Scabies? (Photos - not graphic)

[haveipossiblygonedappy]

I share a flat with four other girls, use a communal laundrette etc. Flat wasn’t the cleanest on moving on although I have done a fair job on it and don’t sit on the floor etc , avoid using sofa etc . Halls of residence so all furnishings and curtains been used before.

I’ve come out last couple of days in a rash that’s slowly spreading and very itchy/stinging . Both inner elbows have lots of tiny wee red spots although right is slightly worse . Very recently vacuumed my bedroom - three nights ago - and wondering if I’ve disturbed something .

Googling it sounds like scabies or eczema ... no idea how to tell the difference . If it is the former can it be treated by a chemist , would I need to inform flatmates and halls staff etc ? Have attached photos .. no other itching at the moment , just elbows .

Have you been scratching? Looks like eczema to me but pharmacist can check it for you.

Psoriasis? I get very dryskin on my elbows.looks similar.

Scabies, or mange, is pretty hard to contract and needs prolonged direct contact.

That's eczema, definitely!

Lots of moisturiser and buy some hydrocortosone cream from a pharmacy.

Go to a pharmacy. They will have good advice. I'm wondering could it be fleas?

You should get it checked out by a doctor straight away. Scabies is highly infectious but easy to treat

scabies is mostly between fingers and toes.

looks like a type of exzema to me.

Ugh , I hope not fleas ! I’ve checked my mattress today and nothing odd under the sheets - have three layers on it and it’s washable as well . I don’t trust the sofa or the floor (carpeted).

I’ve got some canesten HC so will pop that in and hope it helps for the night . Need to see a GP next week anyway so if it’s persisting I’ll ask them .

Scabies would generally start in the web's of your hands, it does look like eczema or psoriasis apposed to something unclean and contagious x

Yeah scratching the left elbow tonight , driving me mad it’s so itchy

Do you have anxieties about this? Can certainly make eczema worse if so. Pop into a chemist rather than wait for gp.

Not anxious about it no , but anxious about absolutely everything else so that could explain why it’s come on perhaps . I’ll pop past chemist on Monday and see what they say .

That’s not scabies. I have worked in east Africa with nursery age children and had scabies countless times and it doesn’t look like that. You get a very visible linear track /line of spots. Typically it starts at the point of direct contact. I always got it on my hips from picking up and carrying kids. Scabies is very easily treated though with a sulphur lotion. I’d get a pharmacist to look at it just to confirm.

If it was scabies you would have a long is raised area somewhere where it burrowed in... and you would be covered all over very quickly with tiny spots that just just would not be able to stop scratching x