The most common causes of head lice are sharing brushes or combs, using the same pillow as an infected person, or being in close physical contact with someone who has head lice. Lice is a condition caused by small insects that live on a person’s scalp. They are easily spread from person to person. Sometimes even sitting in a chair or on a sofa directly after someone with head lice can lead to an infection.
Head lice are most common amongst children who frequently share hair accessories. Close physical contact with other students at school also puts young children at a higher risk. Children who are known to be infected should avoid public places until the lice are killed. This will help others avoid the most common causes of head lice, although it is often hard to detect the lice until they have already been spread.
Lice are generally killed by using a medicated shampoo and spray which contains a mild pesticide. This treatment is generally followed by several thorough combings of the hair using a very fine toothed comb. The metal toothed combs generally used for treating fleas in pets are often more effective than the plastic ones which come with most lice shampoos. Natural remedies are also available for some health stores.
The causes of head lice cannot always be avoided because it is not always to tell who has them and who doesn’t. It is important to avoid sharing hats, brushes, combs, and other hair accessories with others, but sometimes simply being in the same area as an affected person can lead to infection. Since it is not possible to avoid public places altogether, lice can still be spread from person to person.
Itching, especially around the nape of the neck and ears, is the most common symptom of head lice. A diagnosis can be confirmed by closely inspecting the head for small insects within the hair. Lice eggs may also be present, and they appear as a small nodule attached to individual hairs. The main causes of head lice symptoms are the feeling of the bugs crawling around the scalp as well as biting the skin. Lice feed on human blood and skin much like mosquitoes and fleas.