Prevention and treatment of pediculosis in children at home

Pediculosis is a rather unpleasant parasitic disease that occurs quite often in childhood. Any child can become infected with it at any time, no matter how often he washes, and in what sanitary conditions he lives. Especially quickly the disease spreads in children's groups. We will discuss how to prevent infection and how to treat a child at home in this article.

Pediculosis is lice. Parasites can affect skin and hair. In humans, there are three species of insects of this species - body, pubic and head lice. The first live in the seams of clothing, the second - on the hair of the pubis and armpits, and the third, the most common - on the scalp.

Lice existed almost always, their history is as long as the history of humanity itself. Few people know, but the ancient Egyptian priests and pharaohs shaved their heads baldly not for religious reasons, but solely because the lice did not prevent them from communicating with the higher forces. According to scientists, the louse exists more than 80 thousand years.

It is still difficult for science to explain the true reasons for the fact that lice most often take root in people who are nervous and subject to stress. There is a hypothesis that in the state of stress, the smell of a person changes, parasites react instantaneously to this barely perceptible "signal".

The consequences of running pediculosis for a child can be very dangerous. Like all blood-sucking parasites, lice tolerate dangerous and contagious vector-borne diseases. Head louse is able to become a carrier of relapsing fever, and a clothes louse suffers from typhus. In addition, a child who constantly combs the skin can become infected with any kind of bacteria, fungi, which can be very dangerous for him. That is why it is important as soon as possible to identify and eliminate parasites.

The source of infection is always a patient with head lice. After hitting a new “host,” the lice begin to settle in a new place.

The incubation period for pediculosis is about one and a half weeks. That is how much time passes from the moment of infection until the first symptoms appear.

The clothes louse can be transmitted through common toys, especially soft ones, through bedding and underclothes. Pubic in adults is distributed during sexual intercourse, and children can get through common with infected adults underwear, for example, if the baby is sleeping with his parents in the same bed.

Symptoms for pediculosis are quite characteristic, the main thing is to give them the necessary value in time:

• The baby starts scratching his head. At the junction of hair and skin (for example, above the ears, under the hairline on the neck), bite marks and scratches may be noticeable. Lice bites are quite itchy and itchy.
• On the skin around the affected areas are formed grayish points.
• In the hair, closer to the roots at a distance of approximately 2.5 cm. louse eggs, nits, are found. They look like a white or yellowish oval-shaped egg attached to the hair. When pressing with a fingernail, nits are easy enough to crush. If you blow on nits, it does not fly away, like dandruff, for example. It is by the presence of such nits is the easiest to diagnose head lice. Sometimes nits can be seen in the eyelashes and eyebrows.
• Sometimes parents may notice adult individuals - most often they can be seen on the temporal parts of the head, behind the ears, on the back of the head, under the hair at the line of transition to the neck.
• Can detect started pustular skin disease with the running form of pediculosis in a child. Pustules are formed due to joining a bacterial infection to the comb.

Pediculosis is usually treated at home. With the modern level of development of medicine, the process will not be difficult. Parents will need an integrated approach that will be directed not only at the complete elimination of adult lice, but also at the destruction of all nits.

The life of the pubic lice is greatly complicated if the pubis and axilla are thoroughly shaved (such a measure will be necessary in relation to adolescents). Then the skin is treated with boric ointment at a concentration of 5%.

After washing you can additionally boil things, and then hang them in the sun or in a ventilated room for 6-7 days.

The skin and hair of the child at the same time should be treated with one of the existing pediculocidal agents.

It is possible to cure a child of hair (head) lice with the use of special preparations that are sold in a large assortment in any pharmacy. It is important to remove the nits manually, since a sufficient amount of them as a result of the use of pharmaceuticals can survive and hatch in the near future.

Fighting nits is usually the hardest part of treatment. Manual selection of louse eggs takes several days. For this It is best to use metal combs with frequent teeth. Similar plastic combs are designed for prophylaxis, not treatment. Metal devices can better keep the shape and distance between the teeth, which is very important when getting rid of nits.

