How to get rid of itching head lice

08 Mar, 2019 - 00:03 0 Views

The ManicaPost

Dr Tendai Zuze Health  Matters
Head lice, (inda in shona) are tiny insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. Head lice infestation most often affects children and usually results from the direct transfer of lice from the hair of one person to another.

A head lice infestation isn’t necessarily a sign of poor personal hygiene or an unclean living environment. Head lice don’t carry bacterial or viral infectious diseases.

You may have head lice if you experience the following symptoms:

Itching. Itching on the scalp, neck and ears is the most common symptom. This is an allergic reaction to louse saliva. When a person has an infestation for the first time, itching may not occur for two to six weeks after infestation.

Lice on scalp. Lice may be visible but are difficult to spot because they’re small, avoid light and move quickly.

Lice eggs (nits) on hair shafts. Nits stick to hair shafts. Incubating nits may be difficult to see because they’re very tiny and camouflaged to match hair colour. They’re easiest to spot around the ears and the hairline of the neck. Empty nits may be easier to spot because they’re lighter in colour and further from the scalp.

A head louse is a tan or greyish insect about the size of a strawberry seed. It feeds on human blood that it extracts from the scalp. The female louse produces a sticky substance that sticks each egg to a hair shaft. An egg is attached approximately 4mm from the base of the shaft — an environment that provides an ideal temperature for incubating the egg.

Head lice crawl, but they cannot jump or fly. Most often transmission of a head louse from one person to another is by direct contact. Therefore, transmission is most often within a family or among children who have close contact at school or play. Indirect transmission is not likely, but lice may spread from one person to another by items such as hats, brushes and combs, hair accessories, headphones, pillows, upholstery and towels.

If your child scratches an itchy scalp from a head lice infestation, it is possible for the skin to break and develop an infection.

The gold standard for diagnosing an active head lice infestation is the identification of a live nymph or adult louse. Most guidelines recommend an examination of wet-hair lubricated with such products as a standard hair conditioner. Your doctor will carefully comb your child’s hair with a fine-toothed comb (nit comb) from the scalp to the end of the hair. If no live louse is found, he or she will likely repeat the entire exam a second time.

To treat head lice, your doctor might recommend an over-the-counter (OTC) medication that kills lice and some of the eggs. These medications may not kill recently laid eggs. Therefore, an appropriately timed second treatment is usually necessary to kill nymphs after they hatch but before they become adult lice.

Some studies suggest that the ninth day after the first treatment is the ideal time for a second treatment, but other retreatment schedules exist. If the correct use of an over the counter treatment has failed, your doctor may recommend a prescription treatment. These include benzyl alcohol, malathion and lindane.

If you prefer not to use a medication for treating a head lice infestation, you may consider an alternative home treatment. The effectiveness of most of these treatments has not been proven.

Wet-combing: Combing wet hair with a fine-toothed nit comb may remove lice and some nits.

Research is inconclusive on the effectiveness of this method.

The hair should be wet, and you should add something to lubricate the hair, such as a hair conditioner.

Comb the entire head from scalp to end of the hair at least twice during a session. The process should be repeated every three to four days for several weeks — at least two weeks after no more lice are found.

Essential oils: Small clinical studies have suggested that some natural plant oils may have a toxic effect on lice and eggs. These products include tea tree oil and anise oil.

Smothering agents: A number of household products are used to treat head lice infestations. The reasoning is that these products deprive the lice and incubating eggs of air. The product is applied to the hair, covered with a shower cap and left on overnight. Products used for this purpose include mayonnaise, olive oil, butter and petroleum jelly. Flammable products, such as kerosene or gasoline, should never be used to kill lice or to remove nits.

Lice usually don’t live past one day without feeding from a scalp, and eggs do not survive if they aren’t incubated at the temperature near the scalp. Therefore, the chance of lice surviving on household items is small.

As a precaution you may clean items that an affected person has used in the last two days. Cleaning recommendations include the following:

Wash items in hot water. Wash bedding, stuffed animals and clothing in hot, soapy water and dry at high heat.

Clean hair care items. Clean combs, brushes and hair accessories in hot, soapy water.

Seal items in plastic bags. Seal items that cannot be washed in plastic bags for two weeks.

Vacuum. Give the floor and upholstered furniture a good vacuuming.

It’s difficult to prevent the spread of head lice among children in child care facilities and schools because there is so much close contact. And the chance of indirect transmission from personal items is slight.

However, it is generally a good practice for children to hang their garments on a separate hook from other children’s garments and not to share combs, brushes, hats and scarves.

If you think you might have head lice, please visit your doctor.

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