(HealthDayNews) -- Lice, small insects that live on humans, survive by feeding on blood. They are spread easily from one host to another through close bodily contact or through shared clothing or personal items (such as hair brushes). They can not jump or fly but they can itch like crazy.
Outbreaks of head lice are common in children in school and day care centers, reports Clarian Health Partners, an affiliate of Indiana University. Girls are slightly more likely to be infested than boys. People from all income and social levels can be affected by head and pubic lice, as can people who bathe, shampoo their hair, and wash their clothing regularly.
By comparison, body lice are more common among people who do not bathe regularly or who do not wash their clothes often.
Both nonprescription and prescription products are available to treat head and pubic lice. An oral prescription medication (ivermectin) may be used to treat them when two or more approved topical medications have not been effective. Itching may persist even after successful treatment.
Medicines generally are not needed to treat body lice, since they live in clothing, not on your body. Washing the clothing in hot (130 degree F/54.4 C) water usually is sufficient to eliminate the problem.
