Skin Infestations

Skin infestations come in many forms and are often a cause for embarrassment and angst among those who suffer from it. In addition, such infestations can cause pain, discomfort, and sheer irritation throughout many parts of the body.

When skin infestations go untreated, symptoms can last for months. In addition, these conditions are highly contagious and are easily transmitted through human contact.

These skin infestations are quite treatable with prudent medical attention.

So, how do you know whether or not you have a skin infestation? While in most cases, you’ll likely recognize it immediately from the pain of an insect bite or bee sting, other cases may not be as apparent.

There are common signs and symptoms of skin infestations, and it’s good to know the various types. In the following discussion, the different types of skin infestations, what causes them, how they’re treated, and recommendations for avoidance will be covered.

What is a Skin Infestation?

Unlike a skin infection or autoimmune disease, a skin infestation is the result of an external source (typically living organisms, insects, or bugs) invading your skin, causing harm, irritation, and sometimes pain to the areas of impact. These infestations can usually be treated very easily.

Here are some of the most common types of skin infestations:

• Scabies – Microscopic mites living on and under the skin, laying eggs, and causing itchiness, redness, and rashes. The most common symptoms may take many days to weeks to become evident; however, once they do, they quickly result in extreme irritation and itchiness.
• Parasites – An umbrella term for organisms that invade the skin and cause unpleasant side effects. Hookworms are an example of a parasite.
• Lice – tiny insects that get nourishment from blood and are seen most often on the scalp. As lice feed off the blood supply to this area, they cause itchiness, scabs, and sores on the skin of the scalp. Lice can sometimes be mistaken for dandruff, so be sure to clarify the difference between these two conditions.
• Insect Bites – for this type of infestation, the offending agent usually “bites” the skin almost anywhere on the body. Bugs, fleas, ticks, fire ants, and mites are some of the most common types of bites that humans experience. Many times these injuries can lead to infection. Symptoms typically include pain, redness, burning sensations, elevated bumps, and itchiness.
• Bee Stings – Bee stings or other insect stings are most known for their potential to cause allergic or anaphylactic reactions. In most cases, however, the sting will result in an area of redness and swelling similar to other insects. If you’re allergic to stinging insects, symptoms will likely be more severe.

Treatment of Skin Infestations

The typical treatment for many of these infestations will be a topical medication, but oral medication can be indicated in some instances. Here are some specific medications used for some of the most common skin infestations.

Scabies – The treatment for scabies is usually Elimite cream that must be placed on the affected area and left in place for several hours before showering. This is usually sufficient to treat this condition but sometimes must be repeated.

Parasites – Anthelminthic medications such as mebendazole will be necessary to treat these types of infestation, and the typical time for treatment is about 1 to 3 days.

Lice – The treatment for lice can usually be purchased over the counter or by prescription. Permethrin works well in most cases.

Insect Bites – These can usually be managed with topical over-the-counter ointments and keeping areas clean and dry. On occasion, the surrounding tissue can become infected, and sometimes an abscess can form. If this happens, this can be treated with antibiotics or incision and drainage.

Bee Stings – These types of injuries to the skin can usually be managed with cool compresses and keeping the area clean and dry. Antihistamines can also help, which can be obtained over-the-counter. An allergic reaction may require treatment with epinephrine by an epi-pin.

If you have developed a skin infestation, the first thing to do is avoid contact with others. This applies to cases of scabies and lice, most notably. These conditions are highly contagious and easily transmissible to other people that you contact. This applies to contact with family members, with coworkers, with friends, and with sexual partners.

Moreover, anything that you have come in contact with should be immediately washed, cleaned, and decontaminated. This will eliminate the chances of the host surviving and being able to spread to others.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to skin infestations, your best defense is avoidance. Try to be prudent about the environment in which you interact. Maintaining cleanliness of yourself and your surroundings is paramount to prevention of infestation. Washing hands, using cleaning materials regularly in your environment, cleaning yourself properly at all times will be the best practice.

The use of some holistic products such as essential oils, creams, aloe vera, and tea tree oil in your daily hygiene regimen has been recommended to improve your defense.

Lastly, if you do happen to experience signs and symptoms of infestation, make every effort to get treatment as soon as possible. One of the reasons that people can have these problems for such a long time is the lack of quick initiation of treatment. Certainly, you can always seek professional medical care with your physician or Dermatologist to achieve the best outcome.