Head Lice are a known irritant among school-age children. Being able to understand the biology that goes into these 'bogeymen' may just serve to make them a little less mysterious. 

Are lice parasites? While the direct answer is yes, what does this truly mean? We will explain how lice survive and why they are labeled as parasites.

The Parasitic Nature of Lice

A parasite is an animal that lives on or in a host organism and obtains its nutrition from that host. They fit this description accordingly. They are obligate ectoparasites, meaning they have to be on a host—in this case, humans—to survive. They do so externally on the surface of the host's body.

How Lice Survive
Specific biological features and behaviors of head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis), make them efficient parasites.

Those features that contribute to their survival and disease exposure include the following: 

Blood Feeding: Head Lice only feeds on human blood. In this process, piercing into the scalp with special portions of mouthparts to suck blood, this repetitive behavior, several times a day, goes on continuously. Without blood, lice are unable to survive; normally, they will die within 24-48 hours of being away from the host. 

Attachment to the Host: Lice have claws at the end of their legs that firmly attach to human hair, leading them to not be easily moved. This is not only for anchorage purposes but also to keep them near their food. They mostly like the scalp, behind the ears, and the neckline at the back of the head.

Reproduction and Lifecycle: The head lice life cycle has three stages. There are egg-nits, nymphs, and the adult lice. 

- Nits: Lice glue their eggs near the scalp and are usually in this nit stage. Nits are rather tiny, oval in shape, and may appear to be yellow or white in color.They get attached to the hair shafts with a glue-like substance and may be difficult to remove.

- Nymphs: It takes around a week before nits hatch into nymphs, an immature lice form. Nymphs molt several times during 7-10 days before reaching adult maturity.

- Adults: Adult lice are about the size of a sesame seed. They can live up to 30 days on a human host. For that period, females can lay many more eggs, continuing the cycle.

Why Lice Are Considered Parasites

Lice are classified as parasites because they obtain their nutrients by feeding on the blood of their human host. This can be quite uncomfortable and itchy, and while no diseases are known to be carried by lice, infection can occur in some cases due to scratching.
 

The Effects of Lice Infestations

Pediculosis or lice are a very irritating and nagging problem to any individual. Lice bites cause most of the itching due to the allergic reaction that results from their saliva. This scratching can be incessant, and sores may appear; even secondary infections may occur.

Beyond the physiological distress of lice infestation, it is known to bring in a social stigma and anxiety in most parents and school communities. Appreciation of the biology and style of these ectoparasites may allay some of these fears and lead to improved management techniques.

Management and Prevention
Due to their parasitic nature, management and prophylaxis of pediculosis is based on measures of personal hygiene as well as environmental control:

Professional Head Lice Removal Treatments: There are clinics out there that can professionally remove head lice and their eggs in a one off treatment with little to no follow up.

At our clinic in Elsternwick we provide a guaranteed service that will grant you peace of mind. Professional head lice treatment will be effective at any stage in the life cycle, whether the eggs have hatched or not. The revolutionary heat device is designed to dehydrate and damage the eggs so they are no longer viable.

Over-the-Counter Treatments: Medicated shampoos and lotions with pediculicides are the least painful and most common method for treating lice infestations. These medicated shampoos and lotions work only if used according to the instructions. But that being said lice have become resistant to a lot of over the counter treatments and may require multiple treatments to disrupt the life cycle.

Manual removal: Combs that are especially made with very fine teeth for lice might be used to remove the nits and lice from the hair. The technique is called wet combing and needs to be repeated a few times within a couple of weeks.

Environmental Cleaning: Even though lice don't survive long outside the human scalp, it can still do no harm to launder bedding, clothing, and personal items in hot water since their nits might have fallen on these articles. Furniture and carpets can easily be vacuumed to sucked out stray lice or even fallen hair with nits.

Avoid Head-to-Head Contact: Because lice primarily spread through direct head-to-head contact, then such contact must, as much as possible, be avoided, most especially to avoid an infestation in group settings.

Lice are indeed blood-sucking parasites that cause irritation and discomfort to the host and a general hassle. Knowing the biology of and being a parasite will help to deal better with lice, reducing their impact on our lives.

Remember that though lice can be a real nuisance, they are quite manageable with proper knowledge and treatment strategies. Spread awareness and take proactive steps to keep these pesky parasites at bay.

Advantage Pharmacy Elsternwick can help take care of your head lice problems with a visit to our Head Lice Clinic. CLICK HERE to find out more or to book your convenient appointment today.