Three types of lice can parasitize a person: head, pubic and body lice. You should not think that pediculosis (lice), the symptoms of which we will consider further, can only be the lot of homeless people or extremely untidy downtrodden people. Unfortunately, each of us runs the risk of getting this “pleasure”. Therefore, it is worth knowing what these parasites look like and, most importantly, how you can get rid of them.
Head lice symptoms
In the hair on the head (preferring the back of the head and temples), less often on the eyebrows and eyelashes, the head louse likes to settle. This is a translucent, grayish-white parasite with a size not exceeding 4 mm. It feeds on human blood, injecting into a microscopic bite a substance that prevents blood from clotting and causes unbearable itching. It just serves as the main sign that “tenants” have appeared in the hair. In addition, you can find where lice have settled, the symptoms are no less obvious - these are nits - tiny white "grains" attached to the base of the hair with spikelets.
A person has a constant desire to comb the bite sites, introducing a secondary infection into the wounds. Because of this, inflammation, crusts and swelling appear inareas of itching.
Pubic lice: symptoms, photo
In another way they are called "ploshchitsy". These are sedentary parasites, which are extremely difficult to see with the naked eye. As is clear from the name, they usually settle in hairy areas in the genital area, but they are also found in the armpits, and on the chest covered with "vegetation", and in the beard. These lice appear after sexual intercourse, moving from an infected person to a he althy one. But there are cases of infection with them through towels and linen. Without a person, lice live for a day, and nits even longer. So be careful!
The main symptom of the appearance of pubic lice is the same severe itching. Sometimes it appears only at night, just not letting you close your eyes, and sometimes it haunts you all day. Constant scratching of bites can lead to eczema, which, of course, threatens with infections.
Another symptom is fairly noticeable bruising at the bite sites. These bruises are caused by the injection of a secretion that interferes with blood clotting, or as a result of a small hemorrhage where the proboscis of the parasite has entered.
Louse lice: symptoms
This type of lice settles mainly on clothes, in places that are closest to the body: on the collar, on the cuffs, in the seams and on the bed linen. Parasites also lay their eggs there, unlike head and pubic lice, which do this on a person.
In addition, this species is especially dangerous because it can cause typhus.
Howget rid of lice
Regular hair washing, hygiene procedures in case of infection with pubic lice and washing of linen and clothes when clothes parasites are found - this is not an option! In order to remove them, in the case of the first, you just need to shave off all the vegetation. It's not a terrible loss - the hair will grow back! The skin at the affected area is disinfected with 10% mercury ointment.
Clothes lice are destroyed by boiling and steam. They cannot stand high temperatures. In addition, contaminated items should be hung out in the sun for a week to air out.
And head lice, the symptoms of which have already been described, are removed using a huge number of drugs presented in pharmacies (the main thing is to carefully read the instructions) and a special frequent comb. Of the folk remedies, the most effective are: tar and dust soap, as well as cranberry juice.
