How to determine that you have lice?

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Infected with lice as easily as a fungus or flu. Situations that contribute to the spread of parasites happen every day. Instantly detect lice rarely. It will take time for the headache symptoms to make themselves felt. It is important to pay attention to the first signs in order to quickly diagnose if you have lice. Let's figure out how to detect parasites in their heads. After all, the treatment started on time is the key to getting rid of lice as soon as possible.

Lice and Pediculosis: Insect Characteristics and Diseases

Lice - ectoparasites, known since ancient times. Immediately determine their presence in the hair is difficult. Parasites have a nondescript appearance:

small body 4–5 mm,
gray-brown color, merging with the hair color (from natural gray to brown in a well-fed condition).

Insects live exclusively on the body of people, some human-like monkeys. This is due to the centuries-old adaptation to living on a circular cross-section of hair. Lice are transmitted by contact, crawling from one hair to another. Where lice come from, how they can get infected, you can find a detailed answer on our website.

The insect has paws with claws, allowing firmly held in the head of hair. Oriented louse solely by smell. Vision is an unnecessary addition, so the eyes are atrophied. The organ responsible for smelling the insect is the antennae.

Lice feed on blood. Powerful mouth piercing-sucking type is equipped with needles for piercing the skin, proboscis, acting on the principle of pumping. Insect is not greedy, but delivers a lot of inconvenience "owner":

thanks to rapid reproduction (140 eggs for a full life cycle of 45 days),
injecting blood into the blood during toxin penetration (cause severe itching, subsequent combing, wound formation),
the transmission of dangerous diseases (typhus, fever).

Under head lice do not understand the primary infection with insects. A disease is a complex of symptoms typical of the numerous presence of parasites. In medicine, pediculosis is called a complex of manifestations caused by lice:

itch
purulent rash,
allergic reactions
skin formations.

An important point! The appearance of an insect in the hair is not considered a disease. Violent livelihoods that cause clinical manifestations are the signs of lice. Find out that your lice often fails after a while. How long the incubation period of pediculosis in humans lasts is on our website.

Signs of the presence of lice

Parasites caught on the hair of the new carrier, immediately begin to "actions". Initial bites are not very noticeable to the victim. The process of feeding the parasite is not accompanied by unpleasant symptoms. At this stage it is almost impossible to detect insects.

Often people tend to think that there are no parasites, and minor unpleasant manifestations are associated with something else.

Each prokus accompanied by the release of a special enzyme necessary for normal lice digestion. The substance has a pronounced allergenicity for the carrier of parasites. The reactions to it are various: from the banal itching, which is painful, to the occurrence of severe inflammation.

In addition to nutrition, the breeding process continues. At the new site, the parasites do not stop laying eggs. The hatched larvae go through the necessary stages of development, turning into an adult insect. The young individuals begin to bite hard on the “master” only after they have hatched from the cocoon.

Nymphs, due to mass character, the need for food for enhanced development, cause more concern to the wearer.

For the timely detection of parasites, it is necessary to pay attention to the following symptoms:

causeless itching on the scalp, behind the ears, on the neck,
the presence of insects in the hair (even single living or dead),
the sudden appearance of a "rash" (area prokusov),
suddenly appeared "dandruff", not amenable to shaking off (nits).

The main indicator of the presence of lice recognize itching. It increases as the number of parasites increases. The intensity of itching depends on the individual sensitivity of the organism. The next common symptom is skin condition. Unreasonable reddening, suppuration is a reason to think. Skin indication also becomes more noticeable as time passes.

It should alert the appearance of "dandruff" at the base of the hair (eggs of parasites clad in a cocoon). Mount nits durable, shake off and even comb them hard.

Often carriers of parasites try not to notice obvious signs, writing them off to the manifestation of other diseases. Really worrying causes a mass population of insects. When itching, skin manifestations become stupid to lose sight of. After close inspection, the essence of the problem becomes clear.

Insect detection methods

Detect head lice can be alone or with medical assistance. It is enough to make a close examination of the scalp under a bright light. At home, you need to sit down "suspect", ask not to move.

Separating small strands of hair, consider a good light. In short hair, it can be checked by hand. Long, thick, curly hair is better to consider using a comb.

Adults are inactive, move slowly through the legs through the hair, prefer to be close to the skin. Despite the erroneous belief of many, fly, parasites are not able to jump.

Gray, translucent hungry louse merges with the hair. Find easier to feed the insect. It has a characteristic brown color (muted color of clotted blood).

Recognize nits easy. Enough to look closely. Nitsrepresent a rounded formation of light color, attached at an angle to the hair, closer to the base. A quick inspection of nits is often mistaken for dandruff. They hold tight on the head of hair, are not removed with fingers, combed badly with a comb. When crushing viable nits nails heard a characteristic click. Thanks to these signs nits are easy to distinguish from banal dandruff.

Interesting to know. In medical institutions to detect nits allows the lamp Wood. Its luminescence "stains" viable individuals with a blue fluorescent color. Detect adult individuals is real only by visual inspection. Give out the presence of lice and other characteristic symptoms.

Ways to fight insects

Start the fight with lice begin immediately after detection. The smaller their number in the hair, the faster and more efficiently it will cope. Begin the process by treating the patient. Use a suitable insecticide. Chemicals have a lot of restrictions.

Select them with caution. From the use of folk remedies, it is desirable to refuse. They are ineffective, require more time for full recovery.

Insecticide treatment is complemented by a mechanical control method. Some drugs are ineffective against nits. Mechanical cleaning ensures a more thorough approach. Combing done thoroughly, regularly.

Along with the treatment of the patient, produce prophylaxis against all those who were in close contact with the infected. The main thing is to understand in time that you have lice. This will help protect against the spread of head lice. At the same time make processing of clothes, premises.

The main prophylaxis of pediculosis is regular visual inspection. This applies to people whose risk of infection is high (close contact with outsiders, frequent presence in public places). The main thing is to understand in time that you have lice. Particular attention is paid to children. Timely detection of trouble, started treatment guarantee a favorable outcome of events. Details of the prevention of pediculosis can be found on our website.

Useful videos

Why do lice appear on the head?

Causes of lice.

How to determine pediculosis?

Pediculosis is a skin disease caused by the appearance and reproduction of lice on the hair. To find the answer to the question of how to detect lice in oneself, one needs to understand in more detail what symptoms this disease causes. One of the main symptoms of pediculosis is the persistent itching that occurs from the same day when the infection occurred. As a result of the bites of these insects, characteristic reddening of the skin occurs, which cause scabies. The more lice on the hair, the more itchy, and secondary symptoms such as hardening and hardening of the skin. Scorching is strictly prohibited, because you can crush the parasite, and the poison, which it contains, will fall on the open wound from its bite. There is a risk of contracting such infectious diseases as typhus, relapsing fever, etc.

