Head Lice (Pediculiasis)

The occurrence of lice on the scalp, especially in young kids. The infestation is termed as pediculiasis while the associated disease is termed as pediculosis.

Symptoms

• The main symptom is a very itchy scalp.
• Weakening of hair roots and subsequent hair fall may ensue.

Causes:

Head lice also called cooties (Pediculosis capitis) are reddish-brown wingless insects. They are human parasites which grip onto the hair with six tiny claws and feed on blood sucked through the skin. The eggs (nits) are oval shaped and are grayish-white in color.

Prevention:

• Periodically check scalps of all family members, especially children for lice and nits.
• Avoid direct contact with scalp or hair of infested person.
• Sharing of personal articles like combs, hats, towels, helmets, pillows etc should be avoided.
• Undertaking treatment at the first sign of lice to avoid further harm
• Maintaining hygienic conditions and vacuuming etc. may help. Bedding, clothing, soft toys, etc.. all should be steamed and washed, or dry washed to prevent further infection.
• A lice without a host hardly survives a day or two and the eggs for about a week. Taking a vacation for about ten days could actually remove all the possibilities of reinfection at home. But during travel please make sure you take your medication and stay away from people.

Treatment: 

• Firstly ensure that head lice are the underlying cause for the itching and not dandruff or something else. Treatment should only be given if there are active lice or viable eggs.
• There are various products (chemical as well as herbal) available in the market for this purpose, but no method maybe 100% effective. It must be kept in mind that many herbal recipes are available but their efficacy has not been proved. Moreover, many of these formulations contain harmful substances that should not be used on the skin. Most of these are not registered (with the government regulatory agencies such as FDA) for such use. Please do not use insecticides, pet shampoo, or kerosene, to wash your hair or your child's hair. It does more harm than good!
• Manual removal using fine-toothed combs, though time-consuming, is safe and effective.
• Consult a doctor or health worker for further advice.

Note:

• Head lice do cause a lot of annoyance but rarely cause any direct harm. They do not carry any other infectious agents either. The greatest harm from head associated with head lice results because of use of misguided toxic substances to eliminate it. Lice treatment products have potential health hazards and should not be used unnecessarily or for prevention purposes.
• Head lice have a high reproduction rate, increasing very rapidly in number in a short time. The female lays eggs in sacs glued to hair and they hatch after 7-10 days. These young ones take just 9-12 days to attain adult stage. A female louse can deposit > 100 eggs at a rate of 6 eggs each day.
• Head lice are spread only by direct contact between an infested head to healthy one or contact with some recently infected article. They can't jump or fly, and can't survive for long off the host as they require warmth to survive.
• Head lice are specific to the species and can't be transmitted to, or from animals.
• Its presence is not a sign of lack of hygiene or maintenance.
• The doctor should be consulted before applying lice-treatment products for persons who are pregnant, nursing, or have allergies or some pre-existing medical condition.

Compiled by: Parvinder Kaur, Last updated: 02.12.07 © Medhospital Foundation

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