Doubting if you’re hosting lice? Here is how to check yourself for lice, why it is important, how to identify lice eggs, without a comb, where you can be checked, or if your are just paranoid
How to tell if you have lice by yourself
You can easily tell if you have lice by observing some signs discussed below;
Check out for bites
While standing in front of your mirror, check throughout your body for inflamed bites. They are usually tiny bites and so you must be very keen. Check your scalp, area around your ears and on your neck. Check all other parts of your body as well.
Observing the lice
You can tell that you have lice when you see them. For instance, when you wish to identify if you have lice on your head, you can use a comb to brush your head.
The brushing should be done from the root to the tip while you bend the head over to a white piece of paper. You should examine the white paper to see if there might be lice which are shown by some tiny movements.
This is however not a very reliable method since; in case you have dry hair, lice move from the areas that are being disturbed to areas that are not being interfered with.
Alternatively, you can use a lice comb which you can easily get from your pharmacy. Here you are advised to wash your hair with your conditioner then divide it into sections using your comb.
Comb each section from the scalp using your lice comb. After each combing, wipe your comb with a piece of tissue and check for live lice. This method works very well since lice stay still when the hair is wet.
Identify black specks
At times, you can just look for black specks on your pillow or collars. Such specks are louse faeces and they are a hint that you may be having lice. [2]
Itching
1 out of 3 people experience itching due to presence of lice. This is usually worse around the neck and behind the ears. Saliva of louse
Movements on your head or body
If you experience a tickling feeling on any part of your body, you need to check out for lice. You are also likely to feel movements on your body. This makes you very uncomfortable and you therefore find it difficult to sleep.
Appearance of lice eggs
Lice eggs are sure symptom that you have lice at some part of your body. They are usually small white objects occurring in your hair. [3]
How to check for lice eggs on your own
Lice eggs are yellow-brown in color before hatching. They look like tiny seeds. When freshly laid, the eggs are shiny and they are too close to the scalp. This makes it very difficult to identify them by visual inspection.
Wood’s lamp is a special light that makes lice eggs, also referred to as nits, appear blue. The only challenge is that this device is a bit expensive so you may need to request your physician to help you with one to use.
In case you totally cannot access this device, ensure you get good lighting conditions. When you your body is well lit, start searching for the eggs. It is important to remember to check for the difference between a dead nit and a living nit.
A live nit has several characteristics that include; a caramel color, one to a half a centimeter near the scalp and it is bright. If the nit is located far from the scalp and is white in color, it means that it is empty and dead.
In case a nit has the characteristics of a dead nit but it is found to be live, it is one that will never hatch. This is because temperatures far away from the scalp are too cold. [4]
How to check for lice without a comb
If you hate using combs on your hair and you need to check for lice, it is still possible.
The following procedure is helpful;
- Wet your hair with your favorite conditioner so that the lice do not escape unlike the case of dry hair. Stand in front of your mirror.
- Using your fingers, separate your hair bit by bit so that you can be able to see any present lice.
- You could scratch the scalp on the separated hair a little bit then check your hands for any live lice. It is easy to feel the movements.
Where can i get my head checked for lice?
At times, it is difficult to identify the lice on your own and you may find it embarrassing to ask your friend to check the lice on your body.
If you are experiencing the above discussed signs of the possibility of having lice, you need to see your doctor so that he will examine and detect presence of lice.
Your doctor can easily identify lice on your head since most hospitals have the wood’s light which you probably did not afford. The doctor separates your hair using his hands so that, with proper lighting, he is able to trace any available lice.
There is an advantage of going for a checkup from your physician since he will be able to give you an immediate treatment. [5]
Do I have Lice or am I Paranoid?
Some individuals just sit and imagine bugs crawling on their scalp. They have actually made up lice in their mind.
Eventually they may have that feeling of lice crawling on their skin…but unfortunately it is only in their mind but not real. Isn’t this the highest level of paranoia?
Signs that it is lice have already been discussed above. They include itching, black specks, lice eggs among others.
Tips and Ideas to avoid Lice on your body
Lice are mostly found in the hair. You can easily avoid getting lice by employing some of the following tips at home. They are easy and straight forward to follow.
- Do not share head touching items
When it comes to items that get into direct contact with your scalp, you need to acquire personal items. Sharing may mean that transfer of lice from another person’s head to yours is very easy. Lice quickly crawl from objects to your head. Such objects that you are advised not to share include; hair clips, towels, brushes, hats, headsets, head helmets, and earbuds.
- Keep personal belongings separate
Breeding grounds for lice include shared belongings and spaces. You need to avoid the possibility of lice being transferred from another person’s personal belongings to yours. Lockers, closets, drawers and clothes are an easy way through which you could acquire lice from another person.
- Always try to minimize head to head contact
This is especially in the case of children since their heads come into contact when they play. Even for adults who work with children need to be keen. You are advised to keep your hair in an organized pony tail to avoid any possibility of carrying from another person when you get close to them.
- Wash your personal items thoroughly
Clothes you or your child sleeps on should be cleaned properly. If your child sleeps with any toys, you should also ensure that you clean them. Hair products such as combs should also be cleaned with preferably warm water.
- Use correct hair products
When buying hair products, you are advised to buy those products that naturally repel lice from your hair. [6]
When the condition seems to go out hand instead of improving, then visit any drug store near you so as to get the best remedy.
Why is it important to check yourself for lice?
Lice do not directly harm you but you may need to examine if you have them for other reasons. To begin with, the lice movements on whichever part of your body make you very uncomfortable and this annoyance makes it very difficult to sleep at night. Lack of sleep comes along with other problems like lack of concentration and focus during the day.
Moreover, louse saliva accelerates irritation on your skin. The saliva also sensitizes people to their bites. You are likely to get secondary infections that come as a result of too much scratching of the skin which results from irritation.
A study shows that about 12million children have head lice infestation each year. As much as this infestation does not cause any permanent damage, it is important to note that there are long term effects that come with failure to treat the lice.
Children and even adults who experience lice on the scalp end up scratching their heads to an extent of breaking the skin. When this happens, you are exposing your scalp to more serious infections. For instance, cellulitis is an infection that attacks the deep layers of the skin and it will require heavy spending in order to acquire medication.
This clearly shows that, as much as the lice do not directly have a negative effect, they indirectly cause your skin to get damaged. You therefore need to regularly check your head for lice especially when you experience any suggestive itching on your body to avoid falling into the trap of getting any bacterial infections.
In addition to that, you need to check yourself for lice so that you can avoid recurrence. This is because, untreated lice tend to multiply and return at a future date. Once you identify them and get treatment; you reduce the chance of getting the lice another time. [1]
Sources
[1]http://headlicehelp.biz/untreated-headlice-complications/comment-page-1/
[2]http://www.embarrassingproblems.com/problem/head-lice/head-lice-signs
[3]http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/lice-symptoms#4
[4]http://headlicecenter.com/identifying-head-lice/
[5]http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/head-lice/diagnosis-treatment/diagnosis/dxc-20319293
[6]http://www.healthline.com/health/lice/head-lice-prevention#overview1
