KARACHI: Cleanliness best shield against head lice
KARACHI, July 23: Head lice are an annoyance that often strike the heads of children but can be found on adults as well. In market different kinds of sprays and shampoos are available to get rid of these little irritating bugs, but they often return back after short intervals. Experts are of the opinion that the best shield against the head lice is cleanliness of your body and surroundings.
A head louse is a small bug that lives on the head of its human host. It lays eggs (nits), which adhere to the hair shaft close to the skull. The louse sucks the blood through the scalp. The resulting scabs from the bites cause itching, which is often the first sign that there is a problem.
Intense itching or discovery of the nits (eggs) most often alerts us to lice when washing or combing hair. Nits are small sacks, which are off-white in colour. The oval-shaped nits are glued to the hair shaft and do not come off by bushing your hand over them, like flakes of dandruff will. While the nits are smaller than the head of a straight pin, they are not impossible to see with the naked eye. Bright, natural lighting as well as magnifying glasses can be used to detect the offending creatures.
Head lice crawl. They do not jump or hop, nor do they have wings with which to fly.
One thing to remember is that homes do not get head lice; people do. Pets cannot get human head lice. They cannot survive away from a human host for more than 24 hours.
Lice have been around since the dawn of mankind. It is believed that the primates had to contend with their own host-specific type of lice. Dead lice and nits have been found on Egyptian mummies.
The life of a head louse is about a month. The female of the species lays eggs (nits) on the hair shafts at the rate of approximately four eggs a day. These eggs hatch seven to 10 days later. Within another 10 days, the newly hatched louse can begin having babies. This is why it’s important to catch an infestation of head lice right away and treat it immediately and again in a week.
Head lice do not survive in water, nor do they jump from one head to the next. They can be transferred via hair brushes, hats or any other hair accessories.
The most effective treatment is manual removal. Thoroughly wash hair, dry with a hair dryer, and find a spot outside in the sun or natural light to comb through the hair. Sit with tissue paper underneath the hair and use a fine-toothed comb. As you comb, anything combed out of the hair will fall onto the tissue paper (the gift wrap kind, not the nose blowing kind) for you to see.
All bedding in the house should be washed in hot water and dried on high heat. Thoroughly vacuum the mattress, carpets, and upholstered furniture in the house.
With early detection, daily screening, and diligence, a lice occurrence in your home can be handled efficiently. When receiving notification that someone in your home has come in contact with a case of lice, it is important to begin immediately the process of removing lice. Remember that lice can attack anyone.—PPI
