These little insects do not spread disease. However, they may create optimal conditions for the development of infections and they definitely affect both the physical and psychological health of the infected person. In this article, we have several photographs so you can see what pubic lice look like, what the skin conditions they can cause look like, and how these conditions compare to other similar-looking conditions. To help you understand whether you have pubic lice, below are some important facts about these little parasites.
It is almost impossible to get pubic lice through toilet seats since this parasite is unable to survive without its host a human being.
Symptoms usually develop five days after exposure. People suddenly start to experience itching in the genital and anal area, which often intensifies at night. However, children who share beddings and towels with infected family members are also at risk. The parasites usually appear on their head and in their eyelashes. Pubic lice are quite common. Around 3 million pubic lice cases are reported in the United States every year. It is difficult to estimate how likely a person is to get pubic lice from one-time sex.
Therefore, the chance of getting them is considered to be high. To determine whether you have been exposed to pubic lice, you need to know what these insects look like. And you should also know what it is like to experience pubic lice—related health complications.
The eggs and immature lice are smaller, however, and they may not be visible without a magnifying glass. Lice usually pass from person to person during sex, and healthcare professionals consider them a sexually transmitted infection STI.
However, close hugging and kissing can also allow them to spread, as can sharing towels and other personal items. People can treat lice using over-the-counter OTC preparations. It is essential to follow the instructions precisely. They note that lindane shampoo, which is a prescription medication, can kill lice and eggs, but it can be toxic to the brain and nervous system. People should only use lindane if other treatments have not worked or if they cannot use other remedies. It is not suitable for infants and children, older people, those who are prone to seizures, individuals with skin problems, and people weighing less than pounds.
People should not use it during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Other prescription treatments include malathion Ovide lotion 0. The Food and Drug Administration FDA have not approved malathion for the treatment of pubic lice, and they have only approved the topical form of ivermectin, not the oral form. Even if the lice appear to have gone, the person should continue treatment because if any eggs remain, they may hatch and start a new cycle. If OTC medications do not kill the lice, a doctor may prescribe a stronger lotion or shampoo.
It is important to ask a healthcare professional about treatments for lice, as options that are suitable for body hair may be harmful to use on the face. The main symptom of pubic lice is itching, which may start about 5 days after the first contact. Symptoms can affect the pubic region or any part of the body that has hair, including the eyelashes. An adult pubic louse is large enough to see. It has six legs, including large back legs that look like the claws of a crab.
The lice use these back legs to cling onto the hair. The eggs are yellowish-white, oval-shaped, and usually too small to see without a microscope. They stick firmly to the base of the hair. The signs of lice may be visible in coarse hair in the pubic region, but also under the arms and elsewhere. After treatment, empty eggshells may remain, but this does not necessarily mean that the infestation is still present.
They can also spread from one part of the body to another on the hands, for example , if a person touches their pubic hair and then their eyelashes. Barrier protection does not prevent lice from spreading. It is the proximity of body hair that enables their transmission.
Finding empty eggshells dead nits doesn't necessarily mean you're still infested as they can remain stuck to the hairs even after treatment. Eyelash infestations are rare.
If your eyelashes are infested, seek specialist advice from your doctor. They'll be able to recommend the correct treatment for you. You can't use the same insecticide lotion or cream that's used on your body because it'll irritate your eyes. Wash clothing, towels and bedding in a washing machine. This should be on a hot cycle 50C or higher to ensure the lice are killed and to prevent reinfection.
Sometimes a pubic lice infestation can lead to minor complications, such as skin or eye problems. Scratching can irritate your skin, or it could lead to an infection such as impetigo a bacterial skin infection or furunculosis boils on the skin.
Eye infections, such as conjunctivitis , and eye inflammation, such as blepharitis , can sometimes develop if your eyelashes have been infested with pubic lice. You can call the Department of Health's sexual health helpline on for confidential advice and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you're under 25, you can also contact an adviser at Brook using their text and webchat service. They provide free and confidential information and advice about STIs, contraception, pregnancy, plus other sexual health matters.
Page last reviewed: 20 November Next review due: 20 November Pubic lice. As well as being found in pubic hair, the lice are also sometimes found in: underarm and leg hair hair on the chest, abdomen and back facial hair, such as beards and moustaches eyelashes and eyebrows very occasionally Unlike head lice , pubic lice don't live in scalp hair.
Pubic lice are spread through close bodily contact, most commonly sexual contact. Symptoms of pubic lice After getting pubic lice, it can take several weeks before any symptoms appear. Symptoms are the same for men and women, and include: itching in the affected areas, especially at night inflammation and irritation caused by scratching black powder in your underwear blue spots or small spots of blood on your skin, such as on your thighs or lower abdomen caused by lice bites Itching is the most common symptom of pubic lice and is an allergic reaction to their saliva.
The itching is usually worse at night because that's when the lice are most active. What do pubic lice look like? When to seek medical advice See your GP or practice nurse if you think you have pubic lice.
0コメント