Causes of Head Lice
Head lice are basically parasitic insects. They usually reside on heads and feed of people on their blood. An adult is called as a louse and is nearly about the size of a sesame seed. The eggs which are called as nits are even smaller – almost similar to a dandruff flake. Nits and lice are easiest to notice around the neckline and behind the ears.
Head lice are extremely common, and you can get them by coming into contact with either lice or their eggs. Female lice generally lay 7-10 eggs a day. Eggs give forth in about a week, and adult lice will die if they are not fed on blood within two days.
Lice are unable to fly, walk or jump on the ground, and they are not transmitted by pets. They generally spread by:
Body-to-body or head-to-head contact.
This is the most common means of transmission and may happen as children or family members interact or play closely together.
Closeness of stored belongings.
Storing items of clothing close to each other in lockers, closets or on side-by-side hooks at school, or storing personal items like blankets, pillows, stuffed toys and combs, closer to each other at home can lead to spreading of lice.
Sharing items.
These may consist of headphones, clothing, brushes, hair decorations, combs, towels, blankets, stuffed toys and pillows.
Contact with contaminated furniture.
Sitting on furniture or lying on a bed recently used by someone who is infected with lice can also spread them. Head lice live for maximum days off the body.
Following are the symptoms of head lice:
Infection of head lice doesn’t often cause any symptoms. If it does then the main symptom is itchiness – a child will be constantly scratching his/her scalp. Sometimes you may see tiny red spots on the scalp which are basically lice and nits in the hair.
As lice are moving very fast, it is not always easy to see them. Here’s what you can watch for:
- Frequently scratching
- Small sores or red bumps on the scalp, shoulders and neck
- Children who have lice will frequently scratch their heads, creating sores
- Infected sores will get ooze, crusty and may lead to swollen glands at the back of the neck.
By following some safety measures such as washing all bed lines and clothes in hot water with detergent will help to prevent head lice from spreading to others during the short period at the time when head lice can survive off the body.