HEAD LICE
| Published: 4th March 2007 13:37 |
Head Lice (Pediculus capitis) affects only humans, and cannot be passed on to, or caught from animals. Infestation with head lice is also known as pediculosis.
Head lice are tiny grey-brown, wingless insects, which live by sucking blood from the scalp. Their eggs are known as nits and they are laid glued to the base of hairs, and look like tiny white specks.
The eggs hatch after 7 to 10 days, and 10 to 14 days after hatching the lice are mature and between 2 and 4 mm long (the size of a sesame seed). Once mature they start to reproduce, so numbers can grow alarmingly if not treated.
Head lice are common in schoolchildren,
Symptoms Infestation often causes itching of the scalp, but may also go unnoticed. If you suspect head lice, check the base of hairs for eggs and comb the hair over a piece of white paper to see if you can spot any dark mature lice.Sometimes an infestation is marked by tiny red spots on the scalp. Lice may be visible in the hair behind the ears and at the nape of the neck as these are favourite spots for infestations.
Causes Head lice are transferred by close hair-to-hair contact. They cannot jump, fly or swim The presence of head lice is indicated by repeated itching of the scalp, or by detecting them in the hair. This can be done using a special fine toothed comb
Head lice are difficult to remove because of their size, reinfestation rate, life cycle, and their ability to develop immunity to insecticides. Lice can be a persistent and recurring nuisance, so it is important to treat them quickly and thoroughly.
Once infestation is confirmed it can be treated at home by either using a wet comb with conditioner, or medicated lotions, combined with a special nit comb available from pharmacies.
Wet combing method
Wet combing, or ‘bug-busting' is used to remove lice without using chemical treatments. This method can be helpful because head lice are growing increasingly resistant to the insecticides used to remove them. The best procedure is as follows:
•· wash the hair as normal,
•· apply conditioner liberally (this causes the lice to lose their grip on the hair),
•· comb the hair through with a normal comb first,
•· with a fine tooth nit comb, comb from the roots along the complete length of the hair and after each stroke check the comb for lice and wipe it clean. Work methodically over the whole head for at least 30 minutes,
•· rinse the hair as normal, and
•· repeat every three days for at least two weeks.
Medicated lotion or rinse
Ask your pharmacist for an over-the-counter insecticide lotion or crème rinse. Apply the preparation according to the instructions, and remove the lice and eggs with a fine-toothed nit comb. You should take care when applying treatment because the preparations are usually toxic. The normal advice is to treat once, and repeat seven days later.
Always ask for advice before using medicated lotions on young babies (under 6 months), pregnant women or people with asthma, and always read the instructions carefully.
Sometimes complementary therapy treatments such as tea tree oil are recommended for treating head lice, but their effectiveness has not yet been proven.
There is no need to wash clothing or bedding specially - lice will die quickly without a host to provide warmth and food.
Prevention
There is no prevention
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