
take up residence, and multiply, somewhere on our bodies. They can easily spread from person to person by body contact, shared clothing, or other personal items. Three species of lice inhabit different parts of the body.
(about the size of sesame seeds). They are gray in color, feed on the blood from the scalp and can grow to be one eight of an inch in diameter. Head lice infestations are spread by personal contact and possibly by shared combs, brushes, hats, and other personal items. These tiny creatures are a common demise for school children of all social classes. While this may be he case statistics show that head lice are less common among African American children. The nits or eggs of head lice are visible as white flecks along hair strands. The first indication that you or your family may be infected with head lice is persistent itching and the appearance of small, red bumps on the scalp and neck. Body Lice Body lice usually infest people who have poor hygiene and those living in close quarters or crowded institutions. They are slightly smaller than body lice and live in the seams of garments that are in contact with the skin. Pubic Lice, Crab Lice This type of lice is the smallest of the three lice types and are common referred to as crab lice because of their similarity in appearance. Crab lice normally live in pubic hair, but may also become attached to eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair in the armpits or on the face. The lice, also called pubic lice or prediculosis pubis, can survive outside the human body for up to 48 hours and may be transmitted by contact with an infested person's bed linen, towels, or clothes. Infestations can also occur by direct physical contact with the person who has crab lice, especially on the genital areas during sexual activity. They are not generally transferred from furniture or toilet seats as the lice rarely survive falling from a host. Also, they don not jump from one person to another in everyday contact and are not transmitted to or from animals.
the hair shafts close to the skin. The nits hatch within 7 to 10 days. The nits are the size of a pinhead an difficult to see; they may resemble dandruff. The hatched crab lice are grayish white or brown and may blend with skin tones. The brown lice can be and sometimes are mistaken for small moles. Symptoms and Diagnosis Lice infestations cause severe itching in the infested area. Intense scratching often breaks the skin, which can lead to bacterial infections. Children may hardly notice head lice or may have only a mild scalp irritation. Lice themselves are sometimes hard to find, but their eggs (nits) are readily apparent. Female lice lay shiny grayish white eggs that can be seen as tiny specs firmly attached to hairs near their base. With chronic scalp infestations, the nits grow out with the hair and therefore can be found some distance from the scalp, depending on the duration of the infestation. Nits are distinguished from other foreign material present on the scalp by the fact that they are so strongly attached. Adult body lice and their eggs also may be found in the seams of clothing worm close to the skin. Conventional Treatment Several effective prescription and nonprescription drugs are available to treat lice. Nonprescription shampoos and creams containing pyrethrins plus piperonyl butoxide are applied for 10 minutes and are then rinsed out. Prescription permethrin, applied as a liquid or as a cream, is also effective. Lindanc - a prescription drug that can be applied as a cream, lotion, or shampoo – also cures lice infestation but is not as effective as the other preparations and is not recommended for children because of possible neurologic side effects. Prescription malathion, although high effective at killing both adult lice and eggs, is not considered a first line of treatment because it is flammable, has a offensive odor, and must remain on the skin for 8 to 12 hours. All louse treatments are repeated in 7 to 10 days to kill newly hatched lice. After a drug application, nits must be removed manually, because drugs do not kill all nits and because it is not possible to distinguish between living and dead nits. Removal requires a fine tooth comb – which often comes with the medicine – and careful searching (hence the term “nit picking”). Because the nits are so strongly stuck to the hair, several nonprescription preparations are available to loosen them. The nits of body lice are destroyed simply by throwing away infested clothing. Sources of infestation (combs, hats, clothing, and bedding) should be decontaminated by laundering or dry cleaning. Alternative and Natural Remedies Lice are very resilient creatures and are difficult to eliminate. They also have developed immunity to some of the more popular conventional remedies and treatments. This has lead to a near panic in a few countries where lice infestations are common. The panic is understandable considering how quickly a lice population can multiply and spread from person to person. Re-infestation is also common due to lice populations residing in bed sheets or clothing. Many of the conventional treatments are harsh and present the risk of unwanted side effects due to a number of factors. These facts have brought about a rapid growth in popularity of natural lice remedies. A few of the common ingredient often found in lice remedies are tea tree oil, rosemary, lavender as well as certain lice killing enzymes. As far as we are able to determine natural lice treatments are generally considered safe for children and adults, but as always you should check with your doctor for additional information.
(Source: American Medical Association)
in contact with the lice, including bed linen, clothing, undergarments, and even the bathroom and bedroom where the person with the lice has been. To prevent re-infestation, the person should:
started, including all undergarments, clothing, towels, bed sheets, and pillowcases. "Dry clean only" items can be sealed win plastic bags for 30 days or dry cleaned.
bleach, or bathroom cleaner should be used. Spray products are available for sanitizing mattresses, upholstery, and carpeting.
to allow lice eggs to hatch and die before transferring to a human.
infestation has been completely resolved. *Discard any infested combs and hats. Fast Acting Remedies for Lice and Nit Infestations |
| Thank You for Visiting Purchase Remedies.com |






| Head Louse |
