Understanding Skin Mites: Types, Symptoms & Transmission

Skin mites are a group of microscopic organisms that burrow into a mammal's skin. For humans, most skin mites are not a problem. A few, however, are easily transmitted and spread. In most cases, the mites are transmitted from person to person. In a few cases, mites are spread by humans coming in contact with the organism.

Types

• Scabies, chiggers and house dust mites are the most common skin mites that affect humans.

Symptoms

• Intense itching, redness and swelling of the affected area are the most common symptoms of skin mites.

Transmission

• Scabies are transmitted from another infected person, while chiggers are picked up in grassy, rural areas. House dust mites attach to human skin and are common in homes.

Diagnosis

• To properly diagnose skin mites, a health care professional will take skin samples and scrape the affected area for further examination.

Treatment

• Permethrin, lindane and sulfur are commonly prescribed treatments for scabies. For other skin mites, a shower or bath typically gets rid of the problem.

Considerations

• All bedding, towels, clothing and furniture should be treated in order to stop further disease transmission. Pesticide use in the yard will kill chiggers.