Why lice appear, methods of struggle, lice prophylaxis

Infection lice - one of the most acute and unresolved problems in the world. The causes of pediculosis are mainly associated with all kinds of cataclysms, such as natural and man-made disasters, armed conflicts, socio-political crises and many other factors that affect the deterioration of human life. The population, drawn into these processes, creates foci of infection around itself that develop into epidemics of the disease.

Unfortunately, this problem does not pass by the prosperous sections of society, because parasites do not ask about the social status of their victims. Lice are wound in adults on clean hair quite often. This is due to the fact that insects do not tolerate fat, which covers dirty hair and therefore they "happily" settle in more favorable conditions.

Characterization of ectoparasites

Lice are classified as blood-sucking insects. In nature, there are up to 100 species of these parasites, differing in degree of danger and appearance. In humans, there are only three varieties of ectoparasites:

• body lice;
• head lice;
• pubic lice.

Their main habitat is a dense hairline on the human body.

Important!

Lice are dangerous not only that they can cause discomfort, cause discomfort and severe itching, but also become a cause the spread of dangerous infectious diseases, which include typhus and relapsing fever, as well as Volyn fever.

Insects feed on the host’s blood and can suck up to 5 mg of blood from their victim during the day. The louse crawls on the surface of the hair quickly enough, due to the structure of its limbs. The cleaner the skin, the easier it is for parasites to eat, which is a confirmation and justification of why lice are wound in clean people. Lice breed rapidly, by laying the female eggs, which are called nits. They firmly attach their future offspring to the hair with a sticky mass at a distance of about 4 cm from the roots. The photo shows what lice and nits look like in human hair.

On a note!

Lice are especially dangerous for pregnant women, nursing mothers and infants. The baby’s immunity is weak and not fully formed, and chemical substances that can negatively affect health are often used to exterminate insects and nits.

Head lice choose the temporal, parietal and occipital part of the human head as the main environment for their habitat and existence. The development of the insect lasts approximately 9 days, the same amount incubation period. A female is able to lay about 140 eggs in a month of her life. Pests are very sensitive to changes in ambient temperature, which affects life span. A mark on a thermometer within 31 ° C is comfortable for life, but for some reason they do not leave patients with high temperature. But still there fatal temperature range for lice.

The cause of head lice is another species of lice.Quite large individuals are highly fertile and voracious. They live in the seams of bedding and folds of clothing. Females attach eggs to tissue villi, but sometimes the nets of the clothes parasite appear on the hairs of the human body. Linen lice poorly tolerate fever and move to more favorable places. They move at a speed of 30 mm per minute.

The third type of pediculosis culprits is pubic lice in humans or ploschiki. They are practically motionless and are always in a state of saturation. Females attach their eggs to hair growing on the pubis, as well as eyebrows and eyelashes. Infection occurs during sexual intercourse or when using common washcloths, towels or bed linen.

Interesting!

Of all the lice, only the pubic parasite actively spreads after swimming in stagnant bodies of water. The most common occurrences are in the highly populated areas of Cambodia, India and Laos. The main danger is that this type of infection is the most common cause of illness in children. They appear lice on eyelasheseyebrows and head.

Causes of head lice

The appearance of lice in humans is quite simple to explain. Contrary to the prevailing opinion that pediculosis can occur only in unscrupulous and asocial categories of the population, today experts record the disease in quite prosperous people. The probability of getting infected is very high, and this can happen to anyone, because lice are not interested in the social status and age of their victim. The causes of the appearance of insects in adults and children are as follows:

• low cultural level in society, non-observance of strict rules of individual hygiene;
• close contacts with people infected with pediculosis;
• unsanitary conditions in the house, contributing to the rapid spread of lice;
• promiscuous sexual life in which the pubic parasite moves to a new host;
• causes of lice in children - communication with infected children in kindergartens, schools, health camps and playgrounds;
• exchange of hygiene items, personal items, hats, which may be the nits of a person infected with head lice;
• visiting public baths, saunas, as well as the use of sunbeds, towels and rugs that are not subjected to thorough sanitary treatment;
• beauty salons and hairdressers that do not adhere to the simplest hygiene rules;
• Accommodation in hotels, hostels and frequent business trips;
• travel in crowded public transport;
• crowded lines and public wardrobes in various institutions;
• swimming in standing natural reservoirs or pools.

Any of these factors can cause ectoparasites to become infected. A big misconception is that a child or an adult lice can get stress. This information is erroneous, as parasites can appear only in direct contact with ill pediculosis.

Myths include claims that lice are transmitted from animals, and that they can fly and jump. Ectoparasites have no wings, and unlike flea do not know how to jump. They can only crawl from the hair or clothing of an infected person to a healthy person through direct physical contact.

Important!

Lice are not transmitted to humans from animals and vice versa.

