Head Lice – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Head lice are parasitic wingless insects. They live on people's heads and feed on their blood. An adult is called a louse and is about the size of a sesame seed. The eggs, called nits, are even smaller - almost like a dandruff flake. Lice and nits are easiest to detect at the neckline and behind the ears.

Head lice Causes

Head lice are transferred by close hair-to-hair contact. They cannot jump, fly or swim, but walk from one hair to another. It is a misconception that head lice infestation is as a result of dirty hair and poor hygiene. Head lice can be found in all hair types, long or short, and in hair of any condition.

Contact with contaminated furniture. Lying on a bed, or sitting in furniture can spread lice. Head lice live for up to two days off the body.

Sexual contact. All three forms of lice can spread in this manner.

Head Lice Symptoms

A head lice infection doesn't often cause symptoms. When it does the main symptom is itchiness - beware a child constantly scratching his or her scalp. Sometimes you see tiny red spots on the scalp or the lice and nits (nits are the empty eggshells after the lice have hatched) in the hair.

Because lice move very fast, they are not always easy to see. Here's what you can watch for:

Frequent scratching

Small red bumps or sores on the scalp, neck and shoulders

Children who have lice will often scratch at their heads, creating sores.

Infected sores will get crusty, ooze, and may cause swollen glands at the back of the neck.

Treatment of Head Lice

Your doctor can recommend a medicated shampoo, cream, or lotion to kill the lice. These may be over-the-counter or prescription medications, depending on what treatments have already been tried. It isn't uncommon for treatments to be unsuccessful because of incorrect use or because the lice may be resistant to the chemical in the shampoo.

Some people use home remedies like mayonnaise, petroleum jelly, olive oil or margarine. Although these products may make it hard for lice to breathe, they probably won’t kill them.

There isn’t any evidence that products like tea tree oil or aromatherapy are effective in treating head lice.

Never use gasoline or kerosene. These products can be extremely dangerous.

Nits may be treated as indicated above. For involvement of eyelashes, petrolatum is applied thickly, twice daily for eight days and the remaining nits are then plucked off. There is a controversy about whether or not lice and the acarus of scabies can develop resistance to lindane.

Treat children and adults with lice promptly and thoroughly.

Wash all clothes and bed linens in hot water with detergent. This also helps prevent head lice from spreading to others during the short period when head lice can survive off the human body.