Causes

The tiny mites that cause scabies pass easily from one person to another. You can get scabies from close physical contact with someone who has scabies or from their bedding or clothing. Scabies can be spread both sexually and nonsexually (usually nonsexually).

Symptoms

Scabies most often appears in the finger webs and around the wrists, but itchy areas may occur anywhere. It often affects the male genital area. The burrowing of these mites leaves very small grooves and tunnels on the skin that may look like tiny gray, black, or white splinters.

Self-Care

When someone in your household has scabies, everyone in the household should be treated at the same time.

• Call your doctor to discuss the problem. If the symptoms are clearly from scabies—or if you know you were in contact with someone infested by scabies—your doctor can call your pharmacy with a prescription for a lotion that will kill the mites. Your doctor will also give you specific instructions to halt the infestation. You may need to repeat these procedures 1 week later.
• Apply the insecticide lotion to all members of the household according to package directions.
• Take an over-the-counter antihistamine, such as Benadryl, to help relieve itching.
• Wash all bedding and clothing used before or during treatment.