The head louse is a tiny, wingless parasitic bug that lives among human hairs and feeds upon tiny quantities of blood drawn from the scalp. Lice (the plural of louse) are an extremely common problem, particularly for kids. They're contagious, annoying, and often difficult to get rid of.
However 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 cause 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
Although they're very little, lice can be seen by the naked eye. Here are things to look for:
Lice eggs (called nits). These appear 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 best for keeping warm up until they hatch. Nits look sort of like dandruff, only they can't be removed by brushing or shaking them off.
Unless the problem 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 dealt with, this process repeats itself about every 3 weeks.
Scratching. With lice bites come itching and scratching. This is actually due to a response to the saliva of lice. The itching might not always start right away-- that depends on how delicate a child's skin is to the lice. It can sometimes take weeks for kids with lice to begin scratching. They may complain, however, of things moving around on or tickling their heads.
For some kids, the irritation is moderate; for others, a more annoying rash may develop. If your medical professional believes this is the case, he or she may deal with the infection with an oral antibiotic.
You may be able to see the lice or nits by parting your kid's hair into small 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 rare for them to be found on eyelashes or eyebrows).
A magnifying glass and brilliant 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 medical professional if your child is constantly scratching his or her head or suffers an itchy scalp that won't disappear. The physician should have the ability 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.
Likewise be sure to talk to your kid's school nurse or child care center director to see if other kids have just recently been treated for lice. If you find that your child does, certainly, have lice or nits, contact the personnel at the school and child care center to let them know. Learn what their return policy is. A lot of usually enable kids to return after one topical treatment has actually been finished.
Are Lice Contagious?
Lice are highly infectious and can spread quickly from person to person, specifically in group settings (like schools, childcare centers, slumber parties, sports activities, and camps).
Though they can't fly or leap, these tiny parasites have specifically adapted claws that let them crawl and stick strongly to hair. They spread out mainly through head-to-head contact, but sharing clothing, bedding, combs, brushes, and hats also can pass visit this site right here them along. Kids are most susceptible 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 may be catching the bugs and passing them on to your family. But felt confident that pets can't catch head lice and pass them on to individuals or the other way around.
Treatment
Your physician can advise a medicated shampoo, cream rinse, or lotion to eliminate the lice. These might be over the counter (OTC) or prescription medications, depending upon what treatments have already been attempted. Medicated lice treatments usually kill the lice, however it might take a few days for the itching to stop. For extremely resistant lice, an oral medication (medication taken by mouth) might be prescribed.
Make sure that the medicine is safe for your kid'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 may be not successful if the medication is not utilized properly or if the lice are resistant to it. After treatment, your doctor may suggest combing out the nits with a fine-tooth comb and also may suggest duplicating treatment in 7 to 10 days to eliminate any newly hatched nits.
Removing By Hand
If your child is 2 months old or more youthful, 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 ahead of time is recommended because it briefly paralyzes the lice and the conditioner makes it much easier to get a comb through the hair.
There's no requirement to purchase electronic combs that declare to eliminate lice or make nits easier to remove. You also don't need to purchase unique vinegar options to use to the scalp prior to picking nits.
Wet combing is also an alternative to pesticide treatments in older kids. Petroleum jelly, mayonnaise, or olive oil are sometimes used in an attempt to suffocate head lice, these treatments may not work. If medication does not work and you wish to attempt these approaches, talk with your medical professional first.
Ensure you eliminate nits thoroughly each week for a minimum of 3 weeks in a row, and see your kid carefully 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