Symptoms and diagnosis of pediculosis

Most often, lice appear on the head in children and adults with long curls. At the very beginning of the disease, insects are very difficult to notice in the hair. On the head you can only detect the consequences of their stay - itching after numerous lice bites and combed wounds. Damage to the skin is most often observed in the temporal and occipital regions, as well as in the area of ​​the ears.In addition to the above symptoms, the patient manifests other signs of head licewhich include such factors:

• irritability and insomnia;
• large amounts of lice are found in the hair and dandruff-like nits;
• papular urticaria at the site of bites.

With a faded form of pediculosis, a person can develop dermatitis, purulent rashes appear, and inflammation of the lymph nodes is also noted. Abundant secretory secretions of parasites lead to tangling of hair and the appearance of an unpleasant putrefactive odor. The above symptoms of head lice should serve as a signal for taking urgent measures that will help get rid of a dangerous disease.

In the presence of obvious signs of the presence of lice in human hair, diagnosing head lice is quite simple. The main method to detect parasites is a careful examination of the patient. With this diagnostic method, it is very difficult to detect adult lice, but numerous nits attached to the hair will become the main sign of a developing disease. Fighting insects is necessary at the slightest suspicion of infection.

Children and lice

Pediculosis is a very common phenomenon, which is most often manifested in the younger generation. For them, the most characteristic type of insects that lives in the hair on the head. Lice feed on the blood of their master. Their bites are accompanied by itching, causing discomfort and leading to scratching of the scalp. Propagating, insects lay eggs (nits), which are fixed on the hair of a child with a specific adhesive enzyme. In appearance, they resemble dandruff, which can sometimes mislead parents. But if dandruff can be blown away, then getting rid of nits is much more difficult.

Start up lice in children only as a result of direct contact with the parasite carrier or through its personal wardrobe or hygiene items. In child care facilities, getting infected is fairly simple. After all, children love to exchange clothes, try on other people's hats, use combs, hairpins and other items of their friends. Lice may be transmitted and through public wardrobes in the absence of separate lockers for storing things.

On a note!

Interesting tips on how to avoid pediculosis infection gives Komarovsky in a lecture on lice.

The younger generation is most at risk of being infected with lice. The causes of pediculosis in children are largely similar to those in adults, but they also have their own specific features. These include the following factors:

• lack of established hygiene rules that do not allow the exchange of clothes, use the same bed, combs, hairpins and other personal items;
• tendency to close contacts - games, brawls, hugs, frequent contact with the heads;
• an abundance of contacts with peers, among which may be a carrier of parasites.

Another important reason explaining why a child often has lice is the low selectivity of children when choosing friends and acquaintances. They equally easily communicate both with well-groomed peers and with children from a dysfunctional environment, whose cleanliness there is no one to monitor.

Important!

Infants may become infected with lice directly from an infected mother. This contact is inevitable, but in this situation it all depends on how much she cares about preventing possible infection of her child.

Methodology for getting rid of lice on hair

Once the fact of the presence of lice in the hair is established, as well as the sources of infection are identified, urgent measures must be taken pediculosis control. Parasites are highly survivable, so the process of getting rid of them requires a lot of patience.If nits are found, it is urgent to consult a doctor and make a choice effective and safe drug for lice.

There are several methods used in the process. pediculosis treatment at home - mechanical, chemical, folk and combined technique. The mechanical way is to combing nits from hair using special lice comb or fingers. This process is quite time-consuming and requires regular hair combing four times at regular intervals for two weeks.

The treatment of lice on the hair and the prevention of reinfection is provided by highly effective chemical drugs. In pharmacies you can always buy aerosols, sprays, shampooslotions ointments and even repellents that will help to avoid infection during visits to places unfavorable for sanitary indicators, and will also become a reliable preventive measure.

Pediculicides contain highly effective insecticides - malathion, phenotrin, permethrin, benzyl benzoate, as well as their various combinations. When using chemicals, it is necessary to strictly observe the rules of use prescribed in the instructions, which will avoid negative consequences.

Folk remedies, widely used in everyday life, also allow get rid of lice. Pediculosis can be treated with the following techniques:

• shaving bald or cutting long hair;
• the use of decoctions of medicinal plants;
• use of kerosene with vegetable oil;
• application acetic solution or hellebore water on the hair;
• use of dichlorvos;
• tar soap.

Preventive actions

Lice prophylaxis does not require complex procedures. It consists in observing elementary rules:

• observance of basic personal hygiene;
• regular check of the hair condition of the child;
• the exclusion of contacts with unscrupulous contingent, as well as the use of other people's personal things;
• periodic washing of the head with special means.

All these measures will protect against unwanted infection with lice.

Interesting!

You can become unattractive for parasites with essential oils for lice: eucalyptus, lavender or tea tree. A few drops of a fragrant substance will provide a reliable barrier to hair.

It should be noted that if lice constantly appear, this indicates the ineffectiveness of the procedures given, or the carrier of parasites is constantly surrounded.