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The head lice are parasites which are transmitted from one individual to another by close contactunder almost the same situations as for scabies. Thus, the infestation is common among members of the household, more so where the gatherings are large and hygiene is poor. Transmission of head lice occurs far more easily than scabies, and a brief contact is often enough to transmit the lice.Lice may be transmitted even through use of the same comb, the cap/ turban, etc.by different members. The head lice remain confind to the scalp hair only.
Infestation is transmitted mostly through the pregnant lice which deposit their eggs (nits) on the hairs. The nits keep sticking to the hair and on maturing, release their larvae on the scalp which ultimately develop into adult lice who lay the eggs again to repeat the cycle.
The adult lice bite the skin for nourishment and produce itching and scratching, which leads to secondary infection, pus discharge and crusting. The diagnosis can be confirmed by looking for adult lice on the scalp but more frequently, the presence of lice is indicated by the presence of nits sticking to the hairs. The infestation occurs only in individuals who keep long hair unless their hygiene is too poor. The lice also prefer areas where the hair is tied into a tight bun. Women observing good hygiene however, are not exempted from infestation although quite often they tend to attribute the itching in their scalp to dandruff and ignore the presence of the lice. Whenever therefore, a person complains of dandruff and itching in the scalp, it is necessary to look for lice or the nits and treat appropriately.
Treatment
The treatment for head liceis very easy.A pediculocidal drug is applied to the scalp and the hair and left for half an hour or so before washing off with a shampoo. It is necessary to ensure that the hands are washed thoroughly to avoid accidental ingestion of the drug. In the case of children it is preferable to tie a piece of cloth on the scalp to cover the hair so that a child does not touch the scalp hair during this period.
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