Pediculosis - what are the symptoms, treatment at home and prevention

Parents whose children attend kindergarten or school have heard about pediculosis. In the article you will learn what pediculosis is, the causes, symptoms and methods of treating the disease at home.

Pediculosis is a skin disease caused by a human louse. A louse is a small insect that parasitizes on the skin and clothing.

Lice parasitize only on mammals. They drink the blood of the owner, and multiply by eggs, which attach to the hair. Humanity has become acquainted with lice for a long time. During excavation archaeologists found dried insects in Egyptian mummies. The first information about lice is found in the records of Aristotle, who are about 2500 years old.

In the XXI century, in European countries, the peak incidence of pediculosis in August, when the kids return from summer camps. There are outbreaks of the disease in sanatoriums, kindergartens and schools. Modern people live in better socio-economic conditions than their ancestors. Material wealth has also increased. Despite this, the level of infection with pediculosis is constantly growing. In some countries, the defeat is epidemic in nature.

Head louse - a tiny parasite that falls on the skin of the head during close contact with the patient, using his comb, headgear and other personal items. In blacks, pediculosis appears rarely due to the structure of the hair.

Adult lice do not jump or fly, but crawl. Having reached the healthy hairline, they will multiply rapidly by laying eggs - nits. Using chitin, they attach nits to the hair shaft.

The life span of head lice is one month. An adult lays up to ten eggs a day, which in one decade become immature individuals. After another week, maturation ends.

Symptoms and causes of head lice

Pediculosis is an unpleasant disease, you can not argue with that. The infected person experiences great discomfort only from the realization that small biting parasites live on his body. The society attributes pediculosis to ugly labels, as a result of which people are ashamed to report the disease and claim that the causes of the problems are poor immunity and a lot of stress.

For many, lice causes intense fear. I believe that fear is worth the dangerous complications that the disease can lead to. Lice often carry rickettsiosis and typhoid.

Where can I get lice

• Congestion is facilitated by crowds. Lice are more likely to sit on a clean hairline, since in such conditions it is easier for them to get food and reproduce.
• You can catch the infection in a hairdresser, pool, hospital, bathhouse or metro. Even in the elevator of an ordinary apartment building.
• The spread of lice contribute to epidemics, wars, hunger strikes when it is difficult to maintain cleanliness.

If you carefully study the above list, it is clear that the causes of lice are social in nature. Pediculosis appears when in contact with an infected person, in a group of people, in the absence of personal hygiene.

The duration of the latent period of development of lice is 1-1.5 months. This time is enough for the female to lay a large number of eggs. Later, tiny larvae will appear from the nits, which, together with adult insects, begin to actively feed. At this point, symptoms of pediculosis appear. Them like runny nose or chickenpox, a lot.

Symptoms

1. Places of bites are very itchy. With the pubic form of the disease, itching worsens at night, with worm lice it is intolerable. With head lice, the back of the head, temples and the area of ​​the skin behind the ears are most affected.
2. During a careful examination of the head, wounds are found at the site of the bites. Often in this area there is a strong rash, indicating an allergic reaction to the substances contained in the saliva of lice.
3. If the disease is not recognized for a long time, the skin is covered with combs and excoriations, due to the constant combing of bite sites. In the place of combs, wounds appear, on the surface of which crusts form. Such combing is dangerous because it is an open door for infections.
4. The detection of braiding nits in the form of a tiny bubble is a typical manifestation of the disease. Living nits are yellowish in color, and dead nits are gray. If the rot is crushed with a fingernail, a click is heard.

Diagnosis of pediculosis is simple. The presence of the described symptoms, live lice, nits is evidence of the disease.

Types of Lice

Many are of the opinion that lice are the destiny of wartime and the homeless. In fact, these tiny and harmful insects can appear on the head of any person.

Head louse

It lives in the scalp, preferring the temporal and occipital areas. In these places the greatest concentration of bites. Lice feed on blood. When bitten, an irritating substance that causes itching gets into the wound.

Cootie

Activity on the body is fraught with the appearance of itching and other troubles. The body louse suffers from dangerous diseases - fever, typhus. It differs from the head louse by its habitat - in the folds of clothes, where it lays eggs. Bites are located at the places where the clothes come in contact with the body: the collar area, knee folds, and the belt.

Pubic Louse

A tiny parasite lives in the anal and pubic region, giving the host bites a lot of trouble. In most cases, pubic lice is transmitted during intercourse. If the body has a well-defined hairline, the disease can affect other areas.

Unfortunately, the level of lice increases annually. This is due to climate mitigation and poor disease awareness. Improper therapy leads to secondary infection and contributes to the adaptation of parasites to drugs.

