What is the Difference Between Scabies and Urticaria?

Scabies and urticaria are two medical conditions that result in skin rashes, causing itching. However, they have different causes and clinical manifestations. The key differences between scabies and urticaria include:

1. Causes: Scabies is caused by a mite called Sarcoptes scabiei, while urticaria is caused by an allergic reaction to food or something people have touched.
2. Risk Factors: The risk factors for scabies include people living in crowded conditions, infants or children, elderly people, and healthcare workers. On the other hand, the risk factors for urticaria include people allergic to certain things, children who suffer from asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and extreme stress.
3. Appearance: Urticaria presents as pale red, raised, and extremely itchy skin rashes, while scabies causes skin lesions that are red and look similar to an insect bite, with the burrow of the mite may or may not be visible.
4. Location: Scabies bites tend to localize at skin folds, such as between fingers, at the flexion points over wrists, elbows, and other areas, while urticaria can appear on any part of the skin.
5. Diagnosis: The cause of urticaria is difficult to identify, and allergy testing is sometimes done to find out the cause. Blood counts might show elevated eosinophil counts in urticaria. Scabies is suspected if one of your family members is suffering from it, and the signs and symptoms are sufficient to raise the diagnosis. Skin scraping is done to confirm the diagnosis by identifying the mite.
6. Treatment: Treatment for urticaria involves avoiding contact with the causative agent, using anti-histamines, and maintaining good hygiene. Scabies is treated by maintaining hygiene, washing all clothes and bedding, and using prescribed creams or pills to treat the mite infestation.

Comparative Table: Scabies vs Urticaria

The main difference between scabies and urticaria is that scabies is a skin rash caused by a mite called Sarcoptes scabiei, while urticaria is a skin rash resulting from an allergic reaction to food or something that has been touched. Here is a table comparing the two conditions:

Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical examination and skin biopsy and can be caused due to infectious organisms.