The head louse is a tiny, 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 a really typical problem, especially for kids. They're infectious, frustrating, and in some cases difficult to get rid of.
However while they're annoying to deal with, lice aren't dangerous. They do not 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 easily from person to person.
Signs of Head Lice
Although they're really little, lice can be seen by the naked eye. Here are things to try to find:
Lice eggs (called nits). These appear like tiny yellow, tan, or brown dots before they hatch. Lice lay nits on hair shafts near the scalp, where the temperature level is perfect for keeping warm until they hatch. Nits look sort of like dandruff, only they can't be removed by brushing or shaking them off.
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 dealt with, this process repeats itself about every 3 weeks.
With lice bites come itching and scratching. The itching may not always start right away-- that depends on how sensitive a kid's skin is to the lice. It can in some cases take weeks for kids with lice to start scratching.
For some kids, the irritation is moderate; for others, a more bothersome rash might develop. If your doctor believes this is the case, he or she may treat the infection with an oral antibiotic.
You may have the ability 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 uncommon for them to be found on eyelashes or eyebrows).
A magnifying glass and brilliant light might assist. It can be hard to find a nymph or adult louse-- often, there aren't numerous of them and they move quickly.
See your doctor if your child is constantly scratching his or her head or suffers an itchy scalp that will not go away. The doctor ought to have the ability to inform you if your child is plagued with lice and requires to be dealt with. Not all kids have the classic signs of head lice and some can be symptom-free.
Be sure to inspect with your child's school nurse or childcare center director to see if other kids have actually just recently been dealt with for lice. If you find that your child does, certainly, have lice or nits, get in touch with the personnel at the school and childcare center to let them understand.
Are Lice Contagious?
Lice are highly contagious and can spread out rapidly from person to person, particularly in group settings (like schools, child care centers, slumber parties, sports activities, and camps).
They can't fly or jump, these tiny parasites have actually specially adjusted claws that let them crawl and stick securely to hair. They spread out mainly through head-to-head contact, however sharing clothes, 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 individual products.
And you may wonder if Fido or Fluffy might be capturing the bugs and passing them on to your household. But felt confident that family pets can't catch head lice and pass them on to individuals or the other way around.
Treatment
Your medical professional can recommend a medicated shampoo, cream rinse, or cream to kill the lice. These may be non-prescription (OTC) or prescription medications, depending on what treatments have actually currently been tried. Medicated lice treatments usually kill the lice, however it may take a few days for the itching to stop. For really resistant lice, an oral medication (medicine taken by mouth) might be recommended.
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 just safe for kids 2 years and older. It's crucial to follow the directions precisely because these items are insecticides. Using too much medication-- or using it too often-- can increase the danger of harm. Follow the instructions on the product label.
Treatment may be not successful if the medication is not used correctly or if the lice are resistant to it. After treatment, your physician might suggest combing the nits with a fine-tooth comb and likewise may suggest repeating treatment in 7 to 10 days to eliminate any freshly hatched nits.
Getting rid of By Hand
If your child is 2 months old or younger, you must not use medicated lice treatments. You'll require to remove the nits and lice by hand.
To eliminate lice and nits by hand, utilize a fine-tooth comb on your child'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 recommended since it momentarily immobilizes 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 much easier to get rid of. No research studies have been done to support these claims. You also do not require to purchase unique vinegar solutions to apply to the scalp before picking nits. Great old-fashioned water works just great.
Wet combing is likewise an alternative to pesticide treatments in older kids. Petroleum jelly, mayonnaise, or olive oil are often utilized in an attempt to suffocate head lice, these treatments might not work. If medication doesn't work and you want to attempt these techniques, talk to your doctor.
Make www.liceremovallosangelescare.com certain you remove nits carefully every week for at least 3 weeks in a row, and view 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