Found the site, reddened by insect bites, still does not prove that there are lice on the head. But how to check if you have lice? You should carefully examine the hair for the presence of lice and nits. To do this, you need to comb your hair so that they are not tangled, and then run along the strands with a comb with fine teeth. The entire inspection procedure should be carried out in good light.

To determine if there are lice or nits on the hair, it is better to examine the head for a person who does not have vision problems, in other cases you can use a magnifying glass, because in size the parasites are very small.

Lice externally resemble fleas, but fleas jump from victim to victim, while lice only quickly move from place to place. Lice do not have such a device as a wing, so they cannot fly. There are 3 known types of lice: head, pubic and clothes. Each one is different from other habitats. The headache, as the name implies, has found for itself the abode of a person on the head, the pubic - in the groin, the wardrobe - on clothes, bedding and other fabrics. But habitat is not the only sign by which one louse can be distinguished from another.

Representatives of the head type have a length of no more than 4 mm and, as a rule, are colorless. Only after saturation with blood the color changes to reddish or brown.

The parasite has 3 pairs of limbs, the front pair is equipped with special hooks, thanks to which it easily clings to human hair. Most often, such lice can be found in a child due to the fact that children in the garden or children's camp are not sufficiently aware of strict hygiene rules, and therefore are not afraid to use other people's combs, hats, rubber bands and other head accessories.

A clothes lingerie or louse appears only in the case of large-scale pollution. Its length does not exceed 4 mm, and the body of its yellowish-white shade. Such an insect is nocturnal and, as a rule, lives in pockets and folds of clothing. This type of lice is different from the head in that its legs are more tenacious - this allows them to cling more tightly to the fabric. The occurrence of severe itching and white plaque on the skin is a sure sign that body louses are wound up. Their bites are easy to spot, because they appear in places where there is no hair, and look quite pronounced.

The pubic louse, or ploshchitsa, differs from the previous ones in that its body resembles a shield in form, so it is easy to recognize it. Such a parasite can be found not only in the groin area, but also in other parts of the body where the hair is thick, for example, on eyelashes and eyebrows. These lice lead a passive lifestyle, that is, practically do not move. Each foot has claw growths.

Symptoms of infection

The first, how to identify lice in the head, is to feel the symptoms. The initial period of infection has a short phase with dim symptoms of lice infection. Easy scabbing at bite sites quickly turns into irritating itch.

Insects feed on blood, and in order to gain access to it, they pierce the skin and inject a special substance. It prevents blood from clotting and causes annoying peeling.

The bite is accompanied by a slight injection, but if a small amount of lice live in the head, then an infected person may overlook itching.

Rending combing the head begins after hatching more than a dozen lice. The itch does not pass after washing a head, becomes frequent at night, and the person constantly twitches a head.

The symptoms gradually widen.. Constant scratching of the affected areas leads to the appearance of blood on the skin. In neglected situations, the skin areas are pinched, formations appear that have similarity with small boils. Prolonged pediculosis leads to thickening of the skin and pigmentation.

How to understand that you have lice, independently?

Localization of parasites. Usually, the detection of vermin in the head is not difficult if the head of an adult or child is regularly examined as a preventive measure.

There are certain areas where insect development is most intense. It is from these places that they spread throughout the head, so they need to be examined immediately if they suspect pediculosis. These include the occipital region and the temples.

Nits. Just a couple of days after infection, nits become noticeable, but adults do not always come into view.

They do not have the ability to quickly move from visible areas. Parasites are characterized by a special nits attachment - one larva on each hair. A small number of larvae are not immediately noticeable., especially with pediculosis in children with blond hair.

Sometimes they can be confused with dandruff in the initial stage, but when squeezed, the capsule with the larva makes a bursting soundthat is not typical for keratinized skin particles. Nits have an elongated spindle-shaped form, not exceeding 0.8 mm. At the end of the formation there is a small seal.

Head lice. How to recognize lice on the head? An adult insect is sometimes difficult to identify. Light gray color and small size are almost imperceptible, therefore, parasites are often identified by the presence of nits. The average size of the louse is 2-3 mm, but it can reach 4 mm.

Bites. How do you know if you have lice? In places of insect activity, small reddenings appear. They can be single at the initial stage and multiple if pediculosis is started.

Constant skin irritation causes severe itching, which leads to hyperemia in places of bites and even edema. In some cases, an allergic reaction may develop.

Assistance in examining pediculosis. Sometimes self-determination of lice with suspicion becomes difficult. Then this can be done with the help of another family member.

Parents should also regularly conduct a routine inspection of the head of children who have contact with peers in kindergarten or school.

Use comb. How to find out if lice are in the head, using a scallop? The tool with small teeth will allow you to quickly identify nits, as well as subsequently comb them out.

But for removal of adult parasites one comb will not be enough. Lice easily hides between the teeth, and then turns back on the hair.

Detection and combing out lice on a wet head. Before you understand that lice appeared, wound up and live with pleasure in your hair, we recommend that you wet your head. It is easy to identify lice with wet hair, as they remain immobile in contact with water.

When combing, the teeth should reach the roots of the hair and lightly touch the skin.The comb is carried out from the skin along the entire length, and then it is examined for the presence of nits and lice.

What to do when confirming pediculosis?

One combing parasites is not enough. It is necessary to apply timely and proper treatment for parasites with special preparations. The action algorithm for detecting lice is described here.

In addition to eliminating adult individuals, must be carefully removed nits. In a few days, they will be able to turn into adults capable of producing new offspring and causing complications.

Treatment for parasites is carried out at home. In total there are three ways to eliminate lice, but for greater efficiency it is better to use combination of chemical and mechanical method.

Currently, there are many modern drugs in the pharmacy that quickly cope with the disease. If pediculosis is observed in a child, then it is better to coordinate the further choice of the means with the pediatrician. It is necessary to act in accordance with the instructions.to avoid inefficiencies.

An important point is dosage compliance.. If you ignore this fact, any person may experience an allergic reaction to the active components.

The use of aerosols is considered the most acceptable and less traumatic for a child. They are easy to apply and quickly kill adult insects. Known drugs for lice have no effect on nits, you need to get rid of them manually.

Find out what can be treated for lice and nits from this article.

Mechanical removal of lice

After applying any means be sure to comb out all the nits. It is recommended to do it in bright light, slowly going through small strands.

It is important not to miss even the smallest nits.. For a more effective procedure is recommended to use folk remedies.

Well eliminates nits sour environment - Lemon or cranberry juice, vinegar. Before applying, they must be diluted with plain water.

There is also a good result when using soap.

You can get rid of lice quickly, in just one session of application of the drug and mechanical processing. With prevention, the risk of lice is minimized. But there are complications from a long stay of the parasites in the head.

Pyoderma. Most often in unsuccessful situations, purulent skin lesions develop. It is the result of multiple bites combing, if there are many parasites. Infection of wounds leads to deterioration of the general condition and increase in body temperature.

