Lice
Lice are small parasites that live on humans or animals. They bite through the skin to suck blood. There are three types of lice -- head, body, and pubic lice.
Head lice are the most common types. They feed on the scalp and lay their eggs, called nits, at the base of a strand of hair. The nits look like small white ovals and are easiest to see behind the ears and at the back of the neck. Body lice live in the seams of clothing and not on the skin at all. Pubic lice live in the hair around the sex organs and lay their eggs on shafts of hair. Pubic lice can also live in beards and eyebrows, eyelashes, in the armpits and on chest hair.
The main symptom of lice is severe itching. The skin may also become red and inflamed. When the louse bites, it injects a toxin into the skin that causes itching and irritation.
Head and body lice are spread by contact with an infected person or by sharing combs, towels, sheets, blankets, or clothing. Pubic lice are usually spread by sexual contact. The nits usually hatch in 8-10 days, producing more lice. Head lice can live on items such as clothing, bedding and towels up to 2 days.
Lice will not go away without proper treatment. Shampoos or lotions to treat lice can be bought over-the-counter at your pharmacy or prescribed by a healthcare provider. Follow the instructions carefully. Do not use them on infants. Do not overuse these products. If you need advice on specific products or how to use them, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.
Head and pubic lice can be easily treated with medicated shampoos or lotions. Because the nits can be hard to remove, it is usually necessary to use a comb with very fine teeth to comb them out of the hair. Often it takes more than one application of the medicated shampoo or lotion to completely get rid of the lice. Treatments should be spaced a week apart to ensure killing all the nits. If lice infest the eyelashes, a petroleum jelly for the eyes can be applied to the eyelashes 2 times a day for 10 days to kill the lice. A prescription is needed for this since regular petroleum jelly can cause eye irritation. After using the anti-lice medication, the dead nits will remain. Use a fine-tooth comb to remove the dead nits.
Generally, drugs are not needed to treat body lice since the lice live in clothing and not on the body. Body lice are most common among people living in close quarters with other people and homeless people. They are treated by having the person take a shower and put on a clean change of clothes. Then all their clothing, bed linens, and towels need to be washed in the hottest water possible and dried in a hot dryer.
Removing nits can be made easier by soaking the hair with a solution of equal parts of water and white vinegar. A towel dampened with this solution can be left on the hair for 30 to 60 minutes. This makes it easier to remove the nits with a fine-toothed comb. Dipping a fine-toothed comb in vinegar may also be useful in removing nits from the hair.
There are many home remedies that have been tried such as mayonnaise, olive oil, or petroleum jelly. None of these have been proven to work.
You may also need to treat clothing, bedding, towels, stuffed animals and fabric furniture.
- to remove lice from clothing or linens, wash them in hot water and dry in a hot dryer
- to remove lice from items that are not washable (coats, hats, etc.) have them dry-cleaned
- to remove lice from items that are neither washable nor dry cleanable (stuffed animals, other clothing, etc.) store them in a tightly sealed plastic bag for 2 weeks
- to clean combs and brushes, soak for 1 hour in rubbing alcohol or wash with soap and hot water
- to remove lice from rugs, carpets and fabric furniture vacuum thoroughly to get rid of the lice living in the fibers
Anyone living with an infested person can get lice. However, treatment is only necessary when lice or nits are found on an individual. If someone in your household has lice, check household contacts every 2 to 3 days for signs of lice or nits. Pets do not need to be treated.
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