Contents
HOW TO AVOID HEAD LICE
Lice prevention
Tips to avoid lice infection
Among the main tips we can point out the following:
- Keep safe relations: Intimate relationships with infected people can be the cause of contagion, especially when no safe sex practices are adopted or when having several partners. Keeping a safe intimate relationships is the best method to prevent being infected.
It is especially important when keeping a sexual intercourse with a non- continuous couple to maintain a good hygiene of the body after having had sex, paying special attention to the genital cleaning.
A close inspection of your body should be taken into account for some days following the sexual intercourse in order to detect any possible symptom of infection (nits take from 3 to 14 days to hatch) If any symptom is detected, you should treat yourself as soon as possible. You should also communicate it to your family or people you have been in contact lately.
Sharing infected personal clothes (especially towels or cleaning clothes) bedding clothes (blankets, sheets or pillows) caps, hats, etc. is one of the main causes that can produce this contagion.
This is particularly true in schools, barracks or asylums where a more close relation is maintained. Teachers and parents should convince their children not to share personal objects such as hats, caps, scarves, etc.
Soldiers should be more conscious about the possible danger of sharing their caps, laying down on other’s blankets, putting their head down on other’s pillows, sharing their towels, etc.
Old people who can not take care of themselves should be inspected from time to time to look for possible infection. This is particularly necessary not to infect others if they are going to be taken to a hospital, or they are going to stay in some residence.
Children should be inspected too, especially in they are attending school.
- Wash your clothes and bedding in hot water: Using very hot water (above 120 ºC) can eradicate the possible crab lice or nits remaining on the clothes. Bed sheets and pillow cases should be changed every night and washed on hot water.
- Don’t share your comb or hair brush: Sharing them is the best way of transmitting this parasite.
- Disinfect combs and hair brushes: Use hot water to get rid of possible parasites.
More information about crab lice and its natural treatment.
