April 8, 2018

Body Lice

Body Lice

Body lice are small insects that are about the size of a sesame seed. They are spread through close contact with other people. Pets do not have a role in transmitting body lice. Body lice live in seams and folds of clothing, and feed on the human skin. Waste matter and eggs are deposited onto human skin. They can live in clothing for up to one month, and will die within 5 to 7 days after they fall off a person if they are at room temperature.   They travel to the skin several times a day to feed on blood. The most common sites for body lice to live are places where seams in clothing are most likely to touch the skin, such as the groin, waist and armpit.

 Symptoms

The main symptom of body lice is itching. The itching is often intense.  If you suspect you do have body lice, and upping your personal hygiene does not help, contact your doctor.  A skin infection could also develop from excessive scratching, in which a doctor will also need to be seen then.

Complications can develop from body lice, such as secondary infections.  With secondary infections, the body lice will scratch and dig into the skin.  This causes the person infected with the body lice to itch.  The skin could also change, becoming thicker and discolored if the body lice is allowed to live on the skin for a long time. The thicker skin and discoloration usually happen on the upper thighs, waist and groin area.  If the body lice are allowed to spread, it could carry some diseases that are bacterial, such as typhus.  This rarely happens.

Treatment and Prevention

If you have body lice, your doctor will be able to tell from examining the skin or clothes.  The doctor will most likely have you wash yourself with hot water and soap.  All clothing and bedding should also be washed in hot water and soap to kill the body lice.   The water should be at least 60 degree Celsius.  Use a high heat drying cycle.   If an item can not be washed, place in a sealed bag for two weeks to kill the lice.   An over the counter product can also be used, such as Nix or Rid. doctor can also prescribe a body creams .  However, do note that these creams can be very toxic to humans, so only use as directed.  A body wash may also be prescribed.  These body washes and creams usually contain malathione, benzyl alcohol, or permethrin.

One can prevent body lice by washing or bathing daily.  Wash all bedding at least once a week to prevent body lice.  Do not share bedding with anyone that has body lice.  Towels and clothing should also not be shared.

Even the cleanest persons can have body lice.   It is best to get the infestation taken care of before it becomes out of control.

Subscribe to the newsletter

Fames amet, amet elit nulla tellus, arcu.

Ichthyosis (ick-thee-OH-sis) is a skin disease that causes extremely dry, thick, and scaly skin resembles fish scales.

These are a heterogeneous group of disorders with both inherited and acquired forms. these are the types
Ichthyosis Vulgaris- Most common type of icthyosis Lamellar Ichthyosis- Lamellar ichthyosis is characterized by dark, plate (armor)-like scale. Epidermolytic Hyperkeratosis- characterized by generalized redness and fine white scale Congenital Ichthyosiform Erythroderma- newborn infant with ichthyosis who presented at birth with collodion baby appearance. X-linked Ichthyosis- due to a defect in the enzyme steroid sulfatase, affects males with generalized scaling that usually begins soon after birth.

Ichthyosis Treatment

Several hours each day may need to be devoted the skin if ichthyosis is present in an individual. Daily, a person will need to take a shower or a bath. The skin should be exfoliated on a daily basis, and moisturised well. Moisturising ointments or creams may need to be prescribed by a dermatologist for the individual. Oral retinoids can be prescribed to reduce scaling. If a secondary infection occurs on the skin, oral antibiotics will need to be prescribed. Tips that will help keep the skin looking and feeling its best include applying a good quality lotion within 3 minutes of bathing. Apply to wet skin to keep moisture trapped into the skin. Products that contain lactic acid, alpha hydroxy acids and urea will help to keep skin not only moisturised but also exfoliated. Rubbing a wet pumice stone over crusty scales on the skin can help to remove them. Should there be scales on the scalp, brushing wet hair gently will aid in removing the scales.  

Leave A Comment

Related Posts