Complicated Infections. Lice are a source of serious and dangerous diseases. Thanks to medical drugs, the occurrence of typhus and Volyn fever is reduced to zero.

Self-detection of lice

Localization. On the human body there are certain areas where the parasites are located. These include the back of the head and temples. From these places, insects spread throughout the rest of the area. Therefore, during the inspection it is important to check these particular zones. But apart from localization, of course, it is important to imagine what lice and nits look like, as will be discussed later.
The presence of nits. To understand how lice eggs look, you need to imagine a bright grain 1 mm long. To protect offspring from destruction, insects produce a special adhesive that helps nits to gain a foothold on a hair. Light eggs are easy to spot in people with dark strands. But the nits on light hair and dandruff have the same structure, so they can be easily confused.
How to distinguish dandruff from nits. Due to its teardrop shape, at the initial stage, eggs of lice are similar to ordinary dandruff. However, when pressed, the encapsulated larva is capable of producing a characteristic sound. If you look closely, then at the end of the formation you can see the seal. An infected person begins to doubt whether he has dandruff or lice. It should be borne in mind that in these diseases the nature of itching and scratching is slightly different. Unlike pediculosis, the comb quickly becomes covered with a dense crust and heals. Therefore, having understood how the nits look on the hair, you will easily recognize the parasites and begin treatment.
Lice. It is equally important to know what human lice look like, because after the corresponding symptoms, you will surely ask someone to see if parasites live on your head. Adult head louse has a light gray color and very small size, the length does not exceed 0.8 mm. Knowing how a person’s lice look, it will be easier for you to identify them.
Bites. Since the lice on the head prefer the occipital and temporal part, in these places you can observe the greatest amount of redness, in general, this is how the lice bites look. At the onset of the disease, the reddening has a single character, in neglected situations - multiple distribution. In this case, the appearance of bites is accompanied by edema and the development of allergic reactions.

To detect lice in another person can be on changes in his behavior. If he often scratches his head, constantly twitches his hair, then infection with harmful insects is probably present. In children, an irrational change of mood, frequent whims and complaints of itching will help identify lice.

Complications of Pediculosis

Pediculosis is not dangerous for a person, except for severe itching and skin infection that has joined the infection. Hanging louse, which carries diseases such as typhoid, today almost never occurs. In addition, only insects can be infected with these insects who neglect hygiene products and are unable to wash and wear clean clothes. But still, please note that if you get infected with typhus, the temperature rises, a rash may appear, and other characteristic symptoms develop. It requires urgent assistance from a doctor who specializes in infectious diseases.

What to do when lice are detected

When lice and nits are detected, it is necessary to understand that a quick and comprehensive treatment will relieve you of many problems. You can not ignore the symptoms of the disease, as well as its treatment. No less important is the disinfection of the room where the patient lives, as well as the boiling of linen and clothes.

With regard to therapeutic measures, it is best to use several ways to destroy the parasites. Pharmacological companies represent a huge number of various sprays, shampoos, solutions and ointments against insects.

In addition to the chemical method of treatment, it is necessary to use a mechanical method that involves combing nits on the hair with a special comb with frequent teeth. Due to the notches located on the teeth of the comb, live and dead nits, remaining after using liquid products, are easily removed during combing. The quality of the procedure depends on the result of treatment.

Knowledge of the main symptoms of the disease and how nits and lice look will allow you to start the fight against parasites in a timely manner. It is better to treat the disease in the initial stage, otherwise the risk of infection of family members and other people increases.

Signs of adult lice

Parasites feed on human blood. During a bite, they inject a special substance into the wound that prevents blood from clotting and causes a slight itch. Therefore, it is possible to understand that lice are infused by the appearance of unpleasant sensations in the temporal or occipital region. It is there that insects love to dwell.

Determination of pediculosis on the head can be by the presence of nits in the hair. Head louse attaches eggs with a sticky substance to the hair shaft. In appearance nit looks like dandruff. It is small and gray-white. But it is easy to remove dandruff flake from the hair, but the parasite's eggs are glued tightly.

Head itching does not always indicate the presence of parasites. It can cause allergies, seborrhea and severe stress.

The fact that the pests started up on the hair, indicate the following symptoms of lice:

itching at night
head after washing itches,
red dots appeared on the skin with traces of dried blood,
there is a feeling that someone runs through the hair.

If you managed to find a single individual, it is worth examining the hair. A series of photos below will help you understand how lice and nits look. At the initial stage of insect lice will be difficult to find. But with a thorough examination it will be possible to find their eggs and traces of lice bites.

Signs of the appearance of pediculosis in a child

Children can ignore the itchy scalp and discomfort for a long time. Parents must be vigilant, because finding lice is not easy. A preventive examination will help to find out if there are lice on the child's head. Examine the hair should be once a week.

During the inspection, use a frontal flashlight. Its light will facilitate the search for small parasites.

In the early stages of pediculosis, the child may feel a slight tingling and itching. If the baby has become restless and capricious, then it is necessary to examine his hair and check the body for bites.

The following signs should alert parents:

daughter or son is constantly scratching the scalp,
the child is restless, complains of insomnia and dizziness,
on the back of the head and behind the ears bite marks appeared.

Moms and dads for a long time can not even guess that the child has lice. After all, insects parasitize not only on the head. The clothes louse lives among clothes, and the person is necessary to her only as the power source. Therefore, it is worth inspecting clothes.

Symptoms

Pediculosis is not only the head. Lice can be detected on the pubis, in the armpits, on the eyelashes and on the eyebrows. Ploschitsy infection is called phthyriasis and refers to sexually transmitted diseases.

An adult can catch pubic lice in a bath, swimming pool or sauna. But most often the pest moves to a healthy person through sexual contact.

To determine the presence of lice of this type is easy if you know the symptoms of phthyriasis:

The pest causes unbearable itching in the area of the bite - the pubis and anus.
In the advanced stages, you can find bite marks in the lower abdomen and on the hips.
Brown patches of small size appear on underwear - these are traces of the vital activity of the pubic lice in a person.
Trail from the bite ploshchitsy has a blue tint.

It is easier to see the grass crawler after feeding it. Then the insect turns a dark orange or brown color.

You can find the parasite on the chest and abdomen. Men may notice a pest on a mustache and beard. On the head the insect does not settle.

Symptoms of lice

Wardrobe lice chose a place of habitat clothes and bed linen. On the head, she simply can not fix. An adult may not be aware of its existence, and perceive itchy stains as an allergy.

Symptoms of lice of this type are as follows:

There are bluish spots all over the body,
in the folds of clothes managed to recognize the lice.

In advanced stages, pediculosis can cause fever, nausea, headache and insomnia.

This type of pediculosis is rare and it is almost impossible to find it in your home. In a clean room, a clothes louse cannot start.

