If you’ve ever experienced the relentless itching that comes with a scabies infection, you’ll know it’s no small mosquito bite matter. There are about 1 million scabies cases in the United States alone each year, and the individuals affected cannot be isolated by gender, class, income, or personal hygiene habits. Scabies is a contagious disease caused by itch mites. The persistent itching is accompanied by rashes, blisters, pimple-like formations, pain, and redness.
Itch mites are parasites that dig into the skin, where they lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch, the larvae start to crawl to the surface of the skin. This not only worsens symptoms but puts an individual affected at risk of the symptoms spreading. The itchiness is caused by an allergic reaction in the skin to the mites.
Here are 10 highly effective ways of ridding yourself and your home of these pesky pests.
1. Wash Your Clothing And Pets Thoroughly
The first sensible must-do point of action is to rid, not only yourself but the surroundings of these mites. They are invisible to the naked eye and can and do spread from you, the human host, to their surroundings. Mites cannot survive for longer than 36 hours without their human hosts – however, the problem lies in reinfection.
The mites on your dog will cause mange not scabies and just as you cannot get mange, your dog cannot get scabies – but it can survive on your pet for a while and burrow back into your skin at the first opportunity when you make contact with your dog or the mite-infested couch.
Your clothes, curtains, and linen need to be washed in a hot temperature of the water as possible, and then either air dries them or put them in a hot dryer to kill the mites. A study has shown that hot, dry heat of over 50 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes will kill the mites. For safety’s sake, use a 30-minute or longer drying cycle. Use a disinfectant in the water if possible.
