The head louse is a tiny, wingless parasitic insect that lives in human hairs and eats tiny quantities of blood drawn from the scalp. Lice (the plural of louse) are a very common problem, particularly for kids. They're contagious, irritating, and in some cases difficult to get rid of.
While they're annoying to deal with, lice aren't unsafe. They do not spread out illness, although their bites can make a child's scalp itchy and irritated, and scratching can cause infection.
It's best to treat head lice quickly as soon as they're discovered because they can spread out easily from person to person.
Signs of Head Lice
Although they're very small, lice can be seen by the naked eye. Here are things to search for:
Lice eggs (called nits). These look like small yellow, tan, or brown dots prior to they hatch. Lice lay nits on hair shafts near to the scalp, where the temperature is perfect for keeping warm until they hatch. Nits look sort of like dandruff, just they can't be eliminated by brushing or shaking them off.
Unless the invasion is heavy, it's more common to see nits in a child's hair than it is to see live lice crawling on the scalp. Lice eggs hatch within 1 to 2 weeks after they're laid.
Adult lice and nymphs (baby lice). If head lice is not dealt with, this procedure repeats itself about every 3 weeks.
Scratching. With lice bites come itching and scratching. This is really due to a reaction to the saliva of lice. The itching may not constantly begin right away-- that depends on how sensitive a child's skin is to the lice. It can often take weeks for kids with lice to begin scratching. They may complain, however, of things moving on or tickling their heads.
For some kids, the irritation is mild; for others, a more irritating rash may develop. If your medical professional believes this is the case, he or she may treat the infection with an oral antibiotic.
You might have the ability to see the lice or nits by parting your child's hair into little areas and checking for lice and nits with a fine-tooth comb on the scalp, behind the ears, and around the nape of the neck (it's uncommon for them to be found on eyelashes or eyebrows).
A magnifying glass and bright light might help. It can be difficult to discover a nymph or adult louse-- frequently, there aren't many of them and they move quickly.
See your physician if your kid is continuously scratching his or her head or suffers an itchy scalp that will not go away. The doctor must be able to inform you if your child is plagued with lice and requires to be treated. Not all kids have the traditional symptoms of head lice and some can be symptom-free.
Be sure to check with your child's school nurse or child care center director to see if other kids have actually recently been dealt with for lice. If you find that your child does, certainly, have lice or nits, call the staff at the school and child care center to let them understand.
Are Lice Contagious?
Lice are highly contagious and can spread out quickly from person to person, particularly in group settings (like schools, child care centers, slumber parties, sports activities, and camps).
Though they can't fly or jump, these tiny parasites have actually specifically adapted claws that let them crawl and cling strongly to hair. They spread mainly through head-to-head contact, however sharing clothes, bed linens, combs, brushes, and hats also can pass them along. Kids are most vulnerable to capturing lice because they tend to have close physical contact with each other and share individual products.
And you may question if Fido or Fluffy might be capturing the bugs and passing them on to your family. However rest assured that animals can't catch head lice and pass them on to individuals or the other way around.
Treatment
Your physician can suggest a medicated hair shampoo, cream rinse, or lotion to eliminate the lice. These might be over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription medications, depending upon what treatments have actually currently been tried. Medicated lice treatments normally eliminate the lice, but it may take a couple of days for the itching to stop. For really resistant lice, an oral medication (medicine taken by mouth) might be prescribed.
Ensure that the medicine is safe for your child's age. While over-the-counter shampoos are safe for kids as young as 2 months, other medicines are just safe for kids 2 years and older. It's important to follow the directions precisely due to the fact that these products are insecticides. Applying excessive medication-- or utilizing it too often-- can increase the risk of damage. Follow the instructions on the item label.
Treatment might be not successful if the medication is not used correctly or if the lice are resistant to it. After treatment, your medical professional might suggest combing out the nits with a fine-tooth comb and also might advise duplicating treatment in 7 to 10 days to kill any newly hatched nits.
Eliminating By Hand
If your kid is 2 months old or more youthful, you need to not use medicated lice treatments. You'll need to eliminate the nits and lice by hand.
To eliminate lice and nits by hand, utilize a fine-tooth comb on your kid's damp, conditioned hair every 3 to 4 days for 3 weeks after the last live louse was seen. Wetting the hair beforehand is suggested since it momentarily debilitates the lice and the conditioner makes it easier to get a comb through the hair.
There's no need to purchase electronic combs that declare to eliminate lice or make nits easier to remove. No studies have been done to support these claims. You likewise do not require to purchase special vinegar solutions to apply to the scalp before choosing nits. Great old-fashioned water works simply great.
Wet resources combing is likewise an option to pesticide treatments in older kids. Petroleum jelly, mayonnaise, or olive oil are sometimes used in an effort to suffocate head lice, these treatments might not work. If medicine doesn't work and you want to attempt these techniques, talk to your medical professional.
Make certain you get rid of nits thoroughly each week for at least 3 weeks in a row, and watch your child closely to see if any live lice return.
For more information, contact:
Lice Removal Los Angeles Care
777 S Alameda St #29
Los Angeles, CA 90021
310-935-1644