INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Once you have a definitive diagnosis, your doctor will likely prescribe a lotion or cream to treat the scabies. These preparations can cure most cases of scabies, especially if you follow your doctor's orders. Most of the skin preparations are applied at bedtime and washed off in the morning, and some may require a follow up treatment one week later. Your doctor may prescribe one of the following medicated creams and lotions: 5% permethrin cream, which is the most common treatment for scabies 25% benzyl benzoate lotion 10% sulfur lotion 10% crotamiton cream 1% lindane lotion In cases of widespread and Norwegian scabies, you may require stronger medication than a topical cream or lotion. Your doctor may prescribe ivermectin to treat a severe case of scabies. You may only require one dose of ivermectin to treat your scabies, though some patients may need two to three doses. Make sure to follow your doctor's orders when taking ivermectin. In addition to medications, you may need other treatments to manage other symptoms or infections. Your doctor may suggest one or more of the following to help manage your symptoms and alleviate any discomfort: An antihistamine, which can help control itching and related insomnia Pramoxine lotion, which can help control itching An antibiotic cream or pill, to kill any infection A steroid cream, to relieve any itching, redness, and inflammation A cool bath or compresses to minimize itching Mites can survive without human skin for 24 to 36 hours. Washing your clothes, beddings, towels, and washcloths can prevent recurrence in your or scabies from spreading to others. Wash all items in a washing machine and use the hottest water you can. Dry everything in a dryer on the hottest possible setting. Dry clean anything you can't wash or seal the items in a plastic bag for at least a week to starve the mites. In general, you do not need to wash anything that hasn't touched your skin. On the day that you start treatment, vacuum your entire home. This can capture any mites that may be lingering in fabrics that you can't wash and prevent recurrence or spreading the mites. Make sure to throw away the vacuum bag when you are finished and clean the canister with hot, soapy water. Getting medical treatment can kill mites, alleviate symptoms, and heal any infections that have developed. Your skin should heal within four weeks. You may notice that the itching and rash worsen the first few days of treatment. It some cases, people need multiple treatments to cure scabies. Contact your doctor if you continue to have symptoms after four weeks.

SUMMARY: Apply cream to the affected area. Ingest oral medication. Manage symptoms. Wash fabrics that contact your skin. Vacuum your home. Wait for skin to heal.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Transfer the snake from the enclosure and into a small, plastic container with a lid. Make sure that the lid has small holes so that the snake can breathe, but that the holes aren't large enough for the snake to escape. If you cannot find a lid with holes, use an electric drill to create some. Remove the old substrate and discard it. Replace it with fresh, new paper towels. If the garter snake eats worms or fish, the substrate will need to be changed more frequently than if the snake is on a mouse diet. Remove feces and urea every week from the enclosure and add small amounts of new substrate to top it up if necessary. Completely remove the substrate every couple of months to replace it. Mix a few drops of dishwashing detergent into a bucket of warm water. Remove everything from the enclosure and use a cleaning rag to wipe down the enclosure walls and floor, the hides, the cage furniture, and the water bowl with the soapy water. Dry the enclosure fully using a clean rag before setting up the enclosure again and returning the snake. If you are using a paper towel substrate, in addition to cleaning the whole enclosure every few months, simply wipe down the glass where the paper towels are soiled when you change them. If the cage furniture cannot be cleaned, such as objects made from cardboard, replace it when you clean the enclosure. Cage furniture that is made from plastic or wood can be wiped down and dried.

SUMMARY:
Remove the snake before you clean the enclosure. Change the substrate once per week if you're using paper towels. Replace the substrate every few months if it's shavings, mulch, or bark. Clean the enclosure completely using soapy water every 2-3 months.