What is Head Lice?

Head Lice

Head lice can be described as small, parasitic insects that live on your scalp. They survive on human blood, which is the only source of their nourishment. If you come into close contact with a person who already has head lice, you could get infected too. These lice multiply at a rapid pace and
before you know it, you could suffer from a lice-infestation. While just about anyone can get head lice, these parasites are more commonly seen in children. A head lice infestation poses a high risk of contagion as they get transmitted from one person to another very quickly. This means that if you get infected your family members and colleagues or friends who are in close contact with you are at a high risk of getting head lice from you.
Head lice can be a huge source of embarrassment not just for children, but also for their parents. One of the first symptoms of these parasites on the scalp is severe itching. Most people associate head lice with lack of hygiene, but this is not really true. Unfortunately, this misconception is the main reason for the stigma associated with the condition. An individual with high levels of personal hygiene could also experience and infestation, if he or she is in close contact with someone who has already been infected. This is why school authorities in the U.S. usually ask infected children to avoid going to school, until they manage to get rid of lice and the eggs or nits.



Symptoms of Head Lice

The presence of head lice usually becomes evident to the host within a few days, and the symptoms would probably be noticed by anyone around. Given below are some of the most common signs and symptoms for head lice:

Adult Lice Visible on the Scalp: The grownup lice are quite big (around the size of strawberry seeds) and can be seen with the naked eye. They roam around the head and can even be felt at times by the host. The most common spots in which adult lice are found include the back of the ears and along the neck.
Nits: Some people mistake the eggs laid by lice for hair dandruff, but the two are actually quite different. Nits look a lot like willow buds, whereas dandruff looks more like powder or white flakes. When the hair is brushed, or combed, dandruff may come off, but the nits do not.
Itching: This is one of the first symptoms for head lice, which is usually evident even before any of the lice and nits are seen. When lice feed on your blood, they inject their saliva into your skin. This saliva is toxic, and most of us will experience an allergic response that involves itching. In some individuals the reaction may be mild, while in others it could be a lot more severe. Apart from itching, you could also suffer from red bumps on the scalp, shoulder and neck.
As soon as any of these symptoms become evident you need to take decisive action to control the infestation and get rid of the lice.

Causes of Head Lice

Contrary to what many people think, head lice do not have wings; they cannot fly from the head of one person to the other. They can neither jump from one head to the other, nor are they transmitted through pets. The only way in which you can get infected with head lice is when an impregnated female louse is transmitted to your scalp. This happens when you are in close contact with a person who has lice or if you share belongings with them.

Family members are usually at the highest risk of contracting head lice because of their proximity to the host, and the shared personal space, as the lice could fall on to pillows or other home furnishing and from there, could move on to a new host. Some of the other common objects through which head lice can be transferred from one person to the other include:

Hats, caps or scarves
Towels
Combs and brushes
Clothing, especially jackets and tops
Pillows, cushions, blankets and bed covers
Other forms of hair decorations like hair clips, rubber bands and hairbands
Upholstered furniture
Headphones
Remedies for Head Lice

There are many over the counter hair products that are easily available at most pharmacies. These anti-lice shampoos, oils and solutions usually contain chemicals that are very effective if you wish to get rid of head lice. Unfortunately, some commercial products may contain harsh chemicals that could trigger reactions in sensitive skin. Be extremely cautious about the products you purchase. Most over the counter treatments for head lice are effective, but there are also home remedies for head lice that can help, particularly if you have experienced severe skin reactions in the past and would prefer not to use medicated shampoos. These remedies usually help in the removal for head lice, but for the nits, extra steps need to be taken. You will need to use a pair of hair tweezers to get rid of the nits from the hair. Given below are some of the most widely recommended home remedies for head lice:

Mix 6 tablespoons of water with 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Apply this solution on to your scalp, cover your head with a piece of cloth and leave it on overnight. The next morning, rinse your hair with warm water so that the head lice get washed away.
Chop an apple into fine pieces and rub them on to the scalp in a massaging motion for at least 30 minutes or so, before washing your hair. This remedy is great for the elimination of head lice.
Grind a piece of garlic and add some freshly squeezed lemon juice to it. Apply the mixture to the scalp evenly and leave it on overnight. This remedy usually kills off the head lice and they can be washed out of your hair the following morning.
Add camphor powder to a small amount of coconut oil. Apply this mixture to your scalp each night, just before bedtime, so that it can be left on all night long. Rinse the solution off the next morning.
There are several natural remedies for head lice too, most of which include essential oils like Lavender oil and Tea Tree Oil, to name a few. Natural remedies for head lice may help control the problem, but the results could vary greatly. Studies to date have not confirmed any of the desired results from such treatments. Relying on ineffective home cures can simply delay a resolution and cause the infestation to worsen, making treatment even harder. Moreover, an ineffective treatment that seems to deliver results may not actually eliminate the lice, and the problem could resurface.

Diet for Head Lice

There is no diet that can help you to get rid of head lice, nor is it possible for your body or your immune system to fight them off. However, it is important for you to eat a highly nutritious diet, so that your body and the skin on your scalp remain healthy despite the lice infestation.

Follow a diet that is very high in vitamins and minerals, as this will help your body in warding off any infection that could otherwise develop from scratching at the skin. In case you have any lesions on the head as a result of itching a lot, you need to increase your intake of Vitamin C so that the lesions heal at a faster pace. For best results, have a high amount of citrus fruits, peppers and orange juice.