Can Dettol kill scabies?
Medically, the only way scabies can be treated is via the use of scabies-specific and chemically constituted medications like sulfur ointment, hydrocortisone creams, etc. Any other constituent or medication like Dettol, Vaseline, or Aloe Vera, will not kill the scabies but only help to alleviate one or two of the symptoms. Understanding what the Scabies condition really entails will go a long way in helping you treat it.
First, Scabies is caused by an eight-legged insect called Mite. This mite can only be found on the body of an affected individual.
So, the moment you begin to feel the symptoms, there’s a 100% chance that you’ve had contact with such person.
The contact that occurs for another individual to contract the scabies condition is usually prolonged. Examples of these forms of prolonged contacts include the following;
$exual interaction
$exual interaction between one affected individual and another unaffected individual affords the mites enough time to crawl from one body to the other. Most times, the other unaffected individual experiences the symptoms around his or her genιtal area.
Crowded living
In nursing facilities, prisons, hostels, and other places where the space is overcrowded, an individual has a higher chance of contracting scabies.
The reason is that these mites at one point or the other crawl off the body of the affected individual. From there, they latch on to another individual and start to lay their eggs.
Sharing of personal items
If you share items like towels, wristwatches, pillows, beddings, etc. with someone that has scabies, you have a 90% chance of contracting the condition.
The reason for this is also tied to the mobile nature of the mites. This is one reason sharing of personal belongings isn’t encouraged.
Once the mites find their way onto the unaffected individual’s body via any of the means above, they begin to lay their eggs. These mites are usually found at thin areas of the skin. Check the following;
- The areola of the nιpples
- The wrists
- The forehead (mostly observed in babies)
- The genιtals
- The armpit
- The buttocks
- The waist
- The space between fingers
These areas are thin and rich with blood circulation—just what the mites need. The female mite starts by burrowing deep into the upper layer (stratum corneum) of the skin tissues.
That way, the eggs they lay can be secure and nourished until they hatch. The female lays about two eggs every day while continuing to burrow down the skin.
These eggs have a length of bout 0.15mm (a microscopic value) and will hatch after a period of three days.
Once the eggs hatch, the larvae begin to crawl back to the surface of the skin. The larvae only last for about three days before molting to form the nymph.
The larvae and nymphs are usually found within hair follicles and under the microscope, they look similar to the adult mites. These mites hold on firmly to the skin with the aid of suckers attached to their legs.
Once the mites grow into adults, they mate and then, continue with their life cycle.
The body has an immune system that’s always on the lookout for invasive elements. On finding the laid eggs, a reactive mechanism is raised and that’s when the affected individual begins to feel itchy all over.
For people who haven’t experienced this condition before, the symptoms may not appear until about 2 to 6 weeks of infestation.
And the funny thing is that during that period, contraction of the condition is still possible.
However, for someone that has contracted the condition before, the body already has a defense mechanism in place for scabies. So, it is able to detect the eggs faster.
So, such individual would notice the symptoms within a day or at most, a week after infestation. The good thing about this is that the condition can be treated quickly before the mites form a whole colony.
The first symptom noticed is the intense itching. This itching is seen as a kind of allergic reaction to the eggs laid within the skin tissues. The body also reacts to the feces and other matter linked to the mites.
This itching becomes even more intense at night, and could lead to rashes or slight scratches across the skin.
When the condition becomes prolonged, the scratches could turn into bruises and the bruises in turn, expose the skin to bacteria and other microbes. That’s when you hear of bacterial infections.
For people that have their immune system already weakened by some other condition like HIV/AIDS or other issues like old age, the scabies becomes even more severe and would show up as thick crusts and vesicles on the skin.
These vesicles usually house thousands of mites at once. That’s why crusted scabies is the most infectious kind of scabies.
Let’s now look more closely at the kinds of medications that you can use to treat scabies. These medications work to kill the mites.
However, before you use any of the medication options listed below, make sure you have your physician’s recommendation first.
Permethrin cream
This cream helps to kill the mites and the eggs that they lay. It doesn’t eradicate the itching though.
Ivermectin
This medication is a pill and is usually prescribed when the topical applications are ineffective. Ivermectin is also good for severe cases of scabies like crusted scabies.
However, it cannot be used by pregnant women or nursing mothers.
Crotamiton cream
This medication also works to eradicate the scabies condition. But then, it is a preferred means of medication in adults.
Sulfur ointment
This medication is usually not recommended as first-line medication. And that’s because most people do not like the smell of sulfur. Either way, it shouldn’t be used for children that are younger than two months.
All of the medications above deal with the scabies. But then, for the itching, you can work with any of these;
Antihistamines
This medication works best for the intense night itching. It also helps you sleep much more easily.
Pramoxine cream
This medication helps with the itching and will give you the much needed relief at night.
Antibiotics
Medications in this category help with the treatment of open sores that have been infected with bacteria.
Steroid cream
This cream helps to relieve the issues that arise as a result of frequent scratching of the affected spot—bumps, itching and redness.
While working with these medications, ensure that you carry out some personal hygiene tips. Wash your clothes and beddings as often as possible while drying them at high heat.
It is the high heat that usually kills the mites. You should also vacuum-clean your home and living space in order to get rid of a number of the mites.
Lastly, you should also keep other infested items like watches and jewelry in nylon bags. The mites would eventually die after some time.
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