How to detect head lice

To check your lice, you should inspect the hair. Testing can be done at home, if you follow simple rules:

Examination for pediculosis is carried out in good light, preferably under daylight.
Before inspection, you must comb your hair.
Use a magnifying glass. It will facilitate the search for pests.

Search for lice must begin with the temporal part of the head. It is necessary to capture a thin strand and look at it in the light. So you should move from one temple to another. Then checked the back of the head.

Understanding yourself whether there are lice in the hair is not easy. It is better to ask for help in this case. A close person will help identify the parasite and traces of its activity.

For each type of parasite a separate treatment of lice is chosen. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to distinguish lice. Independent examination of the scalp and underwear will help detect the pest in time.

Lice life cycle

Lice, being in a new habitat, begin to feed on human blood and lay eggs (nits). Each parasite attaches the egg to the hair, using a special adhesive secret, thanks to which the nit holds tight. After 7 days, the nit becomes a nymph, which, in turn, goes through 3 age stages. A nymph is a future louse that cannot reproduce yet. It feeds on the blood of a person the whole cycle of its development, which lasts 13-17 days. The imago is the last stage of the life of this parasite, and it lasts for 3-4 weeks, provided that the insect is present on the hair.

Ways to get rid of lice

From head lice used a radical, but effective method - shaved his head bald. But to part with long hair that has been growing for years is too difficult. Therefore, modern methods of getting rid of pediculosis are more loyal than in previous years. First of all, the action should be aimed at dissolving the glue that holds the nits on the hair. To do this, for example, you can apply table vinegar, which must be applied to damp hair and cover with a plastic bag for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse the hair and start combing nits comb with fine teeth. The procedure should not be a one-time, so it is necessary to repeat it after 7-10 days. But this method can cause an allergic reaction, so it is undesirable to use it for the treatment of pediculosis in a child.

Kerosene is an effective remedy, which also does not recommend pediculosis in children, since it can provoke burns on the skin and intoxication of the body. Adults use it in a mixture with sunflower oil, which should be applied to the hair and also cover the head with a plastic bag for 40-60 minutes or overnight. Then you need to thoroughly wash the hair, and after that you can start combing nits and lice.

In case of doubt about the use of these methods of treatment should seek the help of a doctor who will prescribe all necessary funds. For example, drugs such as Pedilin, Parasidosis, or Nittifor are usually prescribed. Apply also special shampoos that are able to bring and lice, and their eggs. But the lack of such shampoos is that some of the nits can remain on the hair, so you have to find and destroy them manually, squeezing with your nails.

Preventive measures

As a preventive measure, it is imperative to remember a few hygiene rules: wash your hair as it is soiled, do not use other people's hairbrushes, do not measure other people's hats and other head accessories. It will be useful to periodically visit the doctor’s office so that you can know in time about the presence of lice. All these rules must be instilled in children from an early age.

When the center of pediculosis is known, for example, it may be a kindergarten, all employees and the director of the garden should be informed that quarantine and sanitation of the premises of the entire building should be carried out. If this is not done and the kindergarten continues to work, there is a risk of detecting lice again, and all the treatment will be useless torment for the parents and the child.

It is important to remember that there is no shame in this disease. It is imperative to seek help if there are lice or symptoms of infection with them in order to identify this problem in time and start treatment immediately. Do not forget to follow all the recommendations for the prevention of this disease.

How to quickly understand that you have lice?

How to understand that you have lice, surely everyone can, who at least once in his life faced with a similar problem.Forget the discomfort is impossible, but remember them even more unpleasant!

After all, there are a lot of ways to detect lice, and anyone can cope with this scourge.

Head lice is an extremely unpleasant problem that should be dealt with as quickly as possible. However, you should not run to the hospital with the slightest suspicion of the appearance of these insects. To determine their presence is quite possible on their own. You can do this with a few simple methods:

By using a comb with fine teeth. See lice is very difficult, they move very quickly and almost avoid exposure to light. However, it is a comb with fine teeth - this is an ideal option to quickly and easily determine the presence of lice.

Search nits. At their core, nits are the head louse eggs, which are still in the formative stage. They are practically immovable, therefore they are easily determined during combing. The most important thing is to carefully consider the comb and do not lose sight of them.

Use a magnifying loupe. Lice and nits are not so easy to spot, due to their very small sizes. People whose vision leaves much to be desired are not even worth trying to look at them on a comb.

However, this does not mean that they cannot diagnose the presence of insects in their heads on their own. For these purposes, you just need to use a magnifying glass or glasses with multiple approximation of the image.

In most cases, lice are found in young children, who often come into contact with a large number of peers. However, this does not mean that the problem can not knock on the house of an adult. Such an outcome is quite possible, so the state of your body should be closely monitored.

As a rule, sensations associated with the appearance of lice, make themselves felt not immediately, but only when they are wound on the head in an impressive amount. The first thing you need to pay attention to when examining is small reddish specks located almost all over the head.

They are parasitic bites and are equally present on the head of both an adult and a child. Directly during a bite, a person does not experience any painful sensations, and you can notice what happened solely by visual changes.

In the future, the patient may feel a slight itch, which as the parasite multiplies will only increase. It comes to the fact that a person will begin to actively comb the skin, which is fraught with infection. As practice shows, not everyone can cope with the desire to temper itching.

In addition, the patient may get the feeling that something is constantly crawling on the head, which he must tell his close people about. They will certainly help him to conduct a primary inspection and identify unpleasant guests. If they are still there, then you need to urgently consult a doctor.

In some cases, the appearance of lice is accompanied by more rapid contamination of the hair. This symptom is quite individual, and it is not possible to find out only from it whether lice appeared. Such a phenomenon requires attention to be paid to yourself, but you should not panic ahead of time.

Disease prevention

Unfortunately, no one can be insured against the appearance of lice, because these parasites crawl easily from one head to another. However, their arrival can be avoided by observing basic rules of hygiene. The patient must learn a simple truth: "The rules apply to anyone, including me."

In any case, it is not recommended to start the hair condition, because a dirty head is the most beneficial breeding ground for lice.

It is obligatory and timely combing, because in tangled tufts of hair lice also often settle.

In addition, parents whose children attend kindergarten or school are advised to constantly inspect babies in order to prevent the problem in time.

In the event that there are already cases of lice in the institution, it is better to temporarily refuse to visit him. After all, being a carrier of only a few insects, a child can easily infect all family members.

The most important thing is to take appropriate measures in time and in no case panic. Lice are a completely treatable problem, a huge number of people have dealt with the cortex.

Self-determination of head lice

In recent years, the quality of life has increased significantly. But the world was not always so comfortable and safe. During the war years, the citizens of our state suffered from lack of money, hunger, cold, and most importantly, the invasion of insects and other parasites.

Lice were a common problem at the time. Today, the situation has stabilized somewhat, but sometimes outbreaks of infection occur.

What are the symptoms of lice?

