Common Signs and Symptoms of Lice

Lice are a major problem, with over 20 million 2-17 year-olds catching a case every year. Lice can be difficult to spot, and the symptoms vary from person to person. The itching sensation that is commonly associated does not always appear immediately. It can take up to weeks to start, and some people never experience itching at all. In order to prevent lice from spreading to others, it’s important to be able to identify the signs and symptoms of headlice.

Signs of lice

An irritated scalp is the most well-known sign of a lice infestation, but what most people don’t know is that some people never experience that symptom. The itching can take about two weeks to start in some cases, and others don’t react at all. Luckily, there are other ways to tell if you are dealing with head lice.

Dandruff

Head Lice are about 1-3 millimeters long and can appear grey or yellow. It’s easy to see how these little critters can be mistaken for dandruff. As the case of headlice progresses, sometimes the lice will fall out of your hair and onto the surfaces around you. If you’ve been waking up to a peppery pillow recently, you may want to double-check that it is dandruff and not lice. Real dandruff will be flakey and easy to remove from your hair, but head lice will cling on tightly.

Irritated skin

Because of the itchiness that stems from a lice infestation, many people develop a bacterial infection from scratching. This irritated skin will leave rashes and bumps along the nape of the neck, the crown of the head, and behind the ears. If you continue to scratch, the skin can get a serious infection that will need a course of antibiotics to cure. On top of that, you can develop a fever and your lymph nodes will swell, so it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible.                                                    

A tickling sensation

Despite the small size of the lice, you can still feel them crawling around on your scalp if you pay close attention. These slight moving sensations can also make it hard to sleep so if you are having a hard time sleeping, this can be a sign that lice might be making it harder to sleep.         

An itchy scalp

As obvious as it may sound, this is the most commonly mistaken sign of headlice. There are many potential reasons that your head could be itchy, but the itchiness associated with lice is hard to mistake. It is an insatiable, intense itch that doesn’t go away.

Lice clinic of America in Milwaukee, WI

Lice clinic America is a company dedicated to chemical-free treatment for head lice. We offer a guaranteed, same-day lice treatment. If you are looking for a lice clinic in your area, then visit our lice clinic in Milwaukee. If you want to learn more about lice or our lice treatment, contact us today.