Vitality News Health Articles

Pediculus humanus capitis, the louse that infects humans, lives and breeds on the scalp. The head louse is a parasite, feeding on its host’s blood. The louse does not infect other areas of the body, and remains on the scalp during its entire life span of four weeks. A female louse lays 50-150 nits (eggs) that will hatch and become nymphs. Three moltings later, as louse develops into a nymph 2 and nymph 3, the louse finally becomes an adult male or female.

Head lice reproduce rapidly and adult females lay 3 to 4 eggs a day, on average. Generations last about a month and lice of any stage gorge themselves on blood, biting skin four to five times a day. The female passes a glue-like excretion during oviposition from a gland near the rear of the body which helps the eggs adhere to the hair of a host. While any part of the scalp may be affected, lice tend to lay their eggs on the nape of the neck and the area behind the ears.

The most common symptom of infestation is pruritus on the head, which typically will intensify about 3 to 4 weeks after the initial infestation occurs. Bite reactions are generally mild and can seldom be seen between the hairs. The bites themselves are sometimes visible, especially on the neck of people with long hair. In rare instances, individuals who scratch the itchy bites too much can develop secondary infections with impetigo and pyoderma. Swelling in the lymph nodes and fevers are rare complications. Head lice are not believed to transmit pathogenic microorganisms.

Many people wonder how to get rid of lice. It’s a tough situation to be in because there are not that many products on the market that kill 100% of the lice eggs in a single treatment. Some methods used to kill lice include chemical applications, hot air, combs, and even removing all hair from the head. Kerosene should not be used alone, or in vinegar-oil combinations, in the treatment of lice infestation. Additionally, people should not used antibiotics, ivermectin, or bleaches and dyes to prevent infestation.

You can comb them out, zap them with chemicals or simply keep scratching. But head lice have a habit of maintaining a firm grip on their habitat.And the bad news is they are becoming increasingly resistant to the most common treatments.Scientists believe that 80 per cent of the bugs are immune to over-the-counter lotions. They found lice were untroubled by the chemicals permathrin and phenothrin, found in popular bug-busting brands.

Therefore, it may not be possible to do much in the way of actually treating head lice infection. Prevention may actually be the best cure. Over time, the insects have developed a resistance to many of the medicinal lotions. The trick is to try and discover a better lotion for treatment than what is currently available on the market.

Pediculus humanus capitis, commonly known as the head louse, spend its entire lifetime on the human scalp. A lice generation typically lasts for one month. Head lice are not believed to transmit pathogenic microorganisms. How to get rid of lice?Well that is a tough question because there is practically no product in the market, which kills 100% of the eggs after a single treatment.Various methods used include chemical treatment,hot air, combs, shaving the head,dimeticone etc. It is not recommended to use kerosene (alone or in combination with oil and vinegar), hair bleaches and dyes, antibiotics or ivermectin for treatment and garlic and Vitamin B for prevention.

- norman horowitz