Dangers of Untreated Lice

What does a lice infestation look like? Most people know about the initial symptoms of head lice. The irritation, the bumpy skin, and the incessant itching are usually enough to get any head lice patient out of their house and into a treatment center, but what would happen if you tried to wait out the problem? After all, lice have a short life span, right? Not exactly. While it is true that head lice only live to about 30 days of age, that gives them plenty of time to spread to others and lay eggs. Lice don’t waste any time when it comes to reproduction, so you must deal with the issue as soon as possible. Here are just a few of the problems that can arise from delaying treatment.

Bacterial Infection

One of the first issues that you will risk encountering if head lice treatment is delayed is a serious bacterial infection. After having lice in your hair for a few days, your hair becomes incredibly itchy. A rash forms, and now when you itch, you create tiny cuts in the skin that allow for the bacteria from the head lice to enter your bloodstream. Once the bacteria are in the blood, it can cause cellulitis and very gruesome bacterial infection. When left untreated, the infection can spread to the lymph nodes and become a life-threatening issue. Once a case of head lice has progressed to this level, it takes a course of strong antibiotics to kill the infection.

Spread to Others

One of the biggest issues that come from putting off head lice treatment is that it gives the lice more time to spread to those around you. Once lice get into the hair, priority number one is making more lice. Once this process has begun, the number of lice only increases exponentially until the problem is dealt with. The main question is,  how long can lice live off humans? Head Lice can lay from 6 to 8 eggs every day, and head lice have a lifespan of about 30 days. That means that one single bug can lay over 200 more eggs in just a few weeks. Lice don’t just jump from head to head, but they often will crawl onto the surfaces around you. Waiting for lice to go away just guarantees that they will have time to set up in your house, as well as your hair. Anything that your head comes in contact with when you have head lice becomes a means of transfer for the parasite. If you want to do you and the people around you a favor, then you will eliminate the issue before it has a chance to affect the people around you.

Lice Clinics of America

If someone you know thinks they might be dealing with head lice, they must seek treatment as soon as possible. Lice doesn’t go away with time. Here at Lice Clinics of America in Milwaukee, we provide the largest professional lice removal service, with over 1 million successful treatments. If you want to know more about head lice treatment, or you are interested in booking an appointment, select book now at the top of this page.