Not so long ago, it was decided to cut or even naked shave children who have found head lice. Now medicine has reviewed this moment, and you do not need to cut the child. The main thing is to carry out a thorough treatment of hair 2.5-5 centimeters from the scalp and choose nits.

The baby’s things, bedding, clothes are boiled, washed in a high-temperature mode, and then dried for several days in the sun or in a ventilated room. It is also desirable to dry the clothes thoroughly afterwards with a hot iron, especially the seams on the clothes.

The main rule for the treatment of pediculosis at home is the observance of safety measures, because drugs with a pediculocidal effect are toxic. For the same reason, not all of the existing drugs are approved for use in childhood.

During treatment, the child should not attend crowded places, kindergarten and school, as well as shops and pharmacies. This rule remains valid for 3 days after treatment.

In any pharmacy, parents will find dozens of different types of lice products. There are herbal preparations, and there are synthetic ones.The former may be less effective, but the latter are more toxic. When choosing a particular product, the age of the child, his state of health, and the tendency to allergies must be taken into account.

Below is a list of the most popular products that are approved for use in childhood.

This shampoo, spray, repellent and lotion Belgian production. The repellent is intended for the prevention of pediculosis, all other means - for treatment.

Usually it is quite enough one single treatment to save the child from parasites. To fix the result, manufacturers recommend repeating processing after 7 days.

The composition of the shampoo includes white mineral oil (clearol) with a share of 69%, blowing agents - 30% and perfume composition - 1%.

Mom during pregnancy and lactation can use only the children's form "Sensitive". Included with the tool is a special comb, with which you can remove the nits later. The tool is applied to the hair for 10 minutes, then carefully washed off.

The composition of the lotion and spray with the name includes anise oil, and the composition of the shampoo - vaseline. The principle of action is that the oily liquid envelops the parasites, and without oxygen access, the lice die as soon as possible.

Anise oil has the ability to cause nervous paralysis in lice. Nits are able to survive with such an impact, but they lose a substance that provides them with the ability to cling to the hair, they become easy to comb.

Shampoo is allowed to apply to children from three years, the remaining funds under this name - children who have reached the age of five.

It is a natural anti-louse drug that contains ylang-ylang and lavender oils. In the shampoo with the same name added rosemary oil and citric acid.

The drug in the form of a spray and shampoo is not only effective against parasites, but also has excellent anti-inflammatory properties, soothes the skin, relieves itching and pain in places of scratching. The tool is allowed to apply to children who have reached two years of age.

This is an aerosol of French production based on karbofos and permethrin. The tool causes lice in almost instantaneous paralysis and death of both adults and nits. The product is applied to dry hair over the entire length, wait at least ten minutes, and then washed off with the use of any shampoo.

The procedure for control is repeated after a week. The drug is not allowed to use for the treatment of pediculosis in children younger than 2.5 years. With great care, the tool is used in children suffering from bronchial asthma.

This remedy comes in the form of a cream. Permethrin, which is the only component, paralyzes insects and inhibits the development of nits.

The tool can not be used if the child has dermatitis, especially if it is localized on the scalp. In general, the tool is quite effective and the most "childish" - it is allowed to use children from birth, but up to six months, you should observe increased precautions.

The cream is applied to pre-washed and dried hair, hold for at least ten minutes, and then wash off and comb out the nits. The procedure is repeated in a week.

This is another permethrin-based drug. You can buy it in the form of a gel or concentrate, from which an emulsion is then prepared at home.The drug is applied to dry hair over the entire length, cover the hair with a bag or cling film for half an hour. Then the product is washed off and manually combed nits.

If necessary, the treatment is repeated after a week. The emulsion can be used for the treatment of pediculosis in children who have reached the age of one year, the other forms - after five years.

This is a concentrate that will get rid not only of lice, but also from bedbugs, fleas, cockroaches and other parasites that can ruin a person’s life.

