First of all, they note the increasing discomfort that appears in conditions of regular bites blood-sucking insects. A louse can live on one of the areas of the body (linen, pubic) or inhabit the hair (head). This is where the most severe damage to the skin is observed. Constant itching interferes with sleep and provokes changes in behavior: a person becomes irritable and nervous.
We must also remember that the bite of a blood-sucking insect can cause the development of serious diseases: typhus, fever. This is explained by the fact that the louse is a carrier of various infections.
What do the bites look like?
The result of contact with lice is local redness of the skin on different areas body and head. To eliminate pests, you should learn how lice bite. In general, the affected skin looks similar to that in the case of contact with other insects: red dots with a lingering center appear, itching. With multiple attacks, there are more bites, as a result the skin acquires a slight bluish tint.
Linen lice bites become quite painful after a while and cause severe itching.
Against the background of high sensitivity of the host’s body, a serious allergic reaction develops: swelling and extensive redness appear. Pubic lice inhabit areas around the anus, genitals (pubes), and much less frequently - the armpits, eyebrows, and eyelashes. In these places, bites will be detected - red spots. Given the small size of pubic lice, the proboscis does not leave noticeable marks in the form of the point where it is inserted, as, for example, is the case with linen or head lice.
When scratched, a crust forms. It should be noted that lice bites appear in no particular order.
Lice bites look like small red, slightly swollen spots; sometimes you can see the puncture point of the skin
When wondering whether nits bite, you can answer in the negative - a louse at this stage of development is not capable of harming people. This assumption appears due to the large number of dry membranes on the scalp. As a result, it seems that a nit-shaped louse regularly bites a person, which is completely false.
What symptoms appear and how does the patient feel?
- Intense itching
- Redness on the body - bite marks
- Nits are found on the hair.
But lice bites on the head and pubis are characterized by something else common feature– the condition of the hair worsens, it sticks together. However, this happens with severe infection, when there are too many pests, and in addition, the person ignores the rules of hygiene - does not wash his head and body.
Then so-called tangles are formed. This is the result of the work of the sebaceous and sweat glands of the head, but there is another factor - an adhesive secretion that ensures the attachment of nits to the hair, and waste products of insects that bite humans.
The patient feels severe itching when a louse bites him. If wounds appear, then pain is added. An allergic reaction manifests itself as swelling, which worsens the quality of life and poses a danger. Intense itching interferes with sleep, the person becomes irritable.
Differences between lice bites and other pest bites
It is usually difficult to tell offhand who exactly attacked a person. Lice bites on the head and pubis have the main distinguishing feature - red dots appear regularly. Other pests do not tend to constantly return to hairy areas of the body. This is due to the structural features of the body - only lice have special hook-shaped growths on their legs to move through the hair.
Linen lice bites have the main distinctive feature– they are located chaotically
If lice bites on the head can be distinguished by their location, then upon contact with linen pests, traces similar to other insects remain: red dots of approximately the same size. Moreover, the skin is affected in the same places: on the stomach, buttocks, shoulders, back, arms. However, linen louse bites also have a main distinctive feature - they are located chaotically. But the bug bites in such a way that as a result a chain of several points is formed on the body.
This is interesting: Detailed photo of lice bites
How to treat bites and relieve pain?
First of all, you need to start fighting lice. Underwear specimens are found on the seams of clothing, head specimens are found in the hair, and pubic specimens are found in the groin. If lice bite a lot and often, and the body’s reaction is quite serious, the affected areas are treated:
- Soap and water
- Alcohol-containing solutions; propolis tincture in alcohol is especially recommended for this purpose.
- Symptoms of inflammatory processes are relieved by Fenistil gel, Rescuer ointment, and the well-known remedy – Zvezdochka – will also work
- If an allergy has developed, bites on the body are treated with Menovazin.
The more linen or other lice bite, the more intense the symptoms. If signs are present: nausea, headache, fever, you should consult a doctor.
You can relieve the symptoms of an allergic reaction when bitten by linen or other types of lice using antihistamines: Loratadine, Diazolin. However, you should not take them on your own. The doctor will prescribe the required dosage.
