Does garlic kill scabies?
Scabies may be hard to treat without the use of medication. The reason is because the symptoms are usually somewhat intense. Natural ingredients like garlic may help in alleviating the condition, but may not kill or get rid of the scabies completely. Also, if the symptoms of scabies are quickly detected, garlic may work for its treatment.
Most times, garlic works for those who might have at one time or the other had to treat scabies. The reason for this is that the symptoms appear faster than in someone who has never had to treat scabies.
At first exposure, the body trains its immune system to react to the mites. So, by the time the second exposure occurs, the body’s ready to fight back quickly. At that time, the scabies condition wouldn’t have worsened too much, making garlic work for its eradication.
The major reason garlic works to kill scabies is because it contains a constituent known as allicin. It penetrates deep into the tunnels burrowed by the female mites and then, kills them.
How to use garlic for scabies
For tips on how to use garlic for the treatment of scabies, follow the instructions below;
- Peel the outer covering of the garlic and then, slice the major cloves into two. Rub the clove right against the affected area of the skin.
- Instead of using the method described above, you could also add the sliced garlic into a bowl. After that, add olive oil to the garlic. Mix the two ingredients and then, smear the oil onto the affected area of the skin.
- If the skin reacts to the garlic, you could reduce its concentration by adding more olive oil. After that, rub it into your skin again.
- Either way, ensure that you keep the oiled area wrapped with a plastic sheath. That way, the oil isn’t rubbed off on clothes and other apparels. This technique also makes the garlic to be very effective and help to kill and get rid of the scabies.
Natural ways to kill scabies
Meanwhile, some people are allergic to garlic or its oil and may end up with reactions like burns. Such people could opt for safer natural remedies like the following;
- Tea tree oil
This oil is the most effective when the scabies condition is still relatively mild. After it has been applied on the skin, it gets rid of the severe itch and also any other allergic reaction. The only thing is that it doesn’t kill the eggs that have been laid deep in the skin tissues by the adult mite.
Another issue with tea tree oil lies in the fact that most people are allergic to it. That is why it is recommended that the oil is applied onto a small area of skin first before it is rubbed across the whole body. That way, you can know if you are allergic to it. Common allergic reactions include rashes and burns on the skin.
Tea tree oil is advantageous for the eradication of scabies because it fights against bacteria, inflammation, and mites. It also helps in relieving the itching that occurs as a result of the mites.
- Neem
Neem is sold in different forms—creams, oils, soaps, etc. However, it may not be efficient for the treatment of scabies. It only helps to alleviate the symptoms that arise as a result of the condition.
For example, due to the severe itching, the affected person scratches hard across his or her skin. The scratching leads to the formation of blisters and sores that make the body prone to bacterial infection.
Neem also helps in reducing the occurrence of inflammation across the skin. When scabies occurs for a long time stretch, there’d be the occurrence of pimple-like bumps on the skin. Neem clears that and any other pain that could arise as a result. Neem has analgesic properties.
- Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera has a cool and relieving effect that helps to clear itches that occur as a result of the allergic reaction of the body to mites.
It also contains benzyl benzoate which is one of the constituents known for killing mites that have burrowed deep into the skin. Most people usually do not have any side effects when they use Aloe Vera. So, it’s one of the safest natural medicaments to use for the treatment of scabies.
However, when purchasing Aloe Vera, ensure that it isn’t adulterated with other chemicals. Those chemicals could cause other reactions on your skin.
- Cayenne Pepper
Due to the burrowing effect of the mites, scabies could come along with a lot of pain. The pain usually streams down the skin tissues and can be pretty serious at night.
What cayenne pepper does is to make the affected area numb. That way, you wouldn’t feel much pain during the time it is applied.
However, before you proceed to work with this, make sure you ascertain that you aren’t allergic to it. One way you can go about that is to apply it on one part of your skin before smearing it across the rest.
- Clove oil
Clove is very effective in getting rid of scabies. If you are familiar with cloves, you’d note that it helps to get rid of insects like mites.
Asides that, it is also good for fighting against microbes that could fight for entry into the body through the compromised skin. Scabies leads to the formation of sores and other blisters through which bacteria can easily find its way through.
Clove oil also works similarly to cayenne pepper when it making the skin numb. That way, the affected person wouldn’t have to feel the pain that occurs within the affected skin tissues. The itching effect would also be reduced via a wide bracket.
What to do during scabies treatment
In order to make the natural remedies described above effective, you have to ensure that you follow through with some lifestyle modifications. Below are examples of these modifications;
- Place your bedding, towels, and other clothing that you use in a washing machine. Spin the clothes at high speed and then, dry them at the highest heat possible. Mites usually cannot survive under high heat.
- If the material (watches, jewellery) cannot be washed, seal it in a plastic sheath for a time long enough for the mites to die. Five to seven days is enough for this process.
- Spray your beddings and other materials with tea tree oil. It helps in suffocating the mites.
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