How to understand that you have lice? The first sign by which you can immediately judge the appearance of lice, is expressed in the appearance of an itch on the scalp. It occurs due to parasite bites. Also observed local redness and abrasions.

At night, irritation increases and interferes with sleep. Itching also occurs after washing the head.

Children in this period are restless, irritable and capricious. On the scalp can be found small crusts and redness, cracks. If the above symptoms occur, an examination of the affected lesions should be performed.

What are the signs to identify lice?

Head lice photos

How to understand that you have lice yourself? Carefully examine the skin of the neck, ears, whether there are bites of parasites. At the roots of the hair you can meet microscopic insects that resemble the appearance of poppy seeds. This is lice.

In addition to adult individuals, lice or nits are located on the scalp. They have a white color and relatively small size. Initially, they can be confused with dandruff and do not attach importance. The difference is that the nit tightly attached to the hair, and it is difficult to remove.

How to identify lice in the head? It is recommended to take a comb with closely spaced teeth and a sheet of office paper. Bend your head and begin to comb.

The grains begin to fall onto the paper. On a light background, gray scales will create a contrast. Try to crush the grain with your fingernail. If there is a tangible click, then there is no doubt that this is a nit.

Remember that the lack of treatment for pediculosis in children adversely affects the young body. Bite wounds may be infected during scratching.

A sign of the spread of infection is an enlarged lymph nodes in the neck and neck. Wounds fester, and hair gets entangled in mats that are difficult to comb.

How to fight?

The appearance of lice causes it to be activated in order to cope with the problem in a short time. Many are afraid to tell their loved ones about their misfortune, but in vain. The faster you protect others from the disease, the easier it will be to stop it.

In addition to pharmaceutical preparations, many people use traditional medicine. If you do not want to use pills and ointments, then use such proven tools as turpentine, kerosene, vinegar.

The products have a rather specific smell, but they successfully cope with the task. Pharmaceutical drugs can act in different ways: some have a detrimental effect on the nervous system of the parasites, the second interfere with the breathing of insects, and they die off.

Medicines are represented by such forms as creams, sprays, ointments and shampoos. You can also buy a comb with frequent teeth.

Prevention and care

Having an idea of how to find out if there are lice on the head, it is worth thinking about prevention, so as not to worry about possible infection. Prophylactic agents have a weaker effect than drugs for the treatment of head lice.

A brilliant result is shown by essential oils, for example, ylang-ylang or tea tree oil.

Add a few drops of oil to the shampoo before washing your head. You can also add essential oil to water and use it as an aerosol. Chemeric water helps perfectly, but be careful, because it is poisonous if inadvertently ingested.

The early stages of the disease are cured by frequent scratching with an iron comb. Brush your hair thoroughly after each shampooing.

Use specialized shampoos:

One application per month is sufficient.

The first signs of lice on your head, which you can recognize in time, will allow you to take all the necessary measures to cope with the disease.

Characteristic manifestations of pediculosis

In most cases, detecting lice is easy. To understand how to determine the disease in a child or an adult, it is necessary to know the parts of the body where the parasites are localized most often, as well as the main signs of lice.

It seems that the symptoms of lice are so specific that it is difficult to confuse them with another pathology. However, in some cases, the diagnosis of lice gives a false-positive or false-negative result, so sometimes it is possible to determine the head lice only in the specialist’s office.

First symptoms

There is still a stereotype that head lice appear only for those who live below the poverty line and do not take care of themselves. However, any well-off and clean person can identify lice.

Parasites that feed on blood on the scalp are very tenacious and are easily transmitted from person to person in public places.

Lice without a carrier can live a week. During this time, she finds a victim, who soon has the first signs of pediculosis, or dies. There are three types of lice in humans:

headache
wardrobe
pubic

In a child, parasites are more often infused in the hair. The appearance of lice in a child is possible after visiting a kindergarten, returning from a camp, after swimming in public reservoirs, after playing in an ordinary sandbox. Lice in a child bring him significant discomfort.

How to find out for yourself that a child has got head lice? The following are typical symptoms of pediculosis in children and adults:

During a bite, the parasite secretes saliva, which our body perceives as an alien substance that causes allergies. In addition, claws on the paws of lice strongly irritate the delicate scalp, which is why there is intolerable itching that causes the skin to be brushed to the blood.

Localization of itching. If you suspect pediculosis, it is necessary to take into account where it itches. When lice appear in a child's head, it itch most often itches behind the ears, in the back of the head and at the temples. The manifestation of pediculosis is more common in children from 3 to 12 years, because children's skin is thin, with a minimum layer of sebum, due to which parasites are easier to eat.

The presence of nits. Irrefutable sign of the presence of lice are nits on the hair. It is easy to recognize them: the head louse eggs are fixed with sticky liquid to the hair and look like dandruff. But dandruff, unlike nits, is easy to shake off from the hair, nits are firmly attached.

Lice bites. Present in places where there are parasites. They resemble a combed pimple, gradually become covered with crusts, ulcers, may fester as the disease progresses. With pediculosis, these signs can not be overlooked.

Adults or children who have discovered the first signs of lice on their heads should be checked by a medical professional.

Pediculosis is a contagious disease, so everyone who has been in contact with an infected person will have to be examined.

Diagnosis of the disease

If children are more likely to suffer from lice on the head, then the adult population is more susceptible to pubic lice. Understanding that lice appeared in certain intimate places, a person is often shy and prefers to be treated on his own, but this leads to the progression of the disease and more complex treatment.

How to understand that you have lice in the intimate area? Determining signs of pediculosis in adults are as follows:

severe itching in the pubis or anus,
burning on the mucous membrane of the genitals,
local allergic reaction
bluish spots on the site of the parasite bite,
dark seals on pubic hair - attached nits.

After self-identification of any type of lice, it is advisable to undergo a medical diagnosis. It is very important to distinguish signs of lice on a person’s head from the manifestations:

seborrheic eczema,
dermatitis,
psoriasis,
neurodermatitis.

The specialist may use additional hardware methods to make a diagnosis. For the diagnosis of pediculosis sometimes used Wood's lamp. How to detect lice in a child and an adult? The algorithm for inspecting whether a person has lice is as follows:

Before the inspection, it is advisable to put on monochrome clothes of neutral shades, parasites are more noticeable on it.
The doctor looks at the hair and scalp with a Wood lamp, in a fluorescent color that shows live nits: they look like pearl balls.
If the inspection is carried out at home with children, you must wear gloves, take a comb with frequent teeth and a magnifying glass.
Inspection begins with the occipital region, temples and the area behind the ears.

As a rule, the first signs of lice occur when the parasite begins to bite through the skin and drink blood. The more humid the climate, the greater the insects: the optimal conditions for the reproduction of parasites - a temperature of about 36 ° C and a humidity of 75-80%.

If an adult or child has found any type of lice, treatment should begin immediately. Female head lice lays up to 4 eggs per day, pubic parasite - up to 3 pcs. In the case of improper self-treatment, a person can develop a whole colony of skin parasites in a month.

