More Questions About Head Lice

There are many things that people are unfamiliar with when it comes to head lice, and the more knowledge that you have about the insects, the better suited you are to dealing with them should they infest you or a member of your family. In this article, we'll answer more of the questions that people have about head lice.

Can head lice be harmful to a human's health?

While they can prove to be a major annoyance, causing intense itching of the scalp, lice are rarely the cause of a more serious problem. They're not known to be able to transmit diseases from person to person, so the worry about these bugs is largely due to the itching that one faces when infested. There's only one minor worry that the bugs truly present, and that occurs when you itch your scalp too much when infested. That can result in the itched area becoming a sore, and allowing a chance for infection to take hold.

I've heard about using antibiotics in order to get rid of a lice infestation. Can you really use them?

Yes, there is a type of antibiotic available that can kill off the lice that are present. It works by eliminating the enzyme that is within the lice that allows them to successfully digest human blood. When this enzyme is gone, they will be unable to get any nutrition from feeding, and will eventually die off. Some head lice researchers shun the practice in moderate cases of head lice, however, as they feel that increased exposure to this kind of drug may increase the head lice's efficiency when it comes to becoming immune to the antibiotics.

What are nits? Do I need to worry about them?

Nits are the eggs that head lice lay. These nits are one of the biggest problems with head lice infestations. They are cemented to the hair follicles of the infested individual, and take seven to ten days to hatch into live lice. When you're trying to eliminate a case of head lice, you need to ensure that there are no nits left present in the hair to ensure that the problem will truly disappear. They are firmly attached to the hair follicle, and the best way to remove the substance that allows them to remain attached is to rub the follicles with white distilled vinegar. The only nits that you really need to worry about are the ones that are attached to the hair follicle within one centimeter of the scalp. This close proximity is necessary for the nits, as they need to soak up your body warmth in order to successfully incubate and hatch into lice.

In this article, you've learned about the threats that lice can pose aside from itching, as well as the use of antibiotics for removing a lice infestation and everything that you need to know about nits. Hopefully, this increased knowledge will make you better prepared for the next time that you have to deal with a problem with lice.