Today, pediculosis is considered a fairly common problem, especially among children. Therefore, almost every parent asks the question: where do lice come from and how to deal with them? After all, this parasite causes not only itching and discomfort, but can also be a carrier of a number of serious diseases.
How lice appear. The most common myths
Pediculosis is familiar to almost every person. But over the course of several centuries, several myths have appeared around this disease. Firstly, it is believed that lice can appear only in an unscrupulous person, or in a child from a dysfunctional family. In fact, this is not at all the case - these parasites are quite often found in well-groomed children and respectable people who carefully monitor hygiene. Lice are transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person, and the level of cleanliness is not so important.
It is also believed that pediculosis is much more often diagnosed among people prone to stress. This is another myth. Yes, in people with constant nervous strain the level of immune defense is reduced, which means that they are more susceptible to infectious diseases. But lice are external parasites with which the human immunity cannot fight in any way. This means that the state of the nervous system does not matter.
The main symptoms of head lice
Before deciding on where lice come from, it is worth considering the main symptoms of this disease. Lice are small parasites that feed on human blood. They live mainly in the scalp.
The first symptom of head lice is itching. If your child constantly scratches his head, from time to time becomes restless and sleeps poorly - this is an occasion to carefully examine his head. Gently separating the strands, inspect the skin and hair roots, since it is there that you can notice the white eggs of lice - these are nits.
Settling in the scalp, the louse immediately begins to multiply, laying eggs. After 8-10 days, nits appear, which in a few days turn into full-fledged adults. Despite the fact that the parasite lives only 40 days, during this time it can lay up to 400 eggs.
Where do lice come from?
The answer to this question is already clear: they are transmitted from an infected person to a healthy one. There is an opinion that a louse jumps from head to head, but this is not true. These parasites do not know how to jump - they crawl. For infection, direct contact with the patient is necessary.
Of course, most often children suffer from head lice, which they spend most of the time in the team - in kindergartens or schools. Here the kids are constantly in contact with each other - they play with the same toys, sit side by side, share stationery, etc. Much more often the disease is found in girls, since the parasite prefers long hair, in which, by the way, lice are much more difficult to notice. In addition, girls love to do each other hairstyles, using only hairpins and elastic bands.
Lice can also be transmitted through household items - towels, clothes, etc. You can catch the parasite in public places, including transport (if it has a lot of people), a hairdresser, pools.
Becoming a host of a parasite is very easy, but getting rid of it is very, very difficult. After all, nits are attached to the hair with a sticky mass that keeps them there while combing and washing the hair.
Where do lice come from in intimate places?
It's no secret that a person can be parasitized by another type of lice - the so-called pubic areas. And today this disease is becoming more common, especially among young people. Where do pubic lice come from? The answer to this question is obvious. Most often, intimate lice is the result of intercourse with an infected person.
On the other hand, lice can be transmitted through bedding, towels, underwear. Quite often, public places such as saunas, pools, baths are the sources of the spread of infection.
In any case, if you notice pediculosis symptoms in yourself or your child , it is best to consult a doctor immediately. Modern medicine offers a lot of ways to get rid of such an ailment.