and pain relief.
1- Turmeric Powder
Turmeric is antimicrobial so it helps to treat scabies infection.
- Take a teaspoon of turmeric powder. Add juice of one lemon to make a thick paste. Add some water if the paste is too thick.
- Apply the turmeric lemon paste on the affected area.
- Wash and rinse it off with warm water after one hour.
Do it daily to get rid of scabies.
2. Onion Juice
Onions are very useful in removing the itch caused by scabies. The itch is irritating and it is painful to scratch. An analgesic compound called quercetin resolves the itch. Onion also is antibacterial.
- Chop one onion and place it in a blender with 2 tablespoons of water.
- Churn the blender to make thin paste.
- Apply the paste on the affected area.
- Make more paste and apply if one onion is not sufficient.
Do it 2-3 times a day to get relief from the itch caused by scabies.
3. Clove oil
Clove oil is not only a great remedy for toothache, but also is good for reducing itch caused by scabies due to its antimicrobial and analgesic properties.
You need to dilute clove oil before applying otherwise it may give burning sensation or even damage the skin. Use the following method to apply clove oil on scabies:
- Add 5 teaspoons of coconut oil to one teaspoon of clove oil. This should be enough to cover the entire adult body.
- Apply the clove oil coconut oil mixture on the affected scabies area and leave it there.
4. Neem Oil
Neem has both antibacterial and antifungal properties. It's smell is not appealing but it works very well as the same smell doesn't let the mites multiply. It reduces the time period for Scabies to disappear.
- Apply raw neem Oil directly on the affected skin.
- Massage the area so that the skin absorbs the oil completely.
- Keep it for 15 minutes and then take a bath with warm water.
5. White Vinegar
White Vinegar or even Apple Cider Vinegar is good for most types of skin rashes. Vinegar doesn't allow the mites to multiply.
- Dilute white vinegar with water by mixing both in equal quantities and apply it on the scabies affected area with cotton ball.
- Leave it for 30 minutes and wash it with warm water. Since most of you body skin area is generally affected by scabies
With the help of these remedies itching and pain will substantially reduce and your scabies should disappear within a couple of weeks. If not then you should contact a dermatologist.