Information about lice
Head lice are a problem that has been around bothering humanity for thousands of years. They are small parasites that live on humans’ scalps, feeding exclusively on human blood. Since no other animals are sufficient hosts for lice, scientists feel that lice evolved to prey on humans in the very distant past. Head lice cause intense itching of the scalp, sometimes resulting in small red bumps located on the head and neck. The lice reproduce quickly, and they can spread via contact with an affected individual’s head. One can also contract a case of lice by sharing personal products such as hair brushes or hair ties with a person that is infested. Headphones, blankets, and towels can also provide a means of transmission for the tiny parasites.
Lice are unable to survive off of their human hosts for a significant period of time. They tend to live roughly twenty four hours when not on a host. The entire life span of the parasites takes roughly thirty days. They’re roughly the size of sesame seeds, and they have six legs which are equipped with claws that allow them to attach themselves to the hair follicles of the scalp.
Lice are most easily diagnosed by manually scanning the suspected individual’s scalp. Using a fine toothed comb, you can easily note the presence of nits. Nits are the eggs that lice lay, and they can be found glued to the hair follicles. They are glued to the follicles in order to ensure that they will remain locked in place when the individual takes showers. In order to remove these nits from the hair, using white distilled vinegar can be helpful in loosing the glue that holds them in place. Nits take between seven and ten days to hatch after they are laid, and after another seven to ten days, the newborn louse will reach the adult phase of its life.
When it comes to treating lice, there are plenty of chemical treatments available. These treatments are pesticides, however, and so they need to be used with some caution. You should avoid using these treatments on children, instead relying on manual removal of the pests. When manually removing the lice, you should repeat the process daily until you can confirm that there are no lice present. It only takes one live louse to fully reinfest the scalp, so take caution. As a preventative measure, you’ll also want to wash the linens of the affected individual in order to ensure that the lice are not still present on the materials, waiting to re-infect the host.
Now that you know more about lice, you’ll be better prepared for when it comes to dealing with the problem. If you’ve got a persistent case of lice that won’t go away despite your best efforts, you may want to speak to a doctor about what possible steps you can take. The more that you know about these annoying parasites, the more suited you will be for dealing with them.
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