What are the signs of lice?
While the bite from a louse doesn’t hurt, its saliva can trigger allergic reactions in many people. This can lead to red marks and itching where the bite occurred. How severe the reaction is can vary based on how sensitive a person is and how many times they’ve been exposed before. When someone first gets lice, they might not notice any signs or symptoms for 4 to 6 weeks. However, if they get lice again, they may start to feel itchy within just 24 to 48 hours. This means that first-time infestations often go unnoticed, and intense itching usually means that lice have been around for a while.
Interestingly, about 50% of people with lice do not itch at all, which can lead to a high chance of re-infestation among those who seem lice-free. The intense itching can make someone scratch their scalp, which can break the skin. These open scratches can allow germs and lice waste to enter, potentially causing secondary infections and swollen glands in the neck. These secondary infections can be much worse than the lice themselves and can lead to serious health issues. For example, one of our male clients visited a pediatrician, thinking he had mumps. After checking, the doctor found that the child actually had head lice, and the reaction to the lice saliva was causing his swollen glands.
Similarly, the child’s mother felt tired and had told her doctor she felt ‘lousy’ for no clear reason, and he treated her for depression. When she learned her child had lice, we checked her and found she had them too. After treating their lice problem, both felt normal again. Other signs of lice include: a rash at the back of the neck, swollen glands, a low-grade fever, dark circles under the eyes, trouble sleeping due to lice being active at night, and anemia in severe cases. If a person has a lot of lice bites, they might feel feverish and tired, and irritable from lack of sleep, which is why people say they feel ‘lousy.’ Chronic scalp infections are also common in those with active head lice, especially in warm climates or when it’s hard to keep up with daily hygiene.