What is scabies?
“Scab is a contagious skin condition caused by the scabies mite. This is a small animal that cannot be seen with the naked eye,” RIVM writes. The animal lays eggs in your skin.
Where and with whom?
Scabies is currently most common among young people and can spread through skin-to-skin contact. The numbers are highest in the 15 to 24 age group. Heiman Wertheim, professor of clinical microbiology at Radboudumc in Nijmegen, says: “It happens a lot among students. You see clusters in student houses, where young people live close together and share clothes.” In terms of regions, scabies is now most common in Groningen, Drenthe and Rotterdam Rijnmond.
How do you recognize scabies?
The most common complaint of scabies is itching. You suffer from an allergic reaction to the mite. In many cases, the itching increases when it is warm and also at night. In addition to itching, you may experience blisters and red bumps on the skin. This often occurs between the fingers, on wrists and feet.
Red stripes may also appear on the skin. These are the tunnels that the scabies mite digs in the skin to lay the eggs. Young children up to the age of four can also develop scalp problems.
Therapy
Do you suspect you have scabies? Then go to the doctor. Your doctor can prescribe you cream against scabies (permethrin) or ivermectin pills.
Irritated skin? Use this remedy in the bath:
Source: Radar