Head Lice

Causes

Prevention

Diagnosis

Exams and tests

Treatment

Holistic and alternative treatments

How Head Lice is Spread

The head louse (PL. lice), or Pediculus humanus capitis, (sometimes called scabies mistakenly) is a parasitic insect that can infest scalp, hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes. It cannot fly or jump. It is grayish white in color, has six feet, and is 2-3 mm long (about the size of a sesame seed). Females are a little larger. they can lay up to six Eggs/Nits a day. It has an obligatory blood feeding habit of several times a day and will die in 2-3 hrs if it falls off the body.They do not transmit other diseases.

Types

There are three species of human lice :

• Head lice
• Body lice
• Pubic or Crab lice

Head lice (Pediculosis) is the most common of the three in the present day environment of public health awareness, hygenic norms, and technological advances., therefore, a presentation on head lice will be the focus of this article.

The head louse exists in three forms:

• the egg (also called a nit)
• the nymph
• the adult.

Contracting Head Lice

Head lice infestations are very contagious. They are spread by head-to-head contact or by direct contact with the hair of an infested person. It does not commonly spread through clothing (including hats) or personal items (such as combs, brushes); therefore it is thought that lack of personal hygiene at home or school, has little to do with its spread. Parents should not feel guilty about head lice infestation; it does not indicate neglect

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/headlice.html

Signs and Symptoms

• itching and scratching of the scalp
• small red sores on scalp, necak, or shoulder, that might get infected with hard scratching
• visible eggs (nits) on hair or skin
• sleep difficulties because head lice are most active at night

Treatment

It is important to emphasize here that full control or eradication of head lice cannot be achieved without getting rid of the nits/eggs also which often require repeated treatment as well as grooming. It is equally important to recognoze that resistance to pediculocides and ovacides pose a mjor problem in the treatment and management of head lice, therefore carefull considerations must be given to well planned strategies for eradication Drugs are the most common option for treatment. Treatment with topical agents is the preffered route, but there also are systemic agents (used by mouth) that are used for the purpose. In addition, there are manual & mechanical schemes and kits (no medications) for removal of both the parasite as well as the eggs/nits. And then, there are combination approaches which is often required for complete eradication. Some drugs are insecticides (pediculosides) only with no, or little, ovacide (eggs killing ability) activity, others possess both insecticide and ovacide properties. Some common topical drugs are: (Pyrethins, Permethrin) marketed in different concentrations as Nix or under other trade names; , Lindane marketed as Kwell and other names; Malathion marketed as Ovide and other names. Oral agents include Sulfamethaxazole/Trimethoprim marketed as Septra or Bactrim; and Ivermectin marketed as Stromectal. Some Natural Products preparations are also available. They may contain: Anise oil, Cinnamon oil, Coconut oil, or other natural non-synthetic substances. Several of these natural products are sold in health food stores under different names: HairClean 1-2-3 – (anise oil based) is an example. These products are not required to meet FDA’s requirements of safety and efficacy, and there are no evidence-based medicine data available about them. Other methods such as occlusive agents or dangerous flammable liquids have also been tried without much avail. Some of the above drugs are discussed in more detail below

Prevalence / Epidemiology

Head lice are found worldwide and its infestation is a global problem. In the United States, infestation with head lice is most common among day-care children, preschoolers, elementry school children, and household members of infested children. Each year, there are about 6-12 million infestations among 3-11 year olds in the U.S. it is less common among African-Americans than among persons of other races.Head lice infestations do not indicate poor hygiene In a wide range review on global distribution of head lice between the years 1985-1997, a World Health Organization WHO report shows high prevalence of the infestation in all parts of the world: developed and developing countries, tropical or temporate regions, rural or urban areas; all without regard to socio-econmic boundries, class or racial status; indicating once again that head lice infestation does not equal lack of hygiene, cleanliness, or socio-ecomonmic class, or educational levels of the parents. The study has surveys from practically all the nation members of the U.N. from Latin America, to Europe, to Africa, to Asia. Overall average infestation rates are usually about 10-25%, although some Intra-country regional differences may vary anywhere from 10-90%; other outlayers may be as low as 4-5%. There are also some seasonal

REFERENCES

1. Dodd, Clara, Editorial, BMJ, 2001, 323, (1084) 2. Dawes, M; Hicks, N.R.; Fleminger, M; et al. BMJ, 1999, 318, 385-386. 3. Pollack, R.J, Head Lice Information, Harvard School of Public Health, http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/headlice.html 4. Gratz, N.G., “Human lice:their prevalence, control, and resistance to insecticides.”, a Review, 1985-1997;WHO/CTD/WHOPES/97.8 , 5. Frankowski, B.L. and Weiner, L.B.; Pediatrics, Vol 110, No. 3, 638-643 (2002) --Htfikrat September 27, 2008 8:23 PM (PDT)

External Links

National Pediculosis Association