Do human lice jump on clean hair, can they fly

Pediculosis is a "terrible" disease. It causes horror and panic in 86% of parents, not because it gives serious complications or is difficult to cure, but because it is associated with diseases raging in third world countries. This is a gross delusion, since lice can appear in humans even with the strictest hygiene. In children, they affect the scalp; in adults, they often settle in the hair of the axillary sinuses or the pubic zone.

Head lice is a disease that can be contracted by regularly using soap and shampoo. How does the infestation with head lice occur, where do lice come from in humans initially, is there a prevention of the disease - we will consider these and other questions in detail.

Who are lice and what harm do they do to humans?

The louse is a parasite that lives on the hairy parts of the skin. It is an insect ranging in size from 0.4 to 6 mm. Due to its small size, it can be difficult to see its translucent body on human skin.

In medicine, lice damage is referred to as head lice. The name comes from the Latin word "pediculus". It is known that the first lice pestered our ancestors, as evidenced by the study of the remains of ancient people. In historical reports, the mention of body parasites appears during the period of wars and cataclysms. This suggests that deteriorating sanitation is to blame for the spread of the disease.

The louse feeds on human blood. This makes it a carrier of infectious diseases such as typhoid or fever.

Scientists have found that head lice in humans can be caused by three subspecies of lice:

1. head - lice live on the scalp;
2. wages - in the hairline on the body;
3. pubic - in intimate areas.

IMPORTANT! Most infections with pubic lice occur through intimate contact.

Despite the fact that lice are found not only in humans, but also in most mammals, it is impossible to get infected with them from a dog or cat, since each type of animal has its own subspecies of lice.

Life cycle

Lice develop rapidly. Every day, the female leaves a clutch of 10 eggs in her hair, which are called nits. With a special sticky compound, she attaches it to the base of the hair. After a week, larvae begin to appear. Outwardly, they look like a smaller copy of an adult louse. After another week, the larva becomes an adult, capable of postponing new nits.

Thus, in just a couple of weeks, the lice population can grow to a whole colony that can poison a person's life and cause serious consequences in the body.

The most ridiculous assumptions about the occurrence of head lice

Although insects have lived side by side with humans for many centuries, it is not known for certain where the lice originally come from. Like all parasites, they spread from one object to another. Bursts of growth of head lice can occur during natural disasters, military operations, population migration.

Fleas and lice

Unlike fleas, the louse is devoted to its host and is not able to pass from animals to humans and vice versa. Therefore, the presence of pets in the house has nothing to do with the lice of their owner.

The most common misconceptions about why lice appear:

1. Lack of hygiene. Regular shampooing is not related to head lice infections.Lice and nits start both in clean people and in those who neglect water procedures. Parasites need blood, not dirt. In clean hair without the presence of greasy components, they feel even better, since nothing interferes with their movement.
2. Lice appear on nerves. The myth arose due to the similarity of symptoms: irritation, itching, restless sleep. But it should be understood that lice are living creatures and they are not able to appear only on the basis of unrest.
3. Lice live under the scalp and wait for the right moment. Such a statement does not stand up to scrutiny. Pediculosis is not hereditary and newborn babies have not found any parasites under the scalp.
4. Damage. Although this version has its fans who are sure that lice are the result of negative energy, sane people consider this to be sheer absurdity.

Where do lice come from?

A louse cannot jump far, fly and run fast, and it is also impossible to pick it up from wild or domestic animals, nevertheless anyone can get infected, regardless of their lifestyle and level of cleanliness.

Contact with an infected person

The main reason for the appearance of lice is contact with an infected person. It is enough to come into contact with a sick head lice once in public transport or in any other place where people are gathering. Infection is possible through any bodily contact with the carrier - kiss, play together on the playground, hugs. Therefore, in the event of head lice in the children's team, it is transmitted from child to child at lightning speed.

ATTENTION! A louse cannot exist for a long time without a person, since it is deprived of the only source of nutrition - blood.

Things and care products

This method of infection is less common, however, cases of transmission of nits through household items are often recorded.

You can get lice after sharing:

• combs;
• towels or clothes;
• blankets and pillows;
• hats, especially fur hats;
• intimate hygiene products.

