Head Lice – A Problem For Children and Families

Head louse is a small parasitic blood-sucking insect which lives in the human hair and sucks on the scalp blood. Women, girls and the children between ages of three and thirteen are more prone to this type of lice infestation and are often a dilemma for them.

Though too small, we can see them if observed carefully and once infected it’s not so easy to run out of it. The severe itching that you experience in your head is the universal symptom for the infection and this may result in sores which may later become infected and painful. Head lice could make one feel extremely irritating and is also a matter for social botheration among public in case of several itching and scratching.

The head lice will produce eggs known as nymphs or nits which hatches by 14 days and becomes a full grown by two weeks. Since the nits require warmth to survive they remain closer to the hair follicles in the scalp while the adult louse appear as smaller as the sesame seeds in the hair and is grey or white or brownish in colour. Even though the lice require blood to survive it could still manage to live out of the scalp for a number of days.

Majority of head lice thrive on the blood that they draw from the scalp umpteen times a day. But they can also live even away from the scalp for a couple of days. Whenever the lice bite, our scalp begins itching and we experience severe irritation. Some times the scalp becomes red and sore from this scratching and if this becomes worse, you will develop lice infection which will have to be treated with a course of antibiotics.

The best way to find out whether the scalp is lice infected is to comb your hair with a lice comb. Another way to search of lice is to part the hair at the scalp at 2cm gaps and search for lice which are moving about in the scalp.

The most preferred way is the use of medicated shampoos which are specially made for the lice treatment once you found adult lice but not nits in your scalp and hair. But the best way to opt is to consult a doctor who could prescribe you the treatment depending on the intensity of the infection.

Always prevention could serve you far better than cure, so be elegant of avoiding the chances for lice infestation. Keep your scalp and hair clean, comb daily with louse combs; avoid the use of combs and towels used by infected plan unless properly cleaned. Another important thing is regarding the early treatment; ‘stitch in time saves nine’, the treatment in the early stages of the infestation will help you to avoid further infection and thus preventing complications like the bleeding sores. Proper means of prevention and treatment could prevent your family members also from getting infected.

Pat Heed authors content on head lice – an epidemic for millions of children each year. Head lice is a problem that won’t leave anytime soon. Once someone has been infected it can become a family wide issue. See us to learn more, or for advice and products that can treat head lice .

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