How to determine the development of complications?

Exterminate the blood-sucking insects is easy, subject to the rules of disinfection and proper use of drugs. As soon as there are signs of lice, you should immediately contact the specialists for help. Pediculosis is fraught with serious complications in case of improper treatment or its complete absence:

First of all, pediculosis leads to insomnia, the lack of sleep is especially unfavorable for children: they become capricious, irritable, and schoolchildren decrease memory and concentration of attention.

A bacterial infection can get into the wound after a louse bite or scratching, with the result that boils, dermatitis, pyoderma, skin eczema can occur.

When running forms of head lice in a person, the appearance of hair deteriorates, ticks are formed: lumps of tangled hair, where there are lice, nits, glued together with liquid, which eggs are attached to the hair. From the patient begins to emanate an extremely unpleasant putrid odor.

In addition to infection of combed wounds and the occurrence of skin diseases, a lice carrier can become infected with such a serious disease as typhus. Now this disease is rarely diagnosed, its main carrier is a body louse.

The first symptoms of typhoid:

fever up to 40 ° C which lasts up to two weeks,
red rashes in the form of spots on the stomach, usually appear on day 3 after the temperature rises,
hallucinations or delusional state,
disorders in the heart, liver, lungs.

Unfortunately, anyone can get head lice. You need to be alert and not to believe the myths in society:

Incorrect is the widespread belief that lice are more often settled on dirty hair. Blood sucking parasites are much easier to bite through the skin, where there is less sebum, that is, on a cleanly washed head.
A misconception, which states that lice feed on skin flakes and do not live on dyed hair, is also fundamentally wrong. Parasites feed only on human blood, therefore neither dandruff nor hair dye frighten them and cannot destroy insects.
For parasites it does not matter the type of human blood, the length of the hair, because they are attached at the very base of the roots.
To eliminate parasites on the scalp or in the intimate area, it is not necessary to apply the old methods in the form of vinegar or kerosene: in this case, a chemical skin burn is guaranteed.

If you find the first symptoms of pediculosis (nits in the hair, severe itching), you must disinfect the room, clothes, toys, shoes and bed linen, and also visit a pediatrician or a dermatologist.

In order to exclude infection of persons who have been in contact with a person infected with lice, they should be examined additionally and preventive treatment should be carried out.

Independent inspection of the head. How to understand that you have lice?

One of the preventive measures of head lice is a thorough inspection of the head.
It can be done independently at home or with the help of medical staff.

This is the simplest procedure that does not require special skills. But before proceeding to the examination of the head, you need to have a clear idea of what to look for.

How to properly inspect the head?

Recognize whether the head insects appeared will help a thorough inspection. Detection of indirect symptoms cannot unambiguously indicate the presence of lice, to confirm lice, it is necessary to identify either the insects themselves or their offspring - nits.

Principles of a self-conducted procedure. It is not recommended to perform the inspection yourself, as this procedure is ineffective. At the initial stage of lice infestation, lice are located in the occipital region of the head and on the temples. It is impossible to carry out a thorough examination of these parts of the body.

Carefully comb hair with a special comb. To do this, you need to dial a little water into the bathroom or pitch a monochromatic light-colored fabric on the floor and, with your head tilted forward, thoroughly comb through the entire head of hair from the back of the head.

If there are insects or nits on the head, they will definitely fall out onto the fabric or into the water, or remain on the ridge.

Neutralize the activity of lice with a hair dryer. The air temperature above 40 degrees, is able to neutralize the activity of insects, under the influence of this temperature, they fall into a stupor.

Independent surface inspection of the strands at the mirror:

stand by the mirror
to send a lamp with a bright light to a well-viewed area of the head,
split hair into small strands,
carefully review available strands for nits or lice.

How to determine the presence of parasites

Preparatory stage. Equipment:

lamp with bright light
magnifying glass (magnifying glass),
comb with frequent teeth.

Room: Cover the floor with a monochromatic light-colored cloth. If the inspection will be conducted in the bathroom, you need to get some water.

Cover the patient with a light monochromatic cloth from the shoulders and below. So that when parasites fall out, they can be detected and neutralized.
Dissolve the hair.
To brush and lay smoothly so that the strands are not confused among themselves.
Split the whole hair into small curls.

A proper thorough examination of the head for lice can only be carried out by an outsider, it is impossible to make it yourself.

Step-by-step instruction. An outsider, armed with a magnifying glass, carefully examines each strand of hair along its entire length.

Nits and dandruff are visually similar to each other, but to distinguish them is quite simple. Dandruff is easily crushed from the hair, and the nits hold tight and do not move.

Subsequent disinfection

Comb or comb after inspection must be boiled (pour over boiling water or immersed in alcohol). When lice or nits are detected, it is necessary to wash the fabric above 40 degrees in water, and after drying, iron it on both sides with an iron.

Patient's clothes (if lice and nits are found), also need to be washed in hot water (above 40 degrees) and ironed.

Medical checkup

It is produced by a medical professional (nurse or doctor) in all places of large concentrations of people (sanatoria, schools, kindergartens, and so on).

Medical examination is a scheduled event, which, according to sanitary-epidemiological acts, is carried out regularly.

According to paragraph 3.12 of SanPiN 3.2.1333-03, the following groups of people should be regularly examined for lice:

Children in boarding schools - once a week.
Hospital patients - when admitted to hospital.
Pupils of schools and preschool institutions (kindergartens) - once every three months.

Examination of the head for pediculosis is recommended to be carried out regularly. This is the easiest and fastest way to detect parasites and start treatment on time.

Lice species

The causative agents of pediculosis, affecting the human body, can be 3 types of lice. They can be distinguished both in appearance and habitat:

head lice are insects that infect human hair,
pubic lice (ploshchitsy) - parasites that live in the pubic zone, armpits, beard, eyelashes and eyebrows,
louses are pests that settle in the folds and seams of clothing.

According to statistics, head lice is the most common form of the disease among the population. Head lice can “love” a new victim during close contact with an infected person, when using infected hair care products or while trying on other people's hats. The fact that the head lice bred, indicates a number of signs.

It is not difficult to understand on their own that head lice attacked with her constant combing. Slight scratching in the initial stages of infection with head lice eventually turns into unbearable itching. Using human blood as food, parasites pierce his skin.

In order to be filled in full, insects inject a special substance into the wound that prevents blood from clotting. That it irritates the skin of a person, causing itching after biting lice.

Pediculosis can also be determined by the presence of nits on the hair, which are special membranes for parasite eggs. They have the appearance of white liquid-filled capsules that look like dandruff. They are especially noticeable on the heads of the owners of dark hair. Understand that this is really a "live" nit can be, if you press on it, as a result of this impact will be heard a slight click. If the egg is already ripe, and the larva hatched from the nits, then there will be no bursting sound when the empty cocoon is pressed.