It is quite simple to protect yourself from this method of infection - you should not share clothes and care products with other people. If there is a suspicion that the thing was used by a sick person, it is necessary to subject it to heat treatment.

Pools, standing ponds, saunas

Lice can easily tolerate being in water, and can also go without oxygen for a long time, so one of the ways of infection can be visiting a bath, swimming pool or swimming in a stagnant body of water after a person with head lice.

Places with a lot of people

The denser the settlement of people, the higher the likelihood of picking up lice. Stories are known of cases of mass infection among refugees in camps and the military in barracks. Nowadays, places of large gathering of people can be mass events, work groups, children's camps and public transport. The appearance in such places of a person with head lice can lead to massive infection of others.

Debunking myths, or how lice are not transmitted

Drits Irina Alexandrovna. Parasitologist
Helminthiasis can lead to numerous health problems, shortening life by 15-25 years. Many parasites are extremely difficult to detect. They can be anywhere - in the blood, intestines, lungs, heart, brain. Symptoms of helminthic invasion can be confused with ARVI, gastrointestinal diseases and others. The main mistake in such cases is procrastination! If you have any suspicions about the presence of parasites, then you need to see a specialist. More information about modern methods of treating helminthiasis is described in this interview with a doctor... If we talk about medicines and self-treatment, then from the most common helminths (ascaris, pinworms, tapeworms), this antiparasitic complex.

There are a lot of myths about lice, and some of them are so strong general stereotypes that their refutation causes real bewilderment.

This has been said before. Lice do not know how to jump and do not jump from head to head.

Myth 2. Lice are spread in dirty apartments from a distance

Lice cannot be transmitted from a distance. And the sanitary condition of the premises itself can only indirectly affect their transfer (after all, in such apartments, basic rules of personal hygiene are often not followed).

Head lice appearance

Myth 3. Head lice are transmitted only from children

An absolutely unfounded statement - head lice are equally active in infecting and passing on to both children and adults.

Myth 4. Lice are transmitted only through intercourse.

Pubic lice are transmitted during intercourse. Head parasites can be transmitted both through sexual contact and simply through close physical contact - hugging, wrestling, mother caring for a child.

Myth 5. Lice are spread from pets

This misconception is so common that lice on pets should be discussed separately.

Lice in children

Lice are most prevalent in children's groups. There are several reasons for this:

• closer contact with each other - arises as a result of joint games and hugs;
• frequency of contacts with peers - children visit kindergartens and schools every day, where there is a high probability of a source of the disease and its rapid spread;
• lack of personal hygiene skills - the use of other people's combs, toys, bedding and clothing.

At-risk groups

Lice are ubiquitous. Anyone can get it. No one is safe from collision with insects. Persons in unfavorable conditions and successful people can become infected. Not everyone faces head lice.

There is a certain risk area when parasites actively move from one to another. Most often people encounter insects:

• those in unfavorable living conditions (homeless, asocial persons);
• leading an overly active lifestyle (volunteers, public figures);
• facing disadvantaged citizens by the nature of their activities (medical personnel, receptionists, shelters);
• in an unnaturally cramped environment (places of deprivation of liberty, barracks, temporary accommodation centers);
• with a predisposition to promiscuous relationships.

Children are in a special risk group. They have parasites most often. It is their propensity for close contacts during games, lack of vigilance, disregard for the rules of hygiene, and immediacy that produce favorable conditions for instant infection.

It happens that, despite effective treatment, lice appear again and again. Often the spontaneous spread of head lice occurs at school, kindergarten, summer camp.

How to identify lice?

Head lice symptoms do not appear immediately after infection, but only after a few days or even weeks. This is due to the fact that the infection does not occur by the lice themselves, but by nits, which take time to develop on the body of a new carrier.

Signs of a lice infestation:

• itchy scalp - occurs during and after a bite;
• nits detection - lice eggs look like sesame seeds and are attached at the base of the hair;
• nervous state - often occurs in children at the time of infection;
• allergic spots - insect saliva can cause an allergic reaction;
• bite marks - they can be found on open areas of the head, for example, near the ears and eyebrows, as well as on the temples;
• scratching and purulent wounds - appear with an advanced form of the disease;
• inflammation of the apron lymph nodes - occurs during the complication of head lice and speaks of an infectious infection of the bite site.

