Head lice are very common. They are small (adult lice are the size of a sesame seed) grey-brown insects. They cannot fly or jump; neither can they burrow into the scalp. They can affect anyone, with long or short hair, no matter how clean the hair is.
Head lice are not known to spread disease. Head lice can be an annoyance because their presence may cause itching and loss of sleep. Sometimes the itching can lead to excessive scratching that can sometimes increase the chance of a secondary skin infection.
Head lice feed on blood from the scalp. The female louse lays eggs (nits) that stick to hair shafts. Head lice are tiny insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. Head lice most often affect children.
Diagnosis. Body lice are unable to burrow into the skin. Although a few body lice may be seen clinging to body hairs, most are on the clothing of an infested person. Body lice and their eggs are most abundant along the seams of clothes worn close to the body.
Head lice can't spread disease, but they can make your scalp itchy. Frequent itching could break the skin on your scalp, which could lead to infections.
You can find head lice on the scalp, neck, and ears.
Body lice are parasitic insects that live on clothing and bedding used by infested persons. Body lice frequently lay their eggs on or near the seams of clothing. Body lice must feed on blood and usually only move to the skin to feed. Body lice exist worldwide and infest people of all races.
Besides pubic region, adult louse has also been reported from axillary hairs, eyelashes, moustache and beard. Here, we present an unusual case of concomitant ophthalmic and nasal myiasis along with pubic louse infestation of nasal cavity in a young individual.
They need human blood to live. Head lice usually stay close to the scalp and behind the ears. You might also spot them on the eyebrows and eyelashes.
Lice primarily live and reproduce on the skin's surface, attaching to your hair shift. In some cases, the eggs may be burrowed just beneath the skin. Lice are easily transmitted between hosts, and cause itchy rashes.
Common signs and symptoms of lice include: Intense itching on the scalp, body or in the genital area. A tickling feeling from movement of hair. The presence of lice on your scalp, body, clothing, or pubic or other body hair.
Untreated head lice may degrade the scalp and affects it health and that of the hair. If the follicles become blocked, then hair loss may occur. It is hard to have well-conditioned hair if it is covered in head lice eggs, lice and bacteria.
Females are usually larger than males and can lay up to 8 nits per day. Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person's head. To live, adult lice need to feed on blood several times daily. Without blood meals, the louse will die within 1 to 2 days off the host.
Head lice are not known to transmit any disease and therefore are not considered a health hazard. Head lice infestations can be asymptomatic, particularly with a first infestation or when an infestation is light.
You may not experience itching until about 4 to 6 weeks after lice exposure. This is because the lice take time to multiply and cause symptoms of itchiness. The itching reaction is usually due to your skin becoming sensitized to the saliva that lice release when feeding.
You Have to Treat Them
Head lice will not go away on their own. If you think your child has an infestation, there are several steps you should take right away. Call your doctor to confirm the diagnosis. Notify your child's day care or school so other students can be checked.
Lice are attracted to the blood they get through your scalp – short, long, clean or dirty.
While head lice live in your hair and feed on your scalp, body lice usually live in your clothes and bedding. They travel to your skin several times a day to feed on blood. Your clothing seams are the most common places for body lice to lay their eggs (nits).
Typically, 10–15 head lice are found. The number of lice often depends on personal hygiene, for example, how often the person bathes, shampoos, or changes and washes his/her clothing.
Lice can live for a short time under your finger nails, and could be spread to you or to your other children. Using clips, pin back each strand of hair after you have combed out the nits.
Are pubic lice an STD? Pubic lice often get lumped in with sexually transmitted infections (STIs). That's because people get pubic lice most often during sex. But pubic lice are not an actual disease or infection.
They bite anywhere they are feeding on the head, but they are particularly fond of the back of the head and the area behind the ears because this is a warmer area of the scalp. The bites often appear as small reddish or pink bumps, sometimes with crusted blood.
Body lice are known to transmit disease (epidemic typhus, Bartonella quintana infection, and epidemic relapsing fever). For Healthcare Providers, Emergency Consultations, and General Public.
A body lice infestation is treated by improving the personal hygiene of the infested person, including assuring a regular (at least weekly) change of clean clothes. Clothing, bedding, and towels used by the infested person should be laundered using hot water (at least 130°F) and machine dried using the hot cycle.
A preventative shampoo and spray can break the life cycle. A shampoo that kills lice before they can lay eggs is critical for closing the “bridge” from one head to another. Ladibugs experts recommend parents seek effective, pesticide-free options.