It is almost impossible to notice this attack with the naked eye. Only when bites appear on the body after sleep, which itch terribly, does a suspicion arise that an infection has occurred.
It is a mistaken opinion that linen (body) lice are the lot of marginalized people. You can become infected in transport, in a store, and even in a queue. Wherever there is a large crowd of people and they touch each other's clothes, transmission of infection is possible.
Places where the risk of infection is highest:
It is quite easy to distinguish between a louse bite and a bug bite, although both are unpleasant problems and the methods of control are, in principle, the same. If bedbugs do not choose where on the body to drink blood, then the lice are “tied” to their habitat.
Therefore, small red bite marks appear where the seams of clothing touch the body, lining up in an even line. In bed, insects usually nest in the side folds of sheets and corners of duvet covers. Therefore, most often there will be bites on the arms and legs, less often in the face and neck after a night's sleep.
A person does not immediately feel the bite. Only after the substance injected into the blood begins to dissolve, a thickening appears on the skin and a small red spot appears that itches unbearably.
If a blister is observed on the body from a bug, then a small red dot and a small painful lump remain from the louse.
A string of small itchy bites after sleeping on the body or after wearing certain clothes is the first sign of infection. The above photo of linen lice bites will help you quickly identify the carrier of the infection and begin thorough disinfection.
The danger of body lice
When scratching bites, small festering wounds appear on the skin, especially in children, which also leads to the spread of skin lesions. infectious diseases.
Methods of control and prevention
You should not hope that folk remedies will help cope with body lice; they are best used for prevention. For example, herbs such as tansy, spurge or fern leaves and, of course, personal hygiene.
A good method is dust treatment or tar soap, all joints of shelves in the closet. A piece of old rancid lard also repels lice and should also be used to wipe all the cracks and corners of the furniture. The bed will also have to be completely treated with soap from the bottom and top.
- A good product “Executioner” is one bottle per five square meters. It is diluted with water and the solution is used to treat all furniture and even floors. Many users claim that such disinfection is extremely effective.
- It is advisable to dry the laundry on outdoors in the sun for a day or leave in the cold for two days.
- The best solution is to call an insect extermination team, but the smell after such sanitation does not disappear for about a month. Therefore, if there are children in the house, it is better to use more gentle methods of treating the room.
- Sprays Medifox or Pyrethrum do not have a strong odor and effectively cope with the problem; they are especially good for treating upholstered furniture, pillows and blankets.
- All bedding, especially pillows and blankets with natural down and feathers, should be sent to dry cleaning with additional insecticidal treatment.
- Loose powders against lice and bedbugs also help. We put things in a plastic bag with powder, close it tightly and leave for three days. After that, wash as usual.
With the onset of cold weather, insects moved with their victims - bats - into warm caves. Living in them primitive people became a new victim of blood-sucking insects.
An interesting feature is that body and head lice can change if the insects change their habitat. The two morphotypes recently separated and, living in the seams of underwear, head lice after several generations become similar to body lice.
Lice have a well-developed sense of smell and heat sensitivity. They feel where a blood vessel is located deep in the skin. This important condition feeding lice, since digestive system They are designed in such a way that when a capillary is pierced, blood under pressure is itself “injected” into the intestines of the insect.
The imago has food preferences, which were noted in his works by Aristotle. Insects prefer to feed on the blood of girls 6-10 years old. This selectivity is due to:
- thin, delicate skin that is easy to pierce;
- availability long hair, allowing you to easily attach and hide;
- special hormonal composition.
An adult lives for more than 30 days; during this period, the female lays more than 150 eggs, 5 eggs per day. The eggs, covered with a dense shell, are secured by the female with the help of the secretion of special glands on a hair, closer to the surface of the skin, to ensure maximum comfort. temperature conditions for the development of the embryo. Lice eggs, called nits by Aristotle, are very difficult to remove from hair.
