The head louse is a small, wingless parasitic bug that lives among human hairs and eats small quantities of blood drawn from the scalp. Lice (the plural of louse) are an extremely common issue, specifically for kids. They're infectious, irritating, and sometimes hard to eliminate.
But while they're frustrating to deal with, lice aren't unsafe. They don't spread out illness, although their bites can make a child's scalp itchy and inflamed, and scratching can result in infection.
It's best to treat head lice rapidly when they're found because they can spread out quickly from person to person.
Signs of Head Lice
They're extremely small, lice can be seen by the naked eye. Here are things to try to find:
Lice eggs (called nits). Lice lay nits on hair shafts close to the scalp, where the temperature is best for keeping warm till they hatch.
Unless the infestation is heavy, it's more typical 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 (infant lice). If head lice is not treated, this procedure repeats itself about every 3 weeks.
With lice bites come itching and scratching. The itching may not always begin right away-- that depends on how delicate a kid's skin is to the lice. It can often take weeks for kids with lice to begin scratching.
For some kids, the inflammation is mild; for others, a more bothersome rash may establish. If your medical professional believes this is the case, he or she may deal with the infection with an oral antibiotic.
You might be able to see the lice or nits by parting your kid's hair into small sections and looking for lice and nits with a fine-tooth comb on the scalp, behind the ears, and around the nape of the neck (it's unusual for them to be discovered on eyelashes or eyebrows).
A magnifying glass and brilliant light may help. But it can be hard to discover a nymph or adult louse-- typically, there aren't a lot of them and they move fast.
See your medical professional if your kid is constantly scratching his/her head or experiences a scratchy scalp that won't disappear. The medical professional needs to have the ability to inform you if your child is infested with lice and needs to be dealt with. Not all kids have the traditional signs 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 treated for lice. If you find that your child does, undoubtedly, have lice or nits, call the staff at the school and child care center to let them understand.
Are Lice Contagious?
Lice are extremely contagious and can spread rapidly from person to person, especially in group settings (like schools, childcare centers, slumber parties, sports activities, and camps).
They can't fly or leap, these small parasites have actually specially adjusted claws that let them crawl and cling securely to hair. They spread out generally through head-to-head contact, but sharing clothing, bed linens, combs, brushes, and hats likewise can pass them along. Kids are most prone to capturing lice because they tend to have close physical contact with each other and share personal items.
And you may question if Fido or Fluffy may be capturing the pests and passing them on to your family. But rest assured that family pets can't capture head lice and pass them article source on to people or the other way around.
Treatment
Your physician can recommend a medicated hair shampoo, cream rinse, or lotion to kill the lice. These might be over the counter (OTC) or prescription medications, depending upon what treatments have actually already been attempted. Medicated lice treatments typically eliminate the lice, but it might take a few days for the itching to stop. For really resistant lice, an oral medication (medicine taken by mouth) might be prescribed.
Make sure that the medication 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.
Treatment might be unsuccessful if the medication is not utilized correctly or if the lice are resistant to it. After treatment, your medical professional may suggest combing the nits with a fine-tooth comb and likewise might recommend repeating treatment in 7 to 10 days to kill any recently hatched nits.
Eliminating By Hand
If your child is 2 months old or younger, you must not utilize medicated lice treatments. You'll require to remove the nits and lice by hand.
To remove lice and nits by hand, use 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. Moistening the hair beforehand is suggested due to the fact that it temporarily incapacitates the lice and the conditioner makes it simpler to get a comb through the hair.
There's no need to buy electronic combs that declare to eliminate lice or make nits simpler to eliminate. No research studies have been done to support these claims. You also don't require to purchase unique vinegar services to apply to the scalp before picking nits. Excellent old-fashioned water works simply great.
Wet combing is likewise an option to pesticide treatments in older kids. Petroleum jelly, mayo, or olive oil are often utilized in an attempt to suffocate head lice, these treatments may not work. If medication doesn't work and you want to try these techniques, talk with your doctor first.
Make sure you remove nits thoroughly every week for a minimum of 3 weeks in a row, and see your kid 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