Read - Head Lice

Lice

What are lice?
Lice are small insects that live on humans and survive by feeding on blood.

There are three kinds of lice. In general, each lives on a different area of the body.

    * Head lice are usually found in hair, most often on the nape of the neck and behind the ears. Head lice infestation (pediculosis) is common in preschool and elementary school?age children. Adults can be affected, especially if they live in a household with children.
    * Pubic lice ("crabs") are usually found in the pubic area but may also be found on facial hair, on eyelashes, on eyebrows, in the armpits, on chest hair, and, rarely, on the scalp. Because pubic lice are mainly received through sexual contact, there presence may be linked with other sexually transmitted diseases.
    * Body lice live and lay eggs in the seams of clothing. The lice are only present on the body when they feed. Under certain conditions, such as may occur during natural disasters or war, body lice may transmit life-threatening diseases such as typhus, relapsing fever, and trench fever.

Head lice
Head lice are most commonly acquired by head to head contact from an infested person's hair. Also, having shared combs, hats, and hair accessories may be the result of head lice. Generally speaking, a victim of head lice has usually fewer than a dozen active lice on the scalp at a time.

Head lice treatment
Before considering any type of treatment for head lice, make sure the correct diagnosis has been made. Sometimes an old infestation brought on by hatched eggs, is not a cause for treatment. Head lice treatment should only be considered when active lice or viable eggs are observed.

Lice treatment
There are as many as 12 million cases of lice in the United States per year. Over 100 million dollars are spent on lice treatment annually. There is a chemical pesticide lindane offered as a lice treatment that has been identified as a hazardous substance, This lice treatment can bring serious risks. It has been suggested from pediatricians, that lindane based products can be a potential danger for lice treatment, and should be avoided. The FDA advised that lindane be a lice treatment of last resort.

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