Nits turn into larvae, which are similar in appearance to the adult. Small nymphs grow and molt only if they have plenty of food, and after 1-1.5 weeks they turn into an adult, sexually mature insect.
The body's reaction to lice bites is called pediculosis. They appear:
- itching;
- erythema - swelling and hyperemia;
- interstitial hemorrhages;
- crust of dried ichor and lymph;
- irritation of the epidermis in the form of dermatoses;
- eggs and their shells on the root part of the hair;
- deterioration of the condition of the scalp, hair, formation of tangles - glued and tangled hair.
Pathogenic microorganisms penetrate through damaged skin, causing dermatoses and fungal skin diseases. An allergic reaction to the introduction of a foreign protein causes not only skin manifestations, but also enlargement of the lymph nodes. Secondary infection is accompanied by furunculosis, inflammation of the hair follicles, and conjunctivitis.
With massive damage and a long-term disease, the skin becomes coarser, excoriations appear on it - cicatricial changes in the skin. The surface of the epidermis is covered with ulcers and scratches, and hyperpigmentation of certain areas of the skin is noted. The introduction of a secondary infection can lead to pyoderma.
Recently, the population of pubic lice has decreased. This is due to the fashion for removing vegetation in the groin and axillary area. Lice are carriers of typhus, Volyn fever, and tularemia.
Exists a large number of anti-pediculocidal drugs:
| Emulsions | Shampoos | Sprays, lotions | Aerosols |
| Products with insecticides | |||
| Nittifor, Benzyl benzoate, Foxilon, Avicin | Reed, Nok, Sumitrin, Itax, Veda, BIN, | Phenolon, Spregal, Anti-Bit | Para-Plus |
| Preparations with liquid silicone | |||
| Full Marks | Nyuda, Paranit-Sensitive | ||
| Products with plant extracts and essential oils | |||
| Rosh-tov | LiceGuard | Lavinal, LiceGuard, Biosim | Paranit, Pedikulen-ultra |
| Combination drugs | |||
| Bubil, Spray Pax, A-par, Para-plus | |||
Preparations with insecticides are more effective, but can cause poisoning and allergic reaction Therefore, there are age and health restrictions for their use.
Natural-based products are less effective, but have a healing effect on the scalp, strengthen and restore the hair structure. The use of special combs for combing out lice and nits increases the effectiveness of these drugs. And the introduction of organic acids helps to destroy the adhesive that holds the nits firmly on the hair, making them easier to remove.
In order to completely destroy the entire population of blood-sucking insects, the procedure must be repeated after 1-1.5 weeks. At this time, new individuals emerge from the eggs. The scalp is restored with the help of creams - Sulsena, Spasatel balm, hydrocortisone ointment.
Fenistil-gel Ketopin, Skinoren, Gistan, or antihistamines external action Sinaflan, Hydrocortisone, Triderm, Kremgen. In addition to drug treatment, prescriptions are used traditional medicine. Some of them, although effective, can be dangerous.
Traditional medicine methods
Apply essential oils lavender, rosemary, juniper, orange, eucalyptus, cloves, tea tree. The antibacterial properties of oils prevent the penetration of infection into bite wounds, restore the epidermis, and have a repellent effect.
Oils are combined with each other and with alcohol-containing liquids, for example, cognac, vodka, alcohol. They facilitate the penetration of bioactive substances into the skin and dissolve “” nits. Acid-containing substances are also effective:
- various organic acids - malic, tartaric, acetic, citric;
- acids contained in the juice of fruits and berries;
- brine from pickled vegetables.
A combination of pharmacy and folk remedies increases processing efficiency. More aggressive substances are also used:
- kerosene;
- petrol;
- turpentine;
- dust soap.
Such treatment can cause an allergic reaction and damages the skin and hair, so these products are used less and less. Early treatment for head lice increases the chances of a quick cure.
Linen lice are popularly called body lice - special shape head lice, which spend most of their time in the folds of a person’s clothing and crawl onto his body only to feed on blood. They also lay eggs on clothes, and due to their inability to fast for a long time, they are found mainly in people who do not take off, change or wash their clothes for a long time. They can bite a person on the back, arms, legs and sides of the body - neither the pubic nor the head louse is capable of this.
