Which Signs Determine That You Have Head Lice
Do you feel something in your hair? Is your head itchy at times? Do not worry, we tell you what it is. These may be dandruff, eczema or the tiny monsters, lice. If it is dandruff or eczema, consult your doctor at once and get it treated properly. But, how to check yourself for lice is the task that requires your full attention and a few technical steps involved in this checking process. Here, we have listed down a few determining signs that will tell you whether or not you have head lice infestation.
1. You Feel An Itchy Head
Normally, we never rub our scalp because we do not need to do so. There are no itchy feelings and, so, we do not scratch our scalp. But, once we are in contact with head lice and they get multiplied there, we often feel itch and need to scratch our scalp. This is due to an allergic reaction to louse saliva that got accumulated there for two to six weeks after your first contact with head lice. An itchy scalp is the most obvious sign of head lice, but that alone is not enough in this regard. Dandruff and eczema may also cause your scalp to itch.
2. You Feel A Crawling Sensation In Your Head
The second most common sign or symptom of lice infestation is to feel something crawling in your head. You feel the bugs moving in your hair or on your scalp or tickling your head. Besides, it may also happen that you catch a louse in actual while scrolling your fingers into your hair.
3. You Spot A Louse In Your Hair
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) described lice as looking like "light-brown sesame seeds crawling on the hair, skin, or clothing." You or your near ones may spot a louse crawling on your head, meaning thereby that you have them for at least two weeks. This is because a louse takes almost two weeks to cover the whole process of development right from an egg or nit into a nymph and then into an actual mature louse. Once you spot or pick a louse, be sure that you have caught a head lice infestation.
4. You Also See Nits
Nits are the eggs laid by the adult lice and they just look like dandruff. You may also get confused when you see them first time. However, the difference lies in that the dandruff can be brushed off easily while nits remain glued to the hair shaft and often require pulling them down the hair using human finger nails. According to The Head Lice Center, “Nits are essentially glued to the hair shaft and require a special comb to remove.” They are typically located about .25 inch from the scalp and do not budge when touched.
5. You Cannot Sleep Peacefully When Infested With Lice
As per the report from CDC, lice become more active in the dark. So, as soon as you switch off lights to go to sleep, they become active and cause irritation on your scalp. You have to rub your head time and again and, hence, you can never enjoy a sound sleep. If this be the case with you, do ask some dear one to check your head for lice infestation.