Pediculosis treatment at home

Pediculosis is a disease that causes a feeling of disgust. No one likes tiny parasites that feed on human blood. The society assigned lice to the disease status of dysfunctional people, as a result of which it is considered shameful to suffer from head lice.

A person who finds lice in every way conceals this. Pediculosis is widespread, because people do not even realize that the carrier of blood-sucking parasites is nearby. The consequence is a lack of precautions.

When lice appears, it is not necessary to go to the clinic. Modern pharmacology helps treat pediculosis at home, and traditional medicine has not been canceled.

Children can also be treated at home, however, with certain exceptions. You will have to see a doctor if: the age of the child is less than two years old, there is an allergy or asthma, lice and nits are located on the eyebrows and eyelashes.

Medical preparations

The range of drugs focused on the fight against pediculosis is quite extensive. Everyone can choose an effective medicine against annoying lice.

1. Hellebore water. The solution has a neurotoxic effect on mature parasites. Apply to wet hair and rinse with warm water after half an hour.
2. Lauri. Several forms of the presented product are sold - cream, solution or shampoo. Doctors do not recommend use for skin diseases.
3. Medifox. An effective drug in the fight against nits and adult lice. This concentrated liquid is released in bottles and small ampoules.
4. Couple plus. Combined spray. The composition includes a number of active substances that kill bloodsucking parasites.
5. Nittifor. The drug is based on the active substance permethrin. Available in the form of a cream and solution, it eliminates from fleas, lice, ticks.
6. Nyx. Cream with antiparasitic action. Efficiency in the fight against larvae, nits and adult lice has been demonstrated repeatedly.
7. Chigia and Pedilin. Highly effective parasite shampoos.
8. Pedex. A yellowish liquid is used to eliminate lice regardless of stage of development. After use, eggs, larvae and sexually mature insects disappear.

Any of the above drugs is focused exclusively on external use and is suitable for eliminating lice in children. Some pharmacy products have age restrictions.

Folk remedies

Many people prefer to treat pediculosis with affordable folk methods. I will consider folk remedies by which they fight against ectoparasites.

• Infusion of Herbs Elecampane. Five tablespoons of chopped herbs pour a liter of boiling water, leave for about an hour and use to wash your hair. Cooking is better in a thermos.
• Angelica and bird cherry. From the roots of plants make an excellent remedy against pediculosis. From dry roots make a powder that is mixed with fat. The resulting ointment is recommended to treat lice habitats daily for one week.
• Geranium. It has long been known that the smell of geranium repels lice. During the treatment of head lice geranium oil add to balms, hair masksshampoos and conditioners.
• Mint and Pomegranate Juice. Pour 200 milliliters of natural into a small container pomegranate juice, add two tablespoons of herbs and boil over low heat for about 8 minutes. After cooling, rub the product into the hair roots and use to moisturize the scalp.
• Tar soap. Thoroughly soap your head with tar soap, wrap it with a film and wait half an hour, then rinse off the foam with shampoo and apply any hair balm. Use a thick scallop to remove dead lice.
• Kerosene. In the old days, lice were fought with kerosene, previously diluted with vegetable oil in a ratio of 1 to 12. Before bedtime, this mixture was treated with hair, covered with a plastic bag, wrapped in a scarf and left until morning. Then the composition was washed off with warm water with shampoo and combed hair with a comb.
• Vinegar. In case of head lice, moisten the hair with vinegar, wrap it with a towel, leave it for two hours and wash it off with soap and water. After the water procedure, it is recommended to rinse the hair with vinegar solution. Suitable wine, alcohol or Apple vinegar low concentration.
• Dichlorvos. The most radical method of dealing with head lice involves treating the head with dichlorvos. This insecticide does an excellent job, but I do not recommend resorting to its use, even in extreme cases.
• Turpentine. Before use, dilute turpentine with vegetable oil in a ratio of 1 to 8. Next, put on an oilcloth cap on your head, wait about an hour, wash and comb the hair.
• Garlic. From several cloves of garlic make gruel and rub it into the scalp three times a day. After about four days, the insects will die. It remains to wash the hair and comb out the body of the parasites.
• Eastern recipe. Mix apple cider vinegar with Roman coriander in equal amounts. The resulting mixture to rub the head and hair. Stand in the sun for at least 20 minutes. Two procedures completely eliminate pediculosis.

The following method will help to cope with lice. Boil bedding and underwear for 20 minutes in water with the addition of some kind of insecticide. After things hang out in fresh air and leave for a week. Lack of food will lead to the death of parasites.

Disadvantages and side effects of folk remedies

People consider naturalness to be the main advantage of folk remedies against pediculosis. This is true, but some have flaws and side effects.

