How to Kill Scabies - Home Treatment For Scabies Mites

If you are wondering how to kill scabies mites, you may have already come across various pieces of advice. Although the traditional way to treat this condition is by using prescription medication, there is an extremely effective home treatment for scabies which will give relief from the itching and begin working within just 24 hours.

Many people have issues with the traditional treatments which are given by doctors-and many would say quite rightly so. The strong insecticides which are routinely prescribed can have short-term unpleasant side effects which are not dissimilar to those caused by the scabies themselves, such as itching and burning. What is more worrying though is the fact that some of them have associations with quite serious conditions. The three most popular treatments are Permethrin, Lindane and Malathion.

When looking at how to kill scabies, Permethrin is the most widely prescribed treatment. The side effects include stinging, itching and burning. Having said this, these can be short lived and some would argue that these are minor complications if the scabies mites are being eradicated! Permethrin is made from Pyrethrum, which is a common ingredient in insecticides and some people prefer to avoid the use of it altogether as there is some speculation that it may be a carcinogen.

Lindane used to be the most widely prescribed treatment for scabies but since the FDA reported a higher incidence of seizures amongst users, it has fallen out of favor. It is banned completely in 40 countries and its' use is strictly regulated in 20 others. It has been associated with an increase in leukemia in children and non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in farmers who routinely use it on cattle and grain.

The chemical Malathion, although used more for head lice, is also sometimes prescribed for scabies. There is evidence to suggest that Malathion can cause headaches, dizziness, muscle weakness and nausea and even difficulty breathing.

When used correctly, these conventional treatments will kill off the scabies. Increasingly though, many people are choosing to use natural remedies as they are often kinder on the skin and have less side effects.

One excellent home treatment for scabies is tea tree oil. If you are wondering how to kill scabies with it, there are are two things you should do. Firstly, take a warm bath into which you have added around 20 drops of tea tree oil. Soak in the bath for around 15 minutes. You can repeat this twice daily. It can also be very effective to use a cotton wool ball and put diluted tea tree oil on the areas with the worst irritation twice daily.

There are certain measures you should take to prevent reinfestation. It is advisable to wash all bed linen and towels in very hot water-indeed as hot as the fabrics will tolerate. The scabies mites can live outside the body for around 3 days, so good general hygiene is absolutely essential, as is treating all family members at the same time. It is particularly important to prevent scratching, as the mites and eggs can be trapped under the nails, making reinfestation more likely. For young children, this could mean wearing gloves and for both children and adults, keeping the nails short will help as will using a nailbrush and thoroughly cleaning the nails several times a day.

To see methods of eradicating scabies quickly, please visit Home Treatment For Scabies. You will find information on all aspects of scabies treatment and how to kill scabies within just 24 hours.