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Written by Thomas Corriher
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| A typical Chinese prisoner covered in scabies. Her crime, by the way, was practicing religion. This human rights prisoner was likely tortured to death. Stop supporting the Chinese Government with your purchases. |
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We were recently contacted by one of our readers about eliminating scabies. Scabies is a term that describes a parasitic skin infestation by the itch mite (sarcoptes scabiei). The name itch mite should give readers a clear indication of the effect of these little monsters. These mites burrow under the skin to lay their eggs, and they create bacterial infections in the process. The overall immune system usually takes a hit. The itching only begins after 30 days of infection, and during this initial symptom-less period, victims may pass this condition on to all of their family members and friends. These highly contagious infestations can be transmitted whenever there is skin contact, or when there is shared contact with cloth fibers. It has been known to run rampant in institutional settings.
Finding effective natural methods of eliminating such parasites can be a challenge for those who practice alternative medicine, because the methodology required is in opposition to normal procedures. Alternative medicine normally concentrates upon working with nature, to help it overcome whatever imbalances have caused a state of dis-ease. In a sense, traditional methods can be thought of as a little too pro-life to be of any use. Poisons are not our forté, in other words. You would need to turn to Big Pharma for that, and they have literally transformed the poisoning of their own customers into a science. Allopathic medicine has plenty of poisonous chemicals that people can rub all over their skin, with their products often containing benzene and formaldehyde.
Alternative medicine usually works by improving the health of the body, so that it may easily kill any threatening bacteria or viruses. This left us in a predicament, in which we needed to find something that was both deadly to these insects, and yet safe for people. This article is a record of what we found.
Eliminating The Mites on You
Tea tree oil is one of the most popular remedies for eliminating scabies. It seems to be able to penetrate the skin and suffocate the insects. This is similar to the way that nail polish works to kill chiggers. We should note that nail polish will rarely eliminate scabies, because the mites will typically move before the nail polish dries. Tea tree oil is applied directly with a cotton swab to the bites and surrounding areas, and anywhere that there is excessive itching.
Neem oil is used by organic farmers as an all-natural insecticide. The EPA says neem is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) for use in food products. This "insecticide" is so safe that they even exempted their typical requirement for maximum pesticide residues on agricultural products, so unlimited amounts can be present in foods. Neem works differently to most pesticides, because it does not kill on contact. For some insects, it disrupts their life cycles and their desire to eat, whilst with others, it repels the insects by smell. Its smell is not strong to humans, however. In the case of scabies, neem oil prevents reproduction, a fact that is very pertinent due to their short life cycles. Neem seems to work by altering the hormones of insects (like soy), and in fact, neem is an all natural contraceptive in humans. It's a much safer contraceptive than "The Pill", we ought to mention.
Most scabies sufferers do not get more bites after two days of neem treatment, but some adult mites are guaranteed to still be alive. If possible, rub neem oil all over the body with a cotton swab, and purchase neem soap to use in the bath or shower on a daily basis for two weeks (the life cycle).
Cayenne was described in the herbal book, The Badanius Manuscript, printed in 1552, for treating scabies. Cayenne will quite literally burn the scabies, without causing any health problems for the host. Most people who use it place large amounts of cayenne into a warm bath and remain in there for an extended time (until the water becomes cold). You can purchase cheap packets of cayenne from the "Mexican" section of many grocery stores. Remember to protect your eyes while handling or bathing in cayenne.
You should keep an emergency eye wash solution in a dropper bottle containing colloidal silver and a pinch of sea salt. Do not use table salt, for it was bleached with chlorine bleach, and it will be aggravating. Yes, we already know that salt is part 'chloride', so we need no smarty comments from upcoming chemistry students. There is a difference in the salts that can be felt, so use the table salt only if you are feeling masochistic.
Zinc can be used to help fight the secondary infections that occur under the skin. Grind zinc tablets into a powder, and add water until it makes a paste. Apply it to all irritated areas of the skin. Mixing tumeric with this can help to stop any itching, and has its own anti-parasitic qualities. This is also how to make a natural anti-dandruff cream that cures in a single application. Taking notes? The downside of using zinc is that you will look like Casper, the friendly ghost, until you wash the zinc off.
Cleaning Your Environment
Mites can live in furniture, carpets, and clothing for several days. These can become a cause of constant re-infection. Thus, it is important to thoroughly clean the house to eradicate these pests. For regular vacuuming, we recommend using a vacuum with bags, and when finished, immediately remove the bags from indoors. For optimal results, put
borax powder into your standard steam cleaning mix, and clean the carpets. Use borax where ever possible, but try to limit direct skin contact and inhalation. Borax is poisonous. If you are vacuuming or spreading borax powder, then we recommend that you use a mask, like the one shown in the picture, to protect your lungs from Borax inhalation, until it has settled. These are available at most hardware stores.
Some people have successfully used diatomaceous earth to accomplish this task in a non-hazardous way. If this method is affordable, then we recommend it. However, diatomaceous earth is primarily silica, so a protective mask should still be worn to protect the lungs, whenever there is a chance of it becoming airborne.
Note that the cheap cloth-only masks that are sold in hardware stores will offer little to no protection. You need to get a real re-breather mask, like the one pictured. Read the instructions about how to test if it allows any unfiltered air inside, before beginning the application process.
Epilogue
Permanently eliminating scabies requires vigilance, but it can be done without covering the skin in harmful poisons.
