What are pubic lice? Pubic lice, also called crabs, are really small bugs that infest your genital area. There are three types of lice that infest people:
- pediculus humanus capitis: head lice
- pediculus humanus corporis: body lice
- phthirus pubis: pubic lice
Lice feed on human blood and cause intense itching in impacted areas. Pubic lice usually live on pubic hair and are spread out through sexual contact. In uncommon cases, they can be discovered in eyelashes, armpit hair, and facial hair. Pubic lice are typically smaller than body and head lice.
Pubic lice invasions are more typical amongst individuals who have sexually sent infections.
How You Can Get Pubic Lice
Pubic lice are generally transmitted through intimate contact, consisting of sexual relations. It’s also possible to capture pubic lice by using the blankets, towels, sheets, or clothing of individuals who have pubic lice.
Adult lice lay their eggs on the hair shaft, near the skin. These eggs are called nits. Seven to 10 days later, the nits hatch into nymphs and begin feeding on your blood. The lice can live without their food supply for one to two days.
Contrary to typical belief, you’re extremely not likely to get pubic lice from a toilet seat or furniture. Pubic lice typically don’t fall off of their host unless they’re dead. They likewise can’t jump from a single person to another like fleas.
Do not enable your children to oversleep your bed if you have a pubic lice problem. Children may get a problem after oversleeping the same bed as somebody who has pubic lice. In children, the lice generally live in their eyelashes or eyebrows. The presence of pubic lice in a child might likewise indicate sexual assault.
Recognizing the Signs of Pubic Lice
People with pubic lice typically experience itching in their genital area or anus about five days after the preliminary infestation. At night, the itching will end up being more extreme. Other common symptoms of pubic lice include:
- low-grade fever
- irritability
- lack of energy
- pale bluish spots near the bites.
Extreme itching might cause injuries or an infection in the affected areas. Children with lice invasions on their eyelashes are also at risk of creating conjunctivitis (pink eye).
Identifying Pubic Lice
You can normally diagnose yourself by completely examining your pubic area. You can use a magnifying glass to look for pubic lice if you believe a problem however cannot see well sufficient to be sure.
Lice are generally pale gray, but they can darken in color after drinking your blood. You’re most likely infested with lice if you see small, crab-shaped bugs moving in your pubic hair.
Lice eggs are another sign of invasion. The eggs are tiny and white, and are generally discovered around the roots of pubic hair or other body hair.
Call your doctor if you’re revealing signs of a pubic lice problem but aren’t completely sure that you have one.
Getting Rid of Pubic Lice
Treatment for pubic lice includes decontaminating yourself, your clothes, and your bed linen.
Topical, over-the-counter lotions and shampoos can be used to get rid of pubic lice from your body. These treatments include RID, Nix, and A-200. Ask your doctor which products are safe to use if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, or are treating an infant for pubic lice.
You may just need to clean your pubic hair if your lice invasion is mild. Check out the guidelines to discover exactly how much item you need to use and the length of time you’ll need to leave the product on your skin. Prescription medication might likewise be required if the topical options don’t work.
Even after successful treatment, a few persistent lice eggs may hold on to your hairs. Remove any leftover nits with tweezers. Natural home remedy, such as shaving and hot baths, aren’t effective for treating pubic lice. Lice can quickly endure common soap and water.
If numerous individuals in your family have contracted pubic lice, treat everyone at the same time. This helps prevent reinfection.
You will likewise have to decontaminate your home. Vacuum the whole house and tidy the bathroom with bleach option. Wash all towels, bed linen, and clothing in hot water, and machine dry them using the greatest setting. If you cannot clean or dry clean a particular item of clothing, seal it in an airtight plastic sack for 72 hours.
You may require more powerful medication if the lice endure these efforts. These products include:
- Malathion (Ovide), which is a topical lotion that you leave on the affected areas for 8 to 12 hours.
- Ivermectin (Stromectol), which is a two-pill dosage that you take orally. You might need a follow-up dosage 10 days later on.
- Lindane, which is the strongest and most poisonous item amongst the typically prescribed pubic lice medications. You just leave it on for 4 minutes prior to washing it off. Don’t use this item on infants or on yourself if you’re breast-feeding or pregnant.
For pubic lice in eyelashes, apply petroleum jelly to the lashes and eyelids 3 times a day for a few days. Additionally, you can pluck the nits and lice with tweezers. Your doctor might prescribe an unique lice medication suitable for the eye area. Don’t use regular lice shampoos around the eyes.
Itching might persist for a week or more as your body resolves its allergy to the bites. Call your doctor if you discover swelling, skin staining, or drain from wounds.
How to Prevent Pubic Lice Infestations
To avoid a pubic lice problem, you need to prevent sharing clothing, bed linen, or towels with anybody who has pubic lice. Sexual contact needs to likewise be prevented until treatment is total and effective.