1. Kerosene. In addition to destroying lice, it damages hair follicles. Kerosene is poorly washed off, when it gets into the eyes, it starts a complex inflammatory process, and fumes can provoke severe poisoning.
2. Vinegar. Too dry hair. If improperly diluted, severe burns will appear on the surface of the scalp. You can not use vinegar to fight pediculosis in children.
3. Dichlorvos. Toxic substance. Symptoms of poisoning: loss of consciousness, vomiting, convulsions, dizziness, rash, appear immediately after the vapor in the respiratory system. If dichlorvos appears on the surface of the skin, these symptoms appear after a few hours.

Each folk drug against lice should be tested on the elbow before use. If there is no reaction after applying the product to the skin, it can be used as directed. When redness, burning and other symptoms appear, a home-made medicine should be washed off as quickly as possible.

Pregnancy Lice Treatment

During pregnancy, a pediculosis treatment is prescribed that is completely safe for mom and baby. Optionally, the attending physician will help you choose the methods of combating the disease.

Girls in position should only deal with lice with non-toxic drugs.

• Mechanical removal. The technique boils down to combing out parasites with a comb. It is better to carry out the procedure over the bathtub to immediately wash off the insects. The process is extremely long and less effective than purchased drugs. In addition, nits attached to the hair will have to be cleaned with your hands. But it is as safe as possible.
• Apple vinegar. Do not dilute food product with water. Carefully process the hair soaked in vinegar with cotton wool, paying special attention to the nape, temples and areas behind the ears. After two hours, rinse off the product under a plastic bag and wash your hair thoroughly. Handle vinegar carefully, otherwise it will damage the scalp and hair structure.
• Cranberry. The berry from which the housewives make excellent fruit drink, the safest nest sheath breaker. From fresh cranberries make juice and treat them with head and hair. Rinsing is recommended after a few hours.
• Ivy-shaped budra. Safe and effective in the fight against pediculosis. Pour two tablespoons of budra with table vinegar and leave for two days. Prepare hair twice a day with a ready-made solution, wait 2 hours, rinse and use a scallop.
• Tea tree oil. It has the best antiparasitic effect. Add a couple of drops of oil to the shampoo and the rinse used.

Considered anti-lice agents are effective and safe. If you plan to resort to the help of these and other medicines, consultation with the doctor is obligatory.

Pediculosis Prevention Measures

Prevention of infection with head lice should be given special attention by people whose work involves constant communication with vagabonds and other asocial personalities.

As I said, the spread of blood-sucking parasites depends on a number of factors: lack of hygiene, poor living conditions, wrong diet.

Pediculosis prophylaxis measures do not guarantee complete prevention of infection, but they significantly reduce the risk of an ailment. You should not neglect them.

Home Prevention

Home pediculosis prevention is important for children who regularly attend kindergartens and schools. To reduce the risk of infection of the child, it is necessary to regularly observe basic preventive rules.

• Comb your hair daily and carefully inspect the baby’s head.
• To collect long hair in girls in bunches or braids.
• Comb and comb hair regularly.
• Changing baby clothes and bedding in a timely manner.

Any doctor will tell parents that they should regularly conduct explanatory discussions with their children. During such conversations, it is necessary to convey to the child that pediculosis is a dangerous disease and in order to avoid it, do not wear clothing or other children's hats. It is also necessary to constantly use your own hygiene items.

Kindergarten Prevention

Unfortunately, pediculosis in preschools is a common occurrence, the reasons for which lie in poor parental awareness regarding prevention.

According to sanitary rules, kindergarten health workers must examine children at admission and weekly after. The head of the kindergarten is obliged to treat the problem with responsibility and refuse to accept children with pediculosis infected. If a disease occurs, appropriate measures should be taken:

1. Isolation of infected kids.
2. Search for the source of lice.
3. Operational examination of children in contact with infected people.
4. Informing the clinic, in which the sick child is registered.
5. Wet cleaning and disinfection.
6. Checking the condition of group rooms, lockers for clothes and drawers for toys.
7. Consultation of doctors regarding home-based prevention of pediculosis.

In pharmacies, many specialized parasite products are sold that are suitable for use in kindergartens. The focus of the spread of the disease is considered eliminated after three examinations of children.

School Prevention

The prevention of pediculosis in schools provides for medical personnel to examine children at least 4 times a year. Monthly checks of a selective nature are carried out. Children who have lice are definitely suspended from school until the problem is resolved. Returning to school is possible only if there is a certificate from a doctor. Healthy children should follow a number of simple rules:

1. Do not change personal items of clothing with classmates and friends.
2. Do not use other people's combs and hairpins, do not give other students their things.
3. Only visit the swimming pool with a rubber cap.
4. Do not use towels from other students.

Video “History and treatment of pediculosis”

Summing up, we can confidently say that the most effective prevention of pediculosis is the timely detection of infected children with their subsequent isolation.