Diagnosis
To diagnose scabies, your healthcare professional looks at your skin for symptoms of mites. Your healthcare professional also may scrape a sample of sores on your skin to look at under a microscope. This shows if there are mites or eggs.
Treatment
Scabies treatment involves killing the mites and eggs with a medicated cream or pill. There are several you can get with a prescription.
Because scabies spreads so easily, your healthcare professional may suggest treating all the people in your home and other close contacts. They need treatment even if they don't have symptoms of scabies.
Treatment for scabies often includes:
- Permethrin cream. Permethrin is a skin cream that kills mites that cause scabies and their eggs. Most often, you put the cream on your whole body, from the neck down. You leave it on for 8 to 14 hours, so it's best to use it overnight. You may need two treatments to get rid of the mites. You may need more treatment if you get new symptoms. It's safe for most adults, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and children over 2 months old.
- Sulfur cream. Sulfur cream is a scabies treatment that you put on overnight. You rinse it off in the morning and put it on again for 5 to 7 nights in a row. Keep using the cream if symptoms don't go away. Sulfur is safe to use in pregnancy and in children under 2 months old.
- Ivermectin. You can take ivermectin as a pill to treat scabies when prescription creams don't work. Healthcare professionals often prescribe it for people with crusted scabies or lowered immune systems. It's not for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or for children who weigh less than 33 pounds (15 kilograms).
These medicines kill mites fast, but itching may not stop for weeks.
Healthcare professionals may prescribe other skin treatments for people who can't use these medicines or don't get relief from them.
Self-care
Your skin might itch for weeks after scabies treatment. Taking allergy pills by mouth or using skin creams you can get without a prescription, such as calamine lotion, may ease itching.
Preparing for your appointment
Make an appointment with your healthcare professional if you or your child has symptoms of scabies.
Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.
Things to do before your appointment
Make a list of:
- Symptoms you or your child has, and when they began.
- Possible sources of infection, such as other family members who have had a rash.
- Key medical information, including other health issues and the names of medicines and their dosages that you or your child takes.
- Questions to ask your healthcare professional.
Some basic questions to ask about scabies include:
- What's the most likely cause of these symptoms?
- What treatment do you suggest?
- How soon will my symptoms improve with treatment?
- Are there home remedies or self-care steps that I can use to ease symptoms?
- Can I or my child spread this to other people? For how long?
- How can I keep from spreading scabies to others?
What to expect from your doctor
Your healthcare professional may ask you questions, such as:
- Have the symptoms gotten worse over time?
- If you or your child has a rash, what parts of the body are affected?
- Have you been in close contact with anyone who has had a rash, an itch or both within the past several weeks?
- Are you pregnant or breastfeeding?
- Is your child in school or a child care group?
What you can do in the meantime
Before your appointment, try medicines you can get without a prescription to ease itching. Allergy pills and calamine lotion may help. Ask your healthcare professional which medicines are safe for your child.