Stages and Diagnosis of Head Lice

There are a number of Head lice products available in the market which can be used for getting rid of itchy scalps due to development of nits and lice. Proper diagnosis in the first place is particularly important. After recognition of the problem you need to start the treatment as early as possible.

Head lice are wingless parasitic insects which feed on human blood and are found in the human hairs. The medical term for these is pediculus humanus capitis. The potentiality for health hazards are much less, though the fact is these are extremely annoying. Head lice are not considered to be a disease by the Centers for Disease Control. The total number of cases thus cannot be figured out. However according to the manufacturers of anti Head lice products, about 12- 25 million of Americans are infested by lice every year. Each of the lice passes trough 3 stages and these are nit, nymph and mature or adult lice. The nits are eggs. The adult females lay nit at the bottom of shaft of the hair. It is not possible for the nits to hatch in room temperatures. The nits require about one to two weeks for hatching. Unlike the dandruff unfortunately the nits are attached to hair of the shaft which cannot be removed easily. Nits increase in number and multiply faster than the adults or the nymphs. The adult louse and the sesame share the same size. These Head lice require human blood for survival. After falling from the human hair it can live on for a period of about 2 days.

Identification of the problem in the first place is extremely important. Once you have identified the problem you can go about it easily. These adult louse, nits as well as nymphs are very commonly found on the scalps of the hair, at the back of the neck as well as ears. These are the areas which need to be inspected regularly. On very rare occasions can these Head lice be found on the eye brows, body as well as the eye lashes. Determination of the Head lice can be difficult initially. On the basis of the medical studies conducted, it was found that on an average each and every child seems to be infested with Head lice. These are very small parasites with no wings and can be very difficult to locate while they crawl around in the head. If you want you can as well find them using magnifying glass.

If you do not come across adult lice or nymphs, the distance between the skin and the nit can be determined easily for infestation. In case you come across nits about 1/4th inch away from the skin, the chances of the person being infested with Head lice increases to a considerable extent. These are some conditions which must never be ignored. If you are diagnosed with lice, it is advisable that you consult a doctor as soon as possible. With simple precautionary measure, you can get rid of persisting problems of this kind easily.