Head lice are flat, wingless insects. Their
house is in the hair of human beings. They are approximately 2-4mm long and
found usually in the back of the scalp. They feed on human blood. While feeding,
saliva is spilt on the scalp. This causes itchiness
A female louse lays approximately 6 eggs per
day. These eggs, called nits, are attached firmly to the base of the hair. They
hatch in about one week, producing more lice. Head lice have no unhygienic preferences.
They infest both dirty and clean hair. Lice infestation is common among school
children.
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Lice infest the scalp. These parasites feed
by sucking the host’s blood. The female lays eggs that stick to the lower end
of the strands of hair. These nits hatch in 8-10 days and reach maturity in
two weeks and the life cycle starts again. Lice pass from one person to another
either or by crawling or falling on clothing or bedding and getting from one
scalp to another, or by the usage of common hair accessories like comb, brush
or by towels etc.
Symptoms v Intense itchiness
of the scalp or the back of ears and neck. v Continuous scratching
causes rashes, which are often visible behind the ears. v White specks on
the hair (which are the nits) which cling on to the strands of hair.
v Swollen lymph nodes
behind the ears in severe infestation. v In severe cases,
secondary bacterial infection of the breaks in the skin due to intense
cratching.
What You Can Do
v Use medicated shampoo
or lice lotion (Ask a doctor or a pharmacist for a suitable lotion)
to kill the lice. Dry the hair thoroughly, then
remove all the dead lice and ‘nits’ with a
fine-toothed comb. Repeat treatment once every succeeding
week till all newly hatched
lice are killed as shampoo does not kill the nits.
Examples of lotions that can be used to
treat head-lice are those containing lindane (gamma
benzene hexachloride) and
permethrin. Lindane should be used exactly as directed
in children. Excessive use can
cause severe harmful effects. Generally a course
of treatment should consist of 2
applications of the product (50ml of a lotion or
50-100ml of a cream rinse) to the scalp
about 7 days apart. The scalp should be wrapped
with a towel and the medicine should be left on
for at least 12 hours. v Remove nits -Dip a fine-toothed
comb in warm vinegar before combing the hair, as the
vinegar loosens the gum-like substance which attaches
the nits to the hair. v Check the hair of family
members and treat if necessary except avoid using the lice lotion
on infants and pregnant women. In these cases manual
removal has to be slowly carried
out. v Hats should be dry-cleaned.
v All brushes and
combs and other items that have come in contact with lice infected hair
should be soaked in lice lotion or alcohol for several
hours, washed and dried, thoroughly. v All bed linen and
chair backs should be washed in hot water and dried in the sun or the hot cycle of a dryer. v Vacuum all mattresses,
carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture. v For secondary infections
of rash or scratches, consult a doctor for treatment. v Use all anti-lice
medication as instructed.
Prevention
v Avoid
sharing brushes, combs, hair accessories etc. v Avoid sharing towels.
v Do not send children
infested with lice to school till they have been successfully treated.
