LICE or LOUSE (singular) may be a sort of wingless insect which dwells on the host's (usually mammals and birds) scalp.
They are the scavengers feeding on our blood and sweat and if got rid of from the host, they die soon.
Pediculosis capitis
It is caused by the head louse. The female louse is about 2 mm long and half a broad; the male is slightly smaller. These parasites are grayish, the females are much more numerous than the males. The females and male copulate and produce ova, which attach themselves in sacs to the hair by collagenous bands. Ova mature in about 2 weeks. Pediculi have three pairs o legs. Children, particularly girls, are usually affected. The occipital regions are the sites of choice. Infection is transmitted through combs and head-dresses. Pediculosis affection, as a rule, is an index of poor personal hygiene.
Lice traumatize the skin in search of food. The trauma produce irritation which results in scratching, scratch marks' and may be secondary pyoderma, impetigo and infective eczema. Persistent secondary infection brings about regional lymphadenitis. Examination reveals living lice and nits. The latter are firmly attached to the hair, but ca be moved along it toward the free end. Persistent impetigo of the scalp usually indicates the presence of pediculi.
Treatment
D.D.T: Application 2 to 5 percent in an emulsifying base. About a tablespoonful of it is applied all over the scalp by parting the hair, and is rubbed thoroughly into the scalp. The hair is washed ad combed after 24 hours. This can be repeated 2 to 3 times till the infection is completely eradicated.
Bed clothes, head-dress and combs must be sterilized to prevent reinfection and transmission of infection to others. Secondary complications are treated in the usual way.
Pediculosis corporis
It is caused by the body louse, which is longer (about 3 mm in length) than the head louse. The life cycle of the former is about the same as that of the latter; pediculi shelter themselves in the seams of underclothing, usually vests. They prefer to lay their ova on the clothing rather than on the hair or the skin. In their search for food, the lice produce minute hemorrhages, crusted papules and search marks. In chronic cases, parasitic affection may complicate by pyoderma, eczematization and pigmentation. Persistent impetigo and itching of the trunk, usually indicate pediculoses (vagabond's disease). The scapular regions and the shoulders are the sites of choice. Young adults and old people are most commonly affected by the parasite. The body louse multiplies rapidly in conditions of mass migration of people, overcrowding and unhygienic environments. Under such circumstances, pediculoses may start epidemics of typhus and relapsing fever.
Treatment
It consists in sterilizing clothes with a hot iron, by boiling o steaming. D.D.T 5 percent solution or powder may also be employed.
Secondary complications may be treated in the usual manner.
Pediculosis pubis
It is caused by stout, pubic lice which, besides affecting the pubic region, may also affect the eyebrows, axillae, and the hairy sternal region. The life cycle of this parasite is about the same as that of the head louse. Infection is transmitted though sexual intercourse, or the use of common bathing costumes and lavatories. The clinical features are intense itching, scratch marks, nits and the presence of lice. The latter are firmly attached to the hair and skin. They appear as dark dots on the skin. On touching, they move.
Treatment
Shaving the pubic hairs.
Rubbing in D.D.T powder or ointment.
Underclothing must be disinfected with D.D.T or by boiling.
Hot tub bath with medicated soap in beneficial.
Homeopathic Medicines
Staphysagria- Severe inflammation, itching, redness of scalp after scratching due to lice.
Carbolic acid - one among the chief medicines for lice, utilized in mother tincture form for local application on hair. Burning and ulceration of skin after itching.
Sabadilla- Lice affecting the skin of whole body surface and head. Burning, Hot, Crawling and Creeping sensation of the whole body. Very effective in low potencies.
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