According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s estimated that 6-12 million Americans get infested by head lice yearly. Sadly, a majority of them are children aged 3-11. Since the head lice move only by crawling, they can only spread via contact method. The parasites will need to crawl from one physical body to another to attack. Most people get the parasite from the people close to them, maybe friends, colleagues or family members. So, the commonest mode of transmission is head-to-head (also known as hair-to-hair).
Nevertheless, though rare, the parasite is also spread through sharing of personal clothing. There are also minor cases where people get attacked by lice from furniture pieces and carpet. It’s important to note that the head louse cannot survive more than 2 days outside the human body. They are dependent on the human head for feeding and shelter. When the parasite falls off the human body, they become inactive since they cannot feed. If they are not provided with the conditions similar to what they enjoy in the human head, they eventually die. This is why cases of transmission through clothing, furniture, and carpet are rare.
Lice Control
The control process for the lice can be looked at from two different angles. One, you can control the spread of the head lice from an infested subject using preventive approaches. Two, in case you or your belongings are attacked by the parasites, you can control them by treatment approaches.
Preventive Approaches
• When you are involved in any kind of contact with an attacked subject, perhaps when playing, avoid head-to-head contact.
• Learn to disinfect sharable hairbrushes and combs before using them. If possible, avoid sharing.
• Avoid sharing personal head clothing such as hats, hair ribbon, and scarves.
• Avoid lying on a bed, sofa, or carpet that was recently infested by head lice.
Treatment Approaches
• Clothing, furniture covers, and bed linens of an attacked individual should be washed by machine using hot water and disinfectant. They should be allowed to dry completely before using them.
• The furniture, carpet, and floor of an infested house need to be vacuumed thoroughly to get rid of the parasites. This should be done by qualified cleaning firms or head lice professionals as soon as the infestation is reported since the head lice cannot survive outside the human body for long.
• CDC recommends the use of lice control medications such as Malathion and benzyl alcohol. The prescriptions come in lotion forms, and they are supposed to be applied on the attacked part. The only restriction is children under 6 months and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers.
• There are also home remedies that you can use such as olive oil, butter, tea tree oil, and mayonnaise. The products are applied directly to the head.
The human lice are parasites that are easily prevented and eliminated. You just need to identify the head lice control method that suits you and adopt it. After you have applied a treatment application, it’s important to remove the dead parasite using a fine comb. This ensures that the pests are totally eliminated.