The head louse is a small, wingless parasitic bug that lives in human hairs and feeds upon tiny amounts of blood drawn from the scalp. Lice (the plural of louse) are an extremely common issue, particularly for kids. They're contagious, frustrating, and sometimes tough to eliminate.
But while they're irritating to deal with, lice aren't dangerous. They don't spread disease, although their bites can make a kid's scalp scratchy and inflamed, and scratching can result in infection.
It's best to treat head lice quickly once they're discovered due to the fact that they can spread out quickly from person to person.
Signs of Head Lice
They're really small, lice can be seen by the naked eye. Here are things to look for:
Lice eggs (called nits). Lice lay nits on hair shafts close to the scalp, where the temperature is perfect for keeping warm until 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 (child lice). If head lice is not treated, this process repeats itself about every 3 weeks.
With lice bites come itching and scratching. The itching might not constantly 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 start scratching.
Little red bumps or sores from scratching. For some kids, the inflammation is moderate; for others, a more irritating rash might develop. Excessive scratching can cause a bacterial infection (this can trigger inflamed lymph glands and red, tender skin that may have crusting and exuding). If your medical professional thinks this holds true, she or he might treat the infection with an oral antibiotic.
You may be able 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 discovered on eyelashes or eyebrows).
A magnifying glass and intense light may help. It can be difficult to find a nymph or adult louse-- typically, there aren't numerous of them and they move quick.
See your doctor if your kid is continuously scratching his or her head or complains of a scratchy scalp that will not disappear. The doctor should have the ability to tell you if your child is plagued with lice and needs to be treated. Not all kids have the timeless signs of head lice and some can be symptom-free.
Be sure to check with your kid's school nurse or childcare center director to see if other kids have actually just recently been treated for lice. If you discover that your kid does, undoubtedly, have lice or nits, call the personnel at the school and child care center to let them understand.
Are Lice Contagious?
Lice are highly infectious and can spread out quickly from person to person, particularly in group settings (like schools, child care centers, slumber parties, sports activities, and camps).
They can't fly or leap, these tiny parasites have specially adjusted claws that let them crawl and stick securely to hair. They spread primarily through head-to-head contact, but sharing clothes, bedding, combs, brushes, and hats also can pass them along. Kids are most vulnerable to capturing lice since they tend to have close physical contact with each other and share personal products.
And you may wonder if Fido or Fluffy might be catching the bugs and passing them on to your family. Rest assured that animals can't catch head lice and pass them on to individuals or the other way around.
Treatment
Your physician can recommend a medicated hair shampoo, cream rinse, or lotion to kill the lice. Medicated lice treatments typically eliminate the lice, however it might take a couple of days for the itching to stop.
Make sure that the medication is safe for your child's age. While non-prescription hair shampoos are safe for kids as young as 2 months, other medicines are only safe for kids 2 years and older.
Treatment might be not successful if the medication is not utilized correctly or if the lice are resistant to it. After treatment, your physician may suggest combing the nits with a fine-tooth comb and likewise may recommend duplicating treatment in 7 to 10 days to eliminate any newly hatched nits.
Removing By Hand
If your kid is 2 months old or younger, you need to not use medicated lice treatments. You'll require to eliminate the nits and lice by hand.
To remove lice https://liceremovallosangelescare.com/ and nits by hand, use a fine-tooth comb on your kid's wet, conditioned hair every 3 to 4 days for 3 weeks after the last live louse was seen. Moistening the hair ahead of time is suggested since it temporarily paralyzes the lice and the conditioner makes it simpler to get a comb through the hair.
There's no requirement to purchase electronic combs that claim to eliminate lice or make nits simpler to get rid of. No studies have been done to back up these claims. You likewise don't need to purchase special vinegar services to apply to the scalp prior to choosing nits. Great old-fashioned water works just fine.
Wet combing is also an option to pesticide treatments in older kids. Though petroleum jelly, mayo, or olive oil are sometimes used in an effort to suffocate head lice, these treatments might not work. If medication does not work and you want to try these approaches, speak with your medical professional first.
Ensure you eliminate nits thoroughly every week for a minimum of 3 weeks in a row, and see 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