Head lice

Also called Pediculus humanus capitis

Having head lice does not mean you are dirty. Most people get head lice when they have head-to-head contact with someone who has head lice. Head-to-head contact lets the lice crawl from one head to another head. The lice do not care whether the person has squeaky-clean hair or dirty hair. The lice are looking for human blood, which they need to survive.

Millions of people get head lice each year. Head-lice infestations are especially common in schools. In the United States, it is believed that about 6 to 12 million children between 3 and 12 years of age get head lice each year.

Head lice are not known to spread disease, but having head lice can make your scalp extremely itchy. If you scratch a lot, it can cause sores on the scalp that may lead to an infection. Some people lose sleep because the itch is so intense.

Treatment, which most people can do at home, usually gets rid of head lice. If you have trouble getting rid of the lice or have an infection from scratching, you should see a dermatologist.

Source: https://www.aad.org

Signs, symptoms

Signs and symptoms of head lice include:

• Itchy scalp.
• Scratching. Some people scratch so much that the scalp — and sometimes the back of the neck — become red and irritated.
• Crawling sensation. People often feel something crawling on the hair or scalp.
• Seeing bugs. These look like light-brown sesame seeds crawling on the hair, skin, or clothing.
• Finding lice eggs (nits). The eggs are yellow, brown, or tan and about the size of a pinhead. These seem glued to the hair. If the eggs have hatched, you will see clear shells.
• Swollen lymph nodes (many people call “glands”) in the neck.
• Pink eye. This is a common eye infection.

An itchy scalp is the most obvious symptom of head lice, but that alone does not mean you have head lice. Other more common things like dandruff and eczema also can make the scalp itch.

You also can have head lice and not itch. It sometimes takes a few weeks after the lice arrive for the scalp to start itching.

Source: https://www.aad.org

Who gets, causes

Who gets head lice?

Anyone can get head lice. In the United States, children in preschool and elementary school are most likely to get head lice. Children can spread the lice to their parents, caretakers, and others in their households.

Girls seem more likely than boys to get head lice. This may be because girls tend to have more frequent head-to-head contact than do boys. You’ll often see girls in head-to-head contact at school, on the playground, at camp, or at a slumber party.

What causes head lice?

Head-to-head contact is the most common way to get head lice. The lice move from one person to the next by crawling. They cannot fly or jump. It may seem like lice can jump because they are tiny and move quickly.

Head lice actually crawl everywhere. They crawl from person to person and on to objects that come into contact with human hair such as hats and towels.

Head-lice infestations occur in affluent schools and underprivileged schools. Infestations are more common in the warmer months.

Because head lice crawl onto objects that have touched the human head, it is possible to get head lice by sharing everyday objects infested with lice such as hats, scarves, coats, hair accessories, brushes, combs, and towels. Resting your head on a bed, pillow, couch, chair, or rug that someone with head lice used is another way to get head lice.

Source: https://www.aad.org