Scabies is an unpleasant skin disease caused by scabies mites that settle under the skin. The disease is contagious. The source is an infected person. Scabies is transmitted through clothing and bedding used by the infected individual.
Symptoms of Scabies: The main symptom is intense itching in the evenings and at night. Scabies burrows (twisted grayish lines with a small blister at the end) appear on the skin between the fingers. Scratching may lead to a lack of sleep, and skin abrasions can become infected, leading to purulent inflammation.
Before treatment, the patient and their clothing and bedding must be thoroughly sanitized. Linens should be boiled, and clothes that cannot be boiled should be ironed through a damp cloth or set aside in a separate room for 7 days. During this time, the mites die.
Treatment of Scabies with Folk Remedies Among folk remedies, celandine in petroleum jelly is used. Mix celandine juice with petroleum jelly in a 1:4 ratio and rub it into the affected areas of the skin 2-3 times a day.
Grind bay leaves into powder (in a mortar or coffee grinder), mix with butter in a 1:1 ratio, and rub into the affected skin.
Take 20 grams of powdered dry black hellebore fruits, mix with 100 grams of internal fat, and store in a cool place for 7-10 days. Use to lubricate the skin in cases of scabies, dermatitis, eczema, or skin tuberculosis. Be cautious when collecting and using black hellebore due to its toxicity.
Prevention of Scabies at Home
After treating a patient with scabies, it is recommended to treat all items and linens that came into contact with the patient (with sprays or washing in hot water). It’s believed that scabies can result from poor hygiene, but that’s not entirely true. The parasite is not affected by water or soap, so daily bathing does not guarantee that a person will avoid infection.
For prevention in children, you can dissolve a piece of soap in warm water until foam forms and apply it to the child’s body. Let the foam sit for about 30 minutes, then rinse with warm water and dress the child in fresh clothes.
Some Folk Recipes for Treating Scabies
Treatment with Dairy Products: There is a simple recipe to get rid of scabies mites. Dissolve black gunpowder in sour cream or kefir (three parts kefir or sour cream to one part gunpowder, which can be obtained from hunters or gun shops). After mixing, leave the mixture in a warm place for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Apply the mixture to the affected skin. After application, cover the treated areas with a light cloth. Leave this wrap on for at least a day, then rinse with warm water.
Treatment with Lard and Soap: For this recipe, you will need one tablespoon of melted lard, one tablespoon of grated household soap, one teaspoon of birch tar, and two teaspoons of sulfur. Mix the ingredients into a homogeneous mass. Apply the resulting ointment to the affected areas. Repeat the procedure for a week.
Treatment with Household Soap: This is one of the simplest folk remedies for treating scabies. Grate a bar of household soap, add water until you get a sticky, viscous mass, and heat it on low. Meanwhile, grate one onion and one head of garlic. When the soap mixture becomes homogeneous, add the onion and garlic. Mold the warm mixture into small pieces and let them cool. These pieces can then be used as soap.
Treatment with Tomatoes: First, heat 500 milliliters of sunflower oil in a pan and fry 1 kilogram of tomatoes for 20 minutes. Strain the resulting liquid and use it to rub the affected areas of the body several times a day. This recipe not only alleviates itching but also helps heal scratch marks.
If tomatoes are unavailable, buckthorn bark can be used instead, which can be found at any pharmacy. Pour 500 milliliters of water over the bark and simmer over low heat. After boiling, let it infuse for about 20 minutes. This remedy can be used once or several times a day, depending on the severity of the scabies.