If there is a suspicion of a person being infected with head lice, a visual examination of the scalp should be carried out immediately. This must be done according to the following rules:

• a special comb and a white napkin are pre-prepared;
• inspection is carried out in good lighting;
• hair must be untangled and combed;
• several strands are selected and combed;
• the comb is wiped on a napkin;
• the napkin is examined for lice and nits.

REFERENCE! In a hospital setting, lice diagnostics is carried out using a magnifying glass and a Wood lamp, which allows you to see traces of the vital activity of parasites.

Ways of infection with head lice

There are a number of opinions on what lice are taken from in people - they jump or fly from a sick person to a healthy person. It's a delusion. Ectoparasites do not have wings and strong legs to jump or fly. But parasites are equipped with tenacious "hooks" claws. They explain where the lice in the head come from - they firmly attach to the hair and move along it very quickly from carrier to carrier. Path of infection: insects crawl onto healthy hair from the hair of the infected, to which they, in turn, crawled from the previous host. The contact-household transmission route explains where lice come from in children on the head, and why they appear in the hair of clean and well-groomed babies.

If there are no infected people in the kindergarten or school and you are at a loss where the baby's lice come from, remember if you follow the rules for preventing infection. They are simple:

• Disinfection of clothes for children and adults. All clothes. In order not to be tormented by the question of where the lice on the head come from, it is necessary to wash, boil, freeze (hang out in the frost below -100C for 12-18 hours) all the clothes of children and adults, if it was in contact with the nursery;
• Disinfection of bed linen. Boil enough.

  

• Disinfection of caps and all headgear. When figuring out where the lice on the child's head come from, remember if his clothes have come into contact with the clothes of other children. Perhaps one of the parents did not take preventive measures;
• Disinfection of accessories - combs, bows, elastic bands, etc.

Having carried out the treatment of head lice, it is worth protecting the baby from re-infection by rinsing the hair with special compounds. Rapidly breeding lice appear less frequently in older people. But this does not mean that the infection will not occur. Therefore, disease prevention is carried out for all family members.

How to get rid of lice?

Mechanical methods

Shepherd combing - the most effective and safest way getting rid of lice for humans. The technology allows you to completely get rid of lice and nits, while maintaining the health of the skin and hair. The method is suitable for children, pregnant women and people with sensitive scalp, for whom the use of potent toxic agents is contraindicated.

For the procedure, a special comb is used, which can be purchased in specialized stores. The comb has serrations on the teeth. Thanks to them, the clearance remains minimal, which allows you to comb out parasites without damaging the hair.

Procedure:

1. hair should be washed with regular shampoo and dried;
2. one strand of hair is taken and carefully combed out several times along the entire length;
3. the procedure is repeated in turn on the remaining strands;
4. collected parasites are flushed down the toilet or burned;
5. combing should be repeated daily for at least one week.

After the first treatment, most of the lice will be removed from the hair. Further combing out is needed in order to get rid of the larvae and remaining nits.

REFERENCE! With a large-scale infection, it may take 1-2 hours a day to comb out all the parasites.

The disadvantages of this method include:

• procedures cannot be carried out by oneself;
• it will not be possible to get rid of lice in one day;
• the price for a comb of a good company starts from 1 thousand rubles;
• it will take a lot of time and effort to complete the full course of procedures.

To enhance the effect, simultaneously with combing, you can use chemical or folk remedies to remove lice.

Haircut

A radical way of dealing with head lice is suitable for men or young children. The bottom line is to completely shave off the scalp "to zero". Previously, the head can be treated with any remedy for lice. On smooth shaved skin, insects will have nowhere to lay eggs, which means they will no longer be able to reproduce.

IMPORTANT! To avoid further infection, cut hair should be burned.

Chemical methods

In a short period of time, head lice can be cured with the help of pharmaceutical preparations, which are divided into:

• liquid shampoos;
• dry products;
• gels and ointments;
• lotions and balms;
• aerosols.