Find nits often in the root zone of the hair. They are attached to the hair with a special sticky secret. It is distinguished by the female when laying eggs. In connection with what to remove future offspring from the hair is very difficult, which is the main difference between nits from dandruff.

Guessing the existence of the disease can also be detected when the blood-sucking parasites themselves, which are able to quickly move from visible areas of the body. Recognizing lice is easy enough:

they are small, greyish tones that look like bed bugs,
however, their body size is much smaller: on average, it is about 2 mm in an adult individual,
Saturated pest acquires gray-brown color.

Determination of the presence of lice on the head can be by bites. They have a bright pink color and a red center. At the initial stage of infection, such damage to the skin can be sporadic, in the advanced form of lice their number becomes very impressive.

Multiple bites on a person’s head cause severe itching, resulting in wounds and swelling. And getting into the places damaged by scratching pathogens contributes to the formation of suppuration, the surface of which is covered with crusts. Lice bites are localized on the back, abdomen.

All of the above symptoms of lice are indicative of the presence of pediculosis in humans.

What are the signs of pediculosis, it is important to know anyone

The head lice parasitic disease of pediculosis can be epidemic in nature and is potentially dangerous for all age and social groups. Knowing how to identify the main signs of head lice in the early stages contributes to a more successful and rapid treatment of this disease.

What insects cause this unpleasant disease?

The causative agents of pediculosis are insects from the order Anoplura, known to all as lice. They are species-specific ectoparasites - each mammal has its own individual small bloodsuckers, who cannot live without the usual breadwinner.

Pediculosis in humans is due to the presence of at least one of them. The most common species - up to 98% in all Homo sapiens habitats - are still three:

Head lice (Pediculus capitis),
Ploschitsa (Phtirus pubis),
Hanging louse (Pediculus vestimenti).

If the first two species are considered to be a completely natural legacy of our evolutionarily close ancestors, then the last species is an obvious acquisition of human civilization.

Having its specific localization sites, methods of nutrition and physiology, lice of each species cause harm to our body in its own way. The timing of the manifestation and the first signs of the presence of these insects vary greatly among different social and age groups of people.

Common symptoms at the initial stage of infection

The most common form of lice according to statistics is the head. In the early stages of the development of the disease, the main culprits - adult lice - are almost invisible. The latent period can last from several days to a month.

The latter, in turn, in case of weak and moderate infestation, cause mild allergic irritations, swelling on the skin of the head, and itching. The appearance of redness, nonspecific irritation on the skin behind the ears, in the temples or in the occipital region is the first sign of a possible infection of the head louse.

Adults most often quickly become accustomed to minor itching, experiencing only a little discomfort. But a high degree of lumpiness during this period may cause additional reactions - especially in children - irritability, insomnia, a slight rise in temperature, a slight increase in lymph nodes.

Biting pubic lice leads to a constant burning sensation and itching in the genital area and anus. These insects often settle in the armpits, and in advanced cases - on the eyebrows and eyelashes.

A non-expert can understand the possible causes of such manifestations, the signs of lice will be quite obvious.

Even if the pumped blood of the parasite specimen is inconspicuous, it is necessary to quickly go to a medical institution for an appropriate examination.

Primary external signs of the appearance of parasites

What external symptoms of lice are left as evidence of their presence on the human body? Numerous bites that cause corresponding allergic reactions lead to the following characteristic signs:

local erythremia on the head and neck of the patient (head louse),
small - from 3 mm to centimeter - bluish spots in the inguinal or axillary region, as well as on the abdomen and thighs (ploschitsy),
rash evenly distributed throughout the body with bluish specks around the bite sites (signs of a louse wort).

The ingress of pathogenic microorganisms into the wounds from hairbrushes and bites leads to the formation of pustular scabs on the skin - an additional “signal” about the presence of these parasites.

The completion of the first phase of invasion (usually 10–15 days after contact with an infected one) is indicated by the appearance of nits in the hairline or in the clothing of the patient. This means that insects have begun a stage of intensive reproduction (more on reproduction).

Their eggs - up to 14 pieces per day - females firmly fixed on the fibers of tissues and at the roots of hair.

On the head, nits look like dandruff. Live eggs are bright white, and dead - grayish color. In such a situation, one should not be surprised at the suggestive question of a good friend, uttered in a whisper: “Do you have lice, or what?”.

Special medical examinations will be able to refute or confirm the worst suspicions and reliably identify the symptoms of pediculosis.

When illuminated with a Wood lamp, lice eggs and young larvae acquire a bright blue color. Signs of lice are evident. The presence of nits is irrefutable evidence of the presence of pediculosis in the active stage of the disease.

Signs and treatment of pediculosis

The first symptoms of pediculosis may not appear immediately, but after a few weeks from the moment of infection. Among the main features include:

severe itching at the site of the bite,
the appearance of small grayish spots in the places of bites,
the appearance of eggs on the hair lice (nits)
in severe cases, swollen lymph nodes behind the ears.

Combing bites leads to the appearance of wounds on the scalp, which, in turn, leads to their infection, suppuration and increased body temperature. If untreated, hair becomes brittle, dull, poorly combed and sticks into tangles.

Symptoms during infection with pubic lice are similar to headaches: itching, dark spots at the site of bites, and the presence of nits. In this case, if untreated, lice can spread to the chest, armpit, mustache, beard, eyebrows and eyelashes.

Symptoms of infection with lice infestation are severe itching and the appearance of edematous blisters in places where the folds and seams of clothing come into contact with the skin.

Permanent scratching causes damage to the skin: scabs, eczema and pecoccal infections (impetigo, furunculosis) may appear on the affected areas. Over time, the skin in these places becomes a dirty gray color, thickens, folds form on it.

Causes of infection

The main cause of lice infestation is transmission from a sick person to a healthy person through direct contact and through personal items: a comb, a towel, and clothes.

After 10 days of nits, new insects appear: in a couple of weeks they will also reach sexual maturity, which means they will start laying eggs themselves. Each individual louse lives about 40 days. During this time, she has time to lay up to 400 eggs.

Treatment and Prevention

Treatment of pediculosis is carried out depending on the type of lice. But in any case, it should include a set of measures to destroy both adults and eggs. A close examination of the patient should be subject to a close examination: a family, a group in kindergarten, classmates.

In order to avoid infection with head lice, it is important to remember about personal hygiene:

do not use someone else’s comb and do not share yours,
do not exchange headwear
Do not use someone else's clothes and lingerie.

In the case of infection to get rid of lice, you can use special lotions and shampoos purchased at the pharmacy. However, in any case, they affect only an adult louse - no drug can completely destroy the eggs.

It is possible to get rid of pubic lice by having shaved the hair in the pubic area and in the armpits, but when using wed lice, along with sanitizing the body, simultaneous disinsection of the living quarters, clothing and bed linen is necessary.

