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Lice infestation Quick help when the head itches and burns
The infestation of lice is the nightmare of all parents and teachers. There is no cause for excitement though. Dr. Isabel Justus, Managing Director of the Apothekerkammer Bremen, calms down: "Head lice are common in children". There are different types of lice, whose transmission takes place in different ways. Mostly, close body contact allows the transmission of parasites. With the right ingredient, lice are completely removed. Advice from the pharmacy on appropriate means assists in successful treatment.
Head lice are small insects that settle on the human head hair and lay down their eggs there. Very rarely, in case of heavy infestation, other hairy areas of the upper body may be affected. An adult head louse has an elongated body and is about three millimeters in size. Her six legs are claw-shaped claws, with which she can hold on to hair very well. These legs allow her to crawl over her hair and wander from one head to the next. Their only food is the blood of man. The louse has piercing-sucking mouthparts. Because she gives off an anesthetic while sucking, you usually do not feel the sting immediately. The parasites suck blood several times a day to feed themselves. A head louse can live on average only 24 hours without food, some species make this a maximum of 55 hours.
Infestation with head lice is particularly common in children, but the annoying parasites easily spread to adults. (Image: Lars Zahner / fotolia.com) Head lice are transmitted through close interpersonal contacts. They walk from hair to hair, so to speak. Although head lice can not jump or fly, they can crawl quickly. Head lice are common in autumn and winter. The most susceptible to infection and spread are children because they seek close contact with their fellow human beings and often live in community facilities such as schools or kindergartens. Most then also the family members are affected. Pets are not carriers. Lice can settle down with anyone, despite the best head care and daily shampooing. When choosing the hair, they are not picky, every head is welcome as a food source.
Symptoms and treatment
The ripples cause redness and itching, causing those affected to constantly scratch their heads. The reason is that the louse injects a small amount of saliva into the scalp during each blood meal. Especially in the neck and behind the ears develops a partially purulent rash, which can lead to bacterial skin infections. In this case, a visit to a doctor's office is necessary. In the beginning, the lice and their eggs, the so-called Nissen, are difficult to recognize on the scalp. The nits are particularly good to discover in the neck and temple area. "One tool to discover lice is the lice comb. This combs the hair strand by strand with a conditioner, and in case of infestation one finds head lice or larvae ", explains chamber director Justus. The special comb is available in pharmacies.
Head lice are found worldwide, but especially children are very often affected. Since the head lice can not jump, but only climb, she is reliant on the change of land that touch the hair of two people. This is probably the reason why girls are more likely to suffer from head lice than boys. Sometimes entire schools, kindergartens or day care centers are hit by a head lice epidemic. It is important for parents to know which rules of behavior exist and which treatment method is suitable for their children. Pharmacists help with the selection of medical products.
Some active substances available on the market are harmful to infants and toddlers. For this reason, parents of children up to three years should seek advice from their doctor about appropriate treatment. Usually, however, this is done in self-medication, because nowadays, many over-the-counter preparations for lice control are available. For children up to the age of twelve, the health insurance company covers the costs of the medication, provided that a prescription has been obtained from the pediatrician.
There are two groups of anti-lice agents: neurotoxic preparations with, for example, pyrethrum extract or physically acting lice preparations based on silicone oil, mineral oil or vegetable. If used correctly, both preparations will work equally well. In modern head lice agents, a residence time of ten minutes is sufficient and it is sufficient for a single application to get rid of the pests. For many preparations, the application must be repeated after eight to ten days. In doing so, the exact specifications of the manufacturer regarding exposure time and repetition should be observed. Children are allowed to return to kindergarten or school immediately after application. As a rule, a confirmation from the parents that an anti-lice treatment has been carried out is sufficient. So far, the possibilities to prevent head louse infestation were limited. There are currently three new products on the market that have a preventive effect. These are available at local pharmacies.
Parasites such as fleas and lice were the ideal disease vectors. (Image: fotoliaxrender / fotolia.com) Measures to clean the environment
If a child suffers from a lice infestation, parents should carefully examine their own and their sibling's hair so that they can be given immediate treatment if necessary. This is much more important than thorough cleansing of the environment, as lice can only survive on the human head. If they do not receive blood as food there, they will die after two days at the latest. For this reason, the animals prefer to stay in the hair rather than being in other places. A transmission over caps or other objects is thus rather the exception. Combs, brushes and hair ornaments are to be cleaned with 60 degrees soapy water for safety.
Also cuddly animals and dolls are not attractive for lice as a place to stay, because they can not survive there either. A louse who is accidentally there is weakened after a few hours due to lack of food, to cling to a new host and crawl into the scalp hair. The days long storage of cuddly toys in plastic bags or even freezing is therefore superfluous. Special detergents for clothes, furniture and carpets are also not displayed. For a better feeling, bed linen, towels and sleep clothes can be exchanged once. Daily changing and washing is not required and only leads to unnecessary stress and high water consumption. Dogs and cats can not transmit lice, so they can be cuddled with them without hesitation.
A special lice comb is important to be able to recognize the small pest ghosts in the hair. (Image: K. Zernecke / fotolia.com) "Parents should be aware that once they discover head lice in their child, they are required to report it in kindergarten or at school. This is prescribed by the Infection Protection Act, "informs Managing Director Isabel Justus. "In addition, it is important to begin treatment immediately and to immediately notify the child's friends or clubmates."