The composition of the funds includes various toxic substances that destroy the insect's nervous system. These drugs are sold without a prescription. The application consists in applying the product to the area where the lice are spread.

This category also includes synthetic agents that contain dimethicone and cyclomethicone. After application, they envelop the insects with a thin film and block the flow of air. These drugs have a fairly high efficiency, however, they do not guarantee complete elimination of lice.

The disadvantages of using the chemical method include:

• no guarantee of complete destruction of parasites;
• weak effect on lice eggs;
• inability to use by pregnant women and young children;
• the need to consult a doctor before use.

Folk ways

Herbal decoctions, plant juices, essential oils

Their task is to kill or scare away lice. For this, in folk medicine they use: decoctions of geranium, chamomile, wormwood, tansy, pine needles and mint, garlic juice, essential oil of tea tree, mint, oregano, sage, lavender and rosemary. According to reviews, the effect of such treatment is mild and is more suitable as a prophylaxis.

Decoctions of potent poisonous plants: wild rosemary, wild rose and angelica, as well as a pharmaceutical solution of cherem water, have proven themselves well, however, they can poison not only body parasites, but also humans. They are forbidden to be used by pregnant women and children, and everyone else should do this with great caution.

Natural and household chemicals

The task of such funds is to kill live lice and destroy the chitinous membrane of nits due to an aggressive alkaline and acidic environment. Cranberry juice, dust, tar or laundry soap, as well as hydrogen peroxide are used. In fact, the funds have an average result in terms of effectiveness.

Enveloping products

As in the case of synthetic drugs, such products deprive lice of oxygen. In folk medicine, mayonnaise or petroleum jelly is used for this. Depending on the density of the composition, the funds can have a good effect.

Toxic agents

In the hope of getting rid of lice, people use radical methods such as baiting parasites with gasoline, kerosene, vinegar or alcohol. Do not forget that their use can adversely affect the condition of the hair and scalp, as well as the well-being of the patient in general. These products are capable of destroying parasites, but at the same time leave behind burns, an allergic reaction and lead to hair loss.

Thermal method

The method has become widespread abroad in recent years. Lice are destroyed by a jet of hot air, the temperature of which is 60 degrees. For this, a special hair dryer is used. Despite the simplicity and safety of the method, in Russia it has not yet received widespread use, and the range of suitable equipment leaves much to be desired.

IMPORTANT! Carrying out the treatment procedure with a regular hairdryer, curling iron or hair iron, it is easy to get a thermal burn.

What happens after infection?

Like any other organisms, these parasites instinctively try to preserve their kind. Therefore, they begin to multiply actively. At first, not everyone can feel the presence of lice on their body. After all, they bite weakly, and there is no need to actively move around the body.

Only after 2 weeks will new parasites appear from eggs laid by adults.

During this period, the larvae actively grow and feed. Therefore, a person begins to itch all the time. Unbearable itching over a period of time gives people a wide variety of assumptions, from stress to allergic reactions to food or cosmetics. But very soon the real cause of the itching becomes clear.

During this period, young individuals move very quickly and it seems that the whole head and body itch. That is why the assumption arises that lice jump or fly.

In fact, there can be many of them, and they spread freely throughout the body, where it is easy to get to the blood vessels.

One female can lay 200 - 300 larvae per month, so that if the treatment process is delayed, the number of lice on the body of one person can increase very quickly.

Prophylaxis

Individual preventive measures include:

• regular head examinations for lice and nits;
• owners of long hair wearing neat hairstyles;
• the use of prophylactic pharmaceuticals;
• carrying out a combing procedure during the period of illness of someone from your acquaintances;
• maintaining hygiene, regularly changing bed linen;
• avoiding close contact with strangers.

Pediculosis protection measures for children:

• regular medical examination by a specialist;
• the introduction of quarantine in an educational institution in the event of an outbreak of the disease;
• sanitation of the premises.

Myths and facts

Insects crawl - jumping is excluded

Often in conversations between people, you can hear stories that "slightly exaggerate" the dignity of parasites. To understand whether this is true or not, let's figure out what kind of creature it is, and what it is capable of.