How is the inspection

Inspection of the head for lice

For home inspection of the lice should be seated on a stool in a well-lit place or near a table lamp.
Having combed your hair in the usual way, they should be divided into independent strands and inspect each separately for the presence of nits.
To recognize the pest should use a magnifying glass.
It is better to start the examination of the child’s head from the temporal zone, moving along the front of the head to the opposite side. After examining the front of the head, in this way should be examined and the back of the head, observing the same rule.

Each curl combed with a special comb, the teeth of which are located to each other at a minimum distance. The procedure is performed on a piece of white matter or paper.

Most often, it is possible to identify lice in the temples, behind the ears and on the back of the head, as these places are the favorite for parasites.

It is possible to check your lice and yourself, using a comb with fine teeth. Combing is done on both wet and dry hair. When parasites are detected, a pediculicidal agent is selected, which is used to treat the head in accordance with the instructions. The drugs are available in the form of shampoos, sprays, ointments. 1-2 procedures are enough to completely get rid of lice.

Interesting video about lice, sources of infection and methods of control

To detect lice, you must first carefully examine the hair, spreading it with your fingers and assessing the state of the surface of the scalp. Lice can be located either directly on the skin or on the hair a few centimeters from their base. It is also easy to detect nits (white spots on the hair) and red marks from bites on the head.

The photo shows the characteristic symptoms of lice in a person at the late stage of infection. Lice and nits here are visible to the naked eye:

You should also pay attention to the typical signs of infection with lice.

Itchy head

The first signs of lice are always light scratching in places where insects bite. The only food of these parasites (both in adult insects and larvae) is human blood, and in order to get to the blood vessels with their jaws, they pierce the skin and inject a special secret that prevents blood from clotting.

During a bite, a person may feel a slight injection, similar to a mosquito, and when the anticoagulant enzyme begins to act, itching appears.

Usually, when a person is bitten by only a few lice, he does not pay attention to itching. It becomes obvious and disturbing to feel itchy already when the louse appears several dozen or more.

Of all the symptoms of the presence of head lice in the hair, itching first draws attention to itself - at this time the parasites themselves can not be overlooked with insufficient thorough examination, and the skin’s reaction also does not appear too clearly.

Pay special attention to itching should be in the case when it does not pass after shampooing and torments at night. This is a clear sign that it is caused by parasites or other skin problems.

Itching in another person, especially a child, is recognized by characteristic changes in behavior: an infected person constantly scratches his head, straightens his hair, combs his comb, pulls it.

In this case, babies become very capricious and constantly cry for no apparent reason.

On the specific behavior of a potentially infected person should be paid attention in public places. Even if the lice themselves are not visible, it is dangerous to approach it - you can catch lice when you touch clothes, if you accidentally shake off the hair. If a school child complains about a constantly itchy head, it makes sense to report this to the school health center and to the class teacher.

Regular itching at a causal place from pubic lice is a much more pronounced symptom of infection with them (compared to itching caused by head lice - because the head can itch even from nervous disorders). Fortunately, the pubic hair can immediately inspect the owner of the parasites and immediately make a correct diagnosis.

Constant irritations, bites and their effects

Also obvious and easily detectable symptoms of lice are traces of their bites on the skin. As a rule, these are small dotted reddenings, each with a small, drawn-out hole in the middle. Such bites are very similar to flea bites.

With severe infestation, lice bites merge into large redness and can even protrude beyond the limits of thick hair. Such symptoms of lice on the head can be seen especially clearly - the patient's skin becomes similar to that of dermatitis:

As a rule, in case of multiple hites, a person constantly scratches itchy areas, which leads to the appearance of excoriations - characteristic scratches that occur when nails damage the upper skin layer. They quickly become covered with crusts and become well visible. These signs of lice can often be seen in strollers:

The characteristic symptoms of the presence of lice are also bluish-gray spots on the skin in places of constant bite. There is nothing dangerous in these spots, but they unequivocally indicate precisely pediculosis.

Complications of head lice as symptoms of lice

Finally, if the first signs of the appearance of lice go unnoticed, complications that develop on its soil may indicate a lice:

pustular skin lesions in places of scratching and secondary infection,
pyoderma,
nervous disorders associated with persistent itching
sleep disorders and phantom visions of crawling insects.

As a rule, such symptoms of lice develop in the most advanced cases and are characteristic mainly of homeless people. In children or adults who observe sanitary rules, these symptoms usually do not reach the appearance of these symptoms.

In rare cases, allergies can develop to lice bites.

It is difficult to distinguish it from other types of allergies and it is impossible to consider a rash on the body as a reliable sign of the presence of lice. However, if, in parallel with itching, rashes appear on the skin, and even more so generalized allergy symptoms in the form of fever and lymph nodes, the hairy parts of the body should be checked for lice.

Gluing hair and the formation of mats

In cases where pediculosis develops in the absence of the ability to regularly wash the head (hiking and expeditionary conditions, military actions, vagrancy), their rapid adhesion and the formation of tangles becomes a characteristic symptom of lice in the hair.

This is due to the fact that to attach the eggs to the hair, the female envelops the hair with a sticky secret, ensuring reliable adhesion of the nits. If the insect at the same time clings to several hairs, they all stick together. With a serious infection, the number of such stuck hair becomes very large, and so-called mats appear.

The skin under these ticks scratches not only because of the lice bites, but also because of the accumulation of dandruff and the lack of normal ventilation. In addition, without regular brushing, hair rolls without lice, but as an additional symptom of head lice, this feature can be taken into account.

Nits and parasite waste products

Nits can be attributed to head lice symptoms even more pronounced than lice bites and persistent itching. They can not be confused with anything.

Nits are lice eggs in special protective shells that are firmly attached to the hair. It is the nits, not lice, that are the first to strike the eye when looking at the infected head - they look like small white dots located at different distances from the hair roots. The most noticeable nits in people with dark hair.

Empty white nits (so-called dry nits) remain on the hair long after the larvae hatch from them. Accordingly, the longer the head lice are present, the more noticeable the nits will be. In the most neglected cases, the hair of an infected person looks as if sprinkled with white grain.

The excrement of lice resembles small dark spots no larger than a few tenths of a millimeter in diameter. It is very difficult to notice them separately, but if they are showered from the head onto a sheet or pillow, then in their mass they become very noticeable.

They can also be found by breeding hair with your fingers - and the shell of nits, and louse excrement here will look like foreign debris. Sheaths of louse nits are especially clearly visible on dark clothing - this type of louse spends most of its life on things.

Know the symptoms of lice is not only to start the correct treatment on time, but also for the purpose of prevention - if there is a person in a public place who constantly scratches his head and has characteristic redness on the skin of the hair, and even more so he has a “snowball” out of nits, stay away from him. Similarly, you can easily identify the "lousy" child in the children's team and take timely measures to ensure that your own child does not get infected.