Pediculosis is an infestation of lice, parasite insects in the bodies of humans, usually found on scalps. Lice are tiny insects that live on and crawl through the hair.

Lice live on the heads of their human hosts and thrive on human blood to survive. They stay close the skin for moisture, food and warmth.

They move freely and quickly which explains their ease of transmission. However, please be aware that head lice themselves are not a health hazard and are definitely not a sign of bad hygiene.

Itching of the scalp is the most common symptom which further leads to skin sores and skin infections. It spreads from person to person through close physical contact or by sharing combs, clothes, towels, pillows, clothes, bedding, furniture, hats or linen.

The three lice species that infest humans are Pediculus humanus capitis – head louse, Phthirus pubis – crab or pubic louse, and Pediculus humanus corpus – body louse. All three insects are obligate human parasites.

Common Symptoms

Pediculosis is more common among females than males and is most frequent in children, especially young and adolescent females.

Direct head-to-head contact is the most common mode of transmission. Early diagnosis and treatment is important. A child who often scratches his/her head needs to be examined for lice near the scalp.

Some common symptoms to look for:

1. Tickling feeling of something (lice) moving in the hair.

2. Itching scalp, especially at the hairline and in the nape of the neck.

3. Irritability especially in young children, as they don’t know how to express their discomfort.

4. Sores on the head caused by the constant scratching.

5. Presence of nits (eggs) or lice in the hair close to the scalp.

Treatment for Head Lice

Non-prescription medications are available in pharmacies to treat pediculosis. Medicated shampoos to treat head infested with lice are available in plenty that are easy to use and effective.

However, consult a health care provider before treating a child less than a year. All family members need to be checked for pediculosis, as failure to treat infected members will cause reinfestation in the household.

Some prevention steps to avoid reinfestation are:

• Thoroughly vacuuming the entire house, especially the infected person’s room including their furniture as there is a risk of easy transmission.

• Soaking combs and brushes for an hour in a solution of water and anti-lice medicated shampoos

• Wash all bedding, blankets, pillow cases and clothes worn by an infected person within the past 72 hours in hot water for at least 20 minutes

• Sealing items that can’t be washed such as hats, coats and scarves in an airtight plastic bags for two weeks

The most effective treatment for head lice typically involves washing your hair with a head lice shampoo and then patiently and diligently removing the nits with a lice comb.

For light infestations, head lice can be treated by manually removing the live lice and nits. As there are often a lot of nits and lice on a child, they are hard to find and remove instantly.

You need to continue to find nits for days after treatment to completely get rid of head lice. It could help if you avoid the following to ensure that the treatment is effective and the infestation does not get aggravated:

• Do not use a hair dryer on your child’s or infected person’s hair after applying the scalp treatments as some of these contain flammable ingredients

• Do not use sprays or pest control to get rid of lice as they can be harmful

• Do not use multiple medications to treat head lice

• Do not use a cream rinse or conditioner before applying lice medicationDo not wash your child/infected person’s hair for about a day or two after using a medicated treatment.

Be patient and follow the recommended treatments and preventive measures to get rid of head lice and you are well on your way towards keeping your family lice-free, happy and smiling!

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