Dispelling the myths associated with lice

Frequently asked questions on the forums: can animals carry lice, do lice have the ability to fly, how far do they jump. Let's clarify these assumptions.

Can lice jump

The structure of the lice is not adapted to enable them to jump.

In order to jump, they must have flea-like limbs. They really do "acrobatic tricks" because they have highly developed two hind legs.

Therefore, the answer to the question of whether lice jump is unequivocal - no.

Do lice fly

The classification of these parasites places them in the subclass of Diptera insects.

However, they do not have wings. Therefore, they a priori do not know how to fly.

Lice may have had the ability to fly long ago. In today's individuals, the wings are reduced, which is associated with the transition to a parasitic lifestyle.

How do they reproduce

Adult and larva

These parasites are obligate and highly specialized creatures.... They are not at all adapted to live outside the human body.

The size and shape of the segments that are on the paws to capture hairs, the configuration of the body, the contours of the belly of the parasite are conducive to living on humans.

There are very rare exceptions when they reproduce in the scalp of some species of monkeys.

Outside of man, they can neither reproduce, nor live, nor lay eggs, nor reproduce.

Prefers long or messy hair

There is an opinion that lice live on a person's head, the owner of long hair.

Insects prefer well-groomed hair

These insects use the hair to cling to, to have free access to the skin. A length of three to four millimeters is enough for this condition to be met.

As for the condition of their hair, they prefer clean skin. Because with dirty strands on the skin there is a thick layer of fat that blocks access to it.

Pediculosis is a disease that only violates aesthetics

After curing head lice, complications associated with chronic skin diseases and allergic reactions may remain.

Typhoid fever transmitted by these insects, such as typhus and relapsing fever, can significantly harm health.

Pediculosis treatment

Alternative methods for combating head lice should not be used as the main treatment, so as not to harm the hair. It is better to get rid of insects with special products that are sold at the pharmacy. They come in the following forms:

• shampoos are easy to use, but several procedures are required. It is impossible to use the funds more than three times, since the parasites will develop immunity. It's better to just buy another drug;
• sprays - are considered the most effective means, they are capable of destroying adults and nits. One application will help to cope with the disease;
• ointments and tablets - used only as directed by a doctor, when there are skin diseases and standard remedies are contraindicated. The effect of them occurs 15 days after administration.

It is worth carrying out the procedure to get rid of lice as recommended in the instructions. After treatment with the product, the hair is combed out with a special comb, which often comes with the preparation to remove dead insects and nits.

After combing out, the comb must be thoroughly rinsed or boiled.

Table: remedies for head lice

Photo gallery: popular drugs for pediculosis

"Paranit" guarantees the destruction of lice and nits in one application

A special comb for combing out is included with the preparation "Nyuda"

"Permethrin" is approved for use in children from six months

The drug "Veda-2" has no analogues both in Russia and abroad

With the aid of "Pair Plus" you can additionally process the patient's textiles

Reviews of drugs

Nyuda helped us the first time! Of course, to calm my soul, I repeated the procedure the next day, and also a week later, nothing was found except dry shells of nits. I recommend the tool, because Nyuda coped with the purpose 100%.
Marin4ik

"Veda 2". This miracle remedy saved us. In general, the conclusion is this: The most effective remedy, it saved us after the first use.
natalya_reva_88

"Paranit" helped the first time. After processing, I combed the heads with a special comb. She washed the beds at a high temperature, vacuumed all the beds. About a month has passed and we have not seen parasites. Of course, I regularly check children's heads, but clean!
Svetlana Levchenko

"Pair Plus" is an easy way to solve the problem! And also do not start it. I am impressed, I check the heads of children every day after school and kindergarten, I am very glad that I noticed the louse on time and everything turned out well.
Mandarin duck84

Features of infesting children with head lice

Infection of children and adults occurs in an identical way, but babies, unlike adults:

Based on this, children are 5.4 times more likely to be infected with pediculosis and, if they find signs of the disease, they should first check the children.

Children are very shy, therefore they are complex when they learn about insects living in their heads, but if, nevertheless, signs of infection appear, urgent measures should be taken.