Head lice

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Head lice

Nit on human hair

Lice, head - nits in the hair with close-up

Head louse emerging from egg

Head louse, male

Head louse - female

Head louse infestation - scalp

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Head lice

Alternative Names:

Lice - head; Nits; Pediculosis capitis - head lice

Symptoms:

Intense itching of the scalp
Small, red bumps on the scalp, neck, and shoulders
Bumps may become crusty and ooze
Tiny white specks (eggs, or nits) on the bottom of each hair that are hard to get off

Lice on scalp and clothing may be difficult to see, unless the infestation is heavy. If you see something moving, it's called a louse.

Signs and tests:

To see head lice, you need to look closely. Use disposable gloves and look at the person's head under a bright lead. Full sun or the brightest lights in your home during daylight hours work well. A magnifying glass can also help.

Part the hair all the way down to the scalp in very small sections, looking both for moving lice and eggs (nits). Look at the entire head this way. Look closely around the top of the neck and ears, the most common locations for eggs.

Treatment is recommended if even one egg is found.

References:

Long SS, Pickering LK, Prober, CG, eds. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 2nd Ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone, 2003.

Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles of Infectious Diseases. 5^th Ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone, 2000:2972-2973.

Goetz CG, Pappert EJ. Textbook of Clinical Neurology. 2^nd Ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 2003.

Review Date: 3/17/2006
Reviewed By: John Goldenring, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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