As a rule, suspicion of linen lice bites arises in people who find unusual itchy lesions on their bodies, reminiscent of insect bites. Their task is to find out who bit them and what measures need to be taken urgently.
The photo below shows the linen lice themselves at the time of the bite:
And on next photo- individual linen lice bites:
When a louse bites, it injects saliva containing painkillers into the wound, making the bite itself quite painless and can only cause a slight tingling sensation. Below are a few more photos that show how linen lice bite:
“After a week with our parents in the village, we began to suspect that it was not mosquitoes that were biting us. Firstly, there were no mosquitoes in the house, and we turned on the repellent regularly. But in the morning everyone is still itching, there are red bites all over the body, even where the blanket was there all night. At the same time, nothing seems to bother us or the child at night. We started to investigate and found out that the entire bed was infested with lice. And only on one sofa, on which dad watches TV. They are small, they fit in all the folds. We immediately took this bed and the linen from the other beds to the dry cleaners in the regional center, sprinkled the whole house with pyrethrum, fried the mattresses and pillows in the sun, and after that nothing seemed to bother us.”
Anna, Eagle
After some time, linen lice bites become quite painful and cause severe itching.
It is normal for a person to have an involuntary reaction to scratch the bite site, but when you find them, you should control yourself and not scratch to avoid infection of the scratches.
Symptoms of lice and how the patient feels
When there are a large number of linen lice, their bites cause a disease called pediculosis. Its symptoms are much more extensive and distinct than the signs of single bites:
- Red, dry rashes all over the body, even in areas where there are no bites. This rash is itchy and painful when scratched. The photo shows erythematous rashes caused by linen lice bites:
How to distinguish lice bites from other insect bites
Linen lice bites resemble bites from other insects in many ways, and a single papule can easily be confused with a bite, e.g. bed bug. But if you look at the picture as a whole, you can find differences:
Sometimes lice bites are confused with scabies (caused by scabies mites). However, with scabies there are no visible signs of skin puncture at all, and such misconceptions usually occur with scabies in places that are not visible to the victim - on the neck, under the shoulder blades, between the buttocks.
The danger of lice bites
- typhus
- relapsing fever
- trench fever.
These diseases were once responsible for the deaths of many thousands of people around the world, but today they only affect the population of the poorest developing countries.
This is interesting
Lice are one of the hosts of rickettsia - bacteria that cause a large number of diseases quite similar to one another. In tropical countries, lice carry diseases that are unfamiliar to residents temperate zone, and that's why full list The number of infections they carry is quite wide.
The first symptoms of diseases caused by most lice-borne infections are fever, headaches, nausea, and fever. If such symptoms occur several weeks after severe lice bites, you should definitely consult a doctor.
Products for treating lice bites and relieving pain
Usually, random and single bites of linen lice do not require treatment and go away without consequences after a few days.
Let's figure out what the bites of certain lice look like, why they are dangerous for the patient, and how to treat the damaged areas.
The louse itself is not dangerous - it is not poisonous, its punctures are miniature and in principle cannot cause any inconvenience in a single instance. But its threat, firstly, is very high speed reproduction, and secondly, as a carrier of a number of diseases.
Previously, it was believed that itching on the head was caused by a puncture of the skin, but today it has been proven that this is not so. At the moment of a lice bite, a small dose of an anesthetic is injected, that is, the person does not feel the injection itself. The danger lies elsewhere - the anesthetic enzyme is a strong allergen, it is this substance that provokes itching, irritation and pain.
