Head Lice: How To Check

Head lice can be seen by the naked eye even though they are very tiny. The adult louse is as big as a sesame seed and is brownish tan in color. After hatching, nymphs become adult lice after about 7 days. Every 4 to 6 hours, most lice feed on blood. Head lice can survive up to 3 days off the scalp.

When lice bite, the sufferer feels itching and scratching of the scalp. The itching doesn’t start right away, sometimes. It depends on how responsive the sufferer is to the lice. To see lice or nits, you can part the person’s hair into small sections. If checking for lice or nits, look on the scalp, behind the ears, and around the nape of the person’s neck for the tiny creatures.

You can find lice by employing a magnifier, a lice comb, or an intense light. It can, though, be hard to find a nymph or fully grown louse. Often, there are relatively few of them to find because they are fast moving little suckers that are tough to spot.

Head lice can reach rapidly from person to person, especially in group settings and are extremely contagious. These tiny lice have specially adapted claws that let them to creep and stick firmly to hair even though they can’t fly or jump. Sharing cloths, bed linens, combs, brushes and mostly pass them along.

Lice and nits can be killed by using medicated lice treatments, although the itching may continue for several days after. It is suggested to repeat the treatment in 8 to ten day to avoid any possibility of a new cycle of lice.

Body lice are very common worldwide. They are capable of transmitting diseases, such as typhus, relapsing fever, and trench fever. More than concerning being concerned about it as a disease, it is more embarrassing and itchy. During the winter months, they are more common as people tend to be dressed in layers of clothing, creating a warm, moist environment that is ideal for lice growth. The body lice problem is generally limited to underdeveloped countries with poor sanitation and overcrowding.

Nits and lice can be located into tiny hair sections. These parasites are generally found behind the ears, near the base of the skull, or in the parts of the hair.It is very easy to search head lice with a magnifying glass or lice comb but, it is equally difficult to find nymphs and adult louses.These bugs jump between individuals. They are unable to move through the air,yet they can transmit through even casual contact. They can be killed by using medicated lice treatments. Body lice transmit diseases like typhus, relapsing fever, and trench fever. During the winter months, they are more common during winter season.

- norman horowitz