The head louse is a small, wingless parasitic pest that lives in human hairs and eats small amounts of blood drawn from the scalp. Lice (the plural of louse) are an extremely common problem, especially for kids. They're contagious, irritating, and sometimes hard to eliminate.
While they're annoying to deal with, lice aren't dangerous. They do not spread out disease, although their bites can make a child's scalp scratchy and inflamed, and scratching can result in infection.
It's best to deal with head lice rapidly when they're found due to the fact that they can spread out easily 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 kid'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). The adult louse is no larger than a sesame seed and is grayish-white or tan. Nymphs are smaller sized and become adult lice about 1 to 2 weeks after they hatch. If head lice is not treated, this procedure repeats itself about every 3 weeks. A lot of lice feed on blood a number of times a day, and they can survive approximately 2 days off the scalp.
With lice bites come itching and scratching. The itching may not constantly start 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.
Little red bumps or sores from scratching. For some kids, the inflammation is mild; for others, a more annoying rash may establish. Extreme scratching can cause a bacterial infection (this can trigger swollen lymph glands and red, tender skin that may have crusting and oozing). If your physician believes this is the case, she or he might 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 little sections and looking for lice and nits with a fine-tooth comb on the scalp, behind the ears, and around the neck of the neck (it's unusual for them to be found on eyelashes or eyebrows).
A magnifying glass and intense light might help. However it can be difficult to find a nymph or adult louse-- typically, there aren't a number 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 will not go away. The doctor should have the ability to inform you if your child is plagued with lice and requires to be dealt with. 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 find that your child does, certainly, have lice or nits, call the staff at the school and child care center to let them know.
Are Lice Contagious?
Lice are extremely infectious and can spread rapidly from person to person, especially in group settings (like schools, childcare centers, slumber parties, sports activities, and camps).
Though they can't fly or leap, these tiny parasites have actually specially adapted claws that let them crawl and stick firmly to hair. They spread generally through head-to-head contact, but sharing clothing, bedding, combs, brushes, and hats also can pass 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 might be catching the insects and passing them on to your family. Rest assured that animals can't capture head lice and pass them on to people or the other way around.
Treatment
Your doctor can suggest a medicated hair shampoo, cream rinse, or lotion to kill the lice. Medicated lice treatments normally kill the lice, but it might take a couple of days for the itching to stop.
Make sure that the medicine is safe for your kid's age. While over the counter hair shampoos are safe for kids as young as 2 months, other medications are just safe for kids 2 years and older.
Treatment might be unsuccessful if the medication is not used correctly or if the lice are resistant to it. After treatment, your physician may recommend combing the nits with a fine-tooth comb and likewise might advise duplicating treatment in 7 to 10 days to eliminate any freshly hatched nits.
Removing By Hand
If your child is 2 months old or younger, you ought to not use medicated lice treatments. You'll require to eliminate the nits and lice by hand.
To get rid of lice and nits by hand, utilize 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 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 claim to kill lice or make nits easier to remove. You also don't need to buy special vinegar solutions to apply to the scalp before picking nits.
Wet combing is also an alternative to pesticide treatments in older kids. Though petroleum jelly, mayonnaise, or olive oil are in some cases 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, speak to your medical professional initially.
Ensure you eliminate nits thoroughly weekly for a minimum of https://liceremovallosangelescare.com/ 3 weeks in a row, and enjoy 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