The product is sold in a large capacity of 1 liter. For treatment of hair from lice will need 1 ml of the drug per 100 g of water.

The preparation of Russian production, according to parents, has an unpleasant and rather pungent smell.

Dry hair is moistened with a solution, held under the film for 15 minutes, then thoroughly washed and combed out with a frequent comb. It is possible to use medicine only for children from 5 years.

The basis of this tool is a substance - Malathion. Available in the form of an emulsion and shampoo.

If the baby has a small amount of lice, it will be enough to use one shampoo. If lice is increased, then it is desirable to apply two forms together - first by treating the hair with an emulsion, and then washing it with shampoo. The tool is intended for children from 2 years.

This is a shampoo with d-Phenotrin. The substance has the property to quickly act on the nervous system of insects, paralyzing them.

Shampoo is considered to be the best tool not only for treatment, but also for the prevention of lice. It can be used only for children from 2 years.

The shampoo is applied to the pre-washed and dried hair for 10 minutes, after which it is washed off and combed with a frequent comb. If necessary, repeat the procedure after a day. Then the drug can be used no earlier than 7-10 days.

This tool comes in the form of a lotion, the main active ingredient is benzyl benzoate.

The drug is not recommended for children under 5 years.

The lotion is applied to the hair, which is pre-moistened, moisturize. After waiting ten minutes, the lotion is washed off, it is advisable to rinse the hair with a weak solution of acetic acid, and then carry out a manual combing of the nits.

This tool is considered the best choice for the treatment of pediculosis in children, because the drug belongs to the means of the new generation, the safest and most effective.

The drug is available in the form of a spray. The main active ingredient is dimethicone. It causes mechanical strangulation in insects, enveloping them with a dense silicone layer.

The preparation is applied to dry hair for 45 minutes, then combed out with a special comb and only then washed.

Cyclomethicone, which forms the basis of this drug, has a similar suffocating effect.

Included with the vial means there is a frequent comb, which can be used to comb out insects after a ten-minute treatment with the preparation. If necessary, the procedure is repeated after a week. The tool is intended for children over 5 years.

All products that can be used at home in the fight against lice and nits need very careful handling. To start, do not neglect the instruction, it should be studied in the most careful way.

Most modern products are quite effective, but in rare cases even after repeated use live lice or nits may remain. This situation requires a change of drug. The third time using the same tool makes no sense.

It is important to ensure that the preparations that are being treated do not get into the eyes, nose, and mouth of the child. If this happens, you need to thoroughly wash the mucous membranes. It is better to use a solution of soda in warm water.

If a child swallows the drug, you must immediately call an ambulance and try to flush the stomach before the doctors arrive.

Remember:

• Most often the causes of the outbreak of pediculosis in the children's team lie in the fact that one of the children violates the rules of hygiene. It is necessary to bathe the child at least 2 times a week, he must have his own comb, bed linen should be changed in a timely manner.
• A child from an early age should know that his personal comb should not be passed on to others. Do not use someone else's hairbrush, take hairpins, hair ties, headbands from other children, or wear other people's hats.
• Excellent preventive means - oil of lavender and tea tree. To prevent the appearance of parasites, it’s enough for parents several times a week to add a drop of these funds to the back of the head and behind the ears of the child.

• If a child visits the pool, plays sports and often travels to competitions as part of a large group of children, it is important to check his head for the presence of parasites after each such trip. To do this, combing must be a frequent comb over a piece of light-colored fabric.
• If you still found lice, do not be ashamed. It is important to report this to the school, the sports section, to prevent further spread of the disease. The duration of quarantine is 40 days, provided that during this period not a single new case is detected.

• If the school or kindergarten is quarantined, do not panic. It is enough to use prophylactic anti-lice shampoos 1-2 times a week (for example, Itax), and quietly attend a group or classes without the risk of pediculosis.

About what to do when pediculosis in children, see the following video.