The more lice, the more bites and the higher the allergen concentration. The patient constantly scratches the wounds, which leads to secondary infection
In addition to the standard consequences in the form of irritation and constant itching, lice bites are fraught with infection with more serious diseases:
- relapsing fever, manifested by multiple febrile attacks, severe intoxication, skin rashes, hepatosplenomegaly, jaundice of the skin and sclera;
- typhus leads to destructive changes in the vascular endothelium and the development of generalized thrombusculitis;
- Volyn fever - acute infectious disease with attacks of fever, pain in bones and muscles;
- tularemia is an acute zoonotic infection that occurs with damage to the lymph nodes and internal organs
These are precisely the consequences of a lice bite - that is, the carrier in this case is the insect itself. Pubic lice can additionally transmit sexually transmitted infections, but these cases are rare.
Pubic lice are not carriers of AIDS and HIV infections
In addition, pediculosis is dangerous due to psychosomatic disorders, which is especially unpleasant for children and people with a relatively flexible psyche. Symptoms:
- anxiety;
- sleep disturbance,
- decreased concentration;
- irritability;
- nervous breakdowns, etc.
Do not forget about allergies to lice bites, which are manifested by swelling, skin rashes, the appearance of crusts and peeling of the upper layer of the epidermis.
In children with an advanced form of pediculosis, pyoderma is often diagnosed - a purulent skin lesion caused by the activity of streptococcal and staphylococcal bacteria.
What do hair lice bites look like?
With a small number of insects in the hair, bites are difficult to identify - many parents mistake them for allergic wounds, mosquito bites, etc. Outwardly, this is a small swollen area of skin with a noticeable puncture site in the center and dried droplets of blood - this is what a louse bite looks like for 3-4 hours after the attack, then the skin evens out.
Oddly enough, the more lice there are, the easier it is to see their bites - on average, an insect feeds once every 2 hours, respectively, with a large number of them, the attack on the skin occurs constantly. Please note that nits do not bite, only adults do.
Over time, bluish spots appear around the punctures - this distinguishes lice bites from any other insects
If treatment for pediculosis is not started in time, the scalp becomes covered with a thin crust, and pockets of purulent infections are noted. These are, of course, advanced cases, but even in pediatric practice they occur.
What do body lice bites look like?
In terms of prevalence, they are slightly inferior to the head ones, and pose exactly the same danger to humans.
The location of the damage is the axillary and popliteal cavities, abdomen, inner thighs, and forearms. In a word, all those areas where the skin is soft and easily pierced. The affected areas itch, scratching is fraught with the introduction of secondary infections, the wounds do not heal for a long time, and then scar.
Pubic lice
A piquant topic in which many find it difficult to say what symptoms appear and how the patient feels. Objectively, everything is the same as with head lice. Insects attack the delicate skin of the groin; it is very difficult to control yourself at such moments.
Constant itching, irritation, bluish skin, crusts and pustular infections - this is what a pubic lice bite looks like.
Differences between lice bites and other pest bites
It is much more difficult to identify body lice bites, because bedbugs and fleas leave exactly the same marks. Distinctive feature bed bugs is a chain of bites - they practically go in a straight line. Fleas also leave chains, less pronounced, but still not the same as those of lice. These bite chaotically - where hunger struck, they dined there. No system and no chains.
First aid for lice bites
The indisputable truth is that as soon as insects are discovered, you need to begin eliminating them. This applies to both the patient himself - treatment with insecticides, combing out nits - and his environment. Along with the treatment, it is mandatory to carry out a complete sanitization of the apartment with cleaning of furniture, washing bed and underwear at maximum temperature, etc.
If it is not possible to start treating head lice right now, and the bite sites are very disturbing, you can do the following:
- Treat wounds soap solution and any alcohol tincture - calendula, propolis, etc.
- As an antiseptic, wounds are treated with Rescuer ointment.
- The most common Star, a balm known to everyone since childhood, helps relieve itching.
- To avoid allergies, apply Menovazin ointment to the skin.
- Go to the pharmacy for remedies for head lice and, while the patient is resting, begin sanitation.
A few words in conclusion
Pediculosis seems to many to be a terrible and even shameful disease, which is why the patient postpones a visit to the doctor and tries to make do with improvised means. The longer you delay treatment, the more severe the consequences can be, including mental disorders. Believe me, humanity has been fighting lice for more than 10 centuries and has learned to cope with them perfectly.