Head lice: It is a type of parasitic insect, and these insects need a host to live in, such as the human head, as these insects cannot live without an exclusively human host, meaning they cannot be found in pets.
Lice do not have wings and cannot fly, and they have 6 legs that cling to human hair, but lice crawl and crawl very quickly to reach from one head to another.
Any person can suffer from lice, and this does not mean that he is unclean or insufficient personal care, and this issue is a source of anxiety and fear, especially among school children.
How are lice transmitted?
It should be noted that the lack of hygiene or pollution in schools is not the main reason behind the spread of lice, but the presence of the child near several children, they stick when playing or hiding is the main reason for the transmission of lice, as the lice are transmitted through the attachment of the heads to each other, i.e. when reading From the same book or exchanging hats, scarves, or any personal gadget such as a hairbrush.
Lice reproduction:
A female louse can lay 3-4 eggs every day, and the eggs are placed in the scalp between the hair, and the eggs are attached to the secretions produced by the female louse, and the eggs (nymph) hatch after a week of being placed in the head to go through three stages of growth until it reaches the stage of maturity, to reach To a large size, about the size of a sesame seed, and it is not very noticeable with its white-brown color sometimes.
What do lice feed on?
Lice feed on blood, as they use their mouths to bite the skin and nourish from the scalp
Where is it located?
Lice can be found anywhere on a person’s head, but they are often found on the hair at the back of the neck or around the ears.
Parents have many concerns about viruses and diseases, down to lice, and other common issues that your son may face when entering school. Advice and instructions the mother is looking for to protect her son from transmitting the infection to him, and among these questions that concern her, “How do I protect my son from lice infection?”
The problem of lice in children has always been linked to their personal hygiene, a close relationship that binds them together, but sometimes infection is inevitable despite prevention. What are the most important medical advice to avoid transmission of lice infection and how can lice be treated quickly?
the problem of lice is one of the main and common problems among children that they may face in schools, nurseries and places that lack hygiene.
Lice are a small insect that lives on the scalp and feeds on blood, dust and secretions. Lice multiply in huge quantities, they crawl on the hair and their eggs that stick to the hair are difficult to remove by bathing.
No two people disagree that the main cause of infection with lice is a person’s lack of personal hygiene. However, the transmission of lice infection to some people is not related to their cleanliness, but rather to contact with the infected person who causes the infection to be transmitted to him.
From here we stresses for attention to the importance of “personal hygiene in children, washing hands well, not friction with others, and brushing the hair.
Severe itching and sensitivity on the scalp or the presence of red pills or lice eggs sticking to the hair are all symptoms that confirm your son’s infestation with lice that require immediate intervention to treat it before it multiplies and becomes an infection.
The most important preventive recommendations
Sometimes it may happen that your son becomes infected with lice due to the large number of children in the classroom or in the school, but prevention and periodic monitoring will prevent the transmission of lice or treat them quickly.
Based on this, the public health doctor and children advise parents to:
Take care of the personal hygiene of their son through bathing and daily washing.
The parents and the school should monitor the child regularly to avoid lice or limit their spread in case some cases are recorded. It is very important to have regular check-ups in schools and nurseries to ensure that there are no lice in children. Therefore, schools and nurseries management must reinforce this point and activate it periodically throughout the school year.
Not sharing personal items such as hats or sleeping pillows with others (in kindergarten or first year of school)
Avoid contact with children who suffer severe itching on the head.
Wash hands well, especially after eating.
Brushing the hair well and combing it, especially for girls, because their hair is long and thick.
when parents suspect that their son may be infected with lice, they must resort to a special shampoo for lice to eliminate lice and a special spray for lice that works to remove lice from the hair, in addition to not using other people’s purposes and keeping their personal belongings and cutting Hair, especially for girls, because lice are lurking more strongly in relation to the density of their long hair.
At some point you find your child awake from his sleep with swollen eyes, sometimes the swelling or puffiness is in one eye, and sometimes in both eyes, some swelling is simple that can be dealt with at home, and some of it requires resorting to the hospital immediately, so that we write here about the causes of the morning swelling of the eyes in children, when do you need to go to the doctor immediately, and when is home treatment simple and effective.
Symptoms of puffy eyes in children
First to know if that signs are just a puffy eye or another problem with your baby’s eyes:
Swelling of the eyelid or the area around the eye.
There is no extreme redness of the white of the eye.
There is no yellow or green eye discharge.
Degrees of eye puffiness in children
There are three degrees of puffy eyes:
Slight swelling: The eye is swollen, but it can be opened in a normal way.
Moderate swelling: The eye is more swollen , and the child can see when opened, but it is open to a lesser extent.
Severe swelling: It occurs when there are serious eye problems, the eyelids swell, and the child cannot open his eyes from the ground up, so the eyelid swelling covers the eye completely.
Causes of puffy eyes in children
Causes of swelling of one eye in a child
Eye rubbing: Sometimes a child rubs his eyes vigorously and his hands are dirty, which causes inflammation in the eyes, and therefore causes temporary swelling.
Insect bite : You cannot completely get rid of flying insects, and you do not always notice them, as it may be just a mosquito that bites your child and swollen his eyelid.
Wound near the eye: A wound in the area around the eye can lead to swelling of the eye itself.
Dacryocystitis: When the lacrimal sac at the edge of the eye is inflamed, it causes one eye to swell in the child.
The presence of an infection in the eyelashes due to the presence of bacteria in them.
Viral conjunctivitis, which appears with eye puffiness, redness of the white of the eye.
Bacterial conjunctivitis, which appears with eye swelling, some secretions or yellow pus, in one eye or in both eyes.
Sudden hypersensitivity, which may result from eating an allergen food, taking medicine, or even being exposed to a spring pollen if your child suffers from eye allergies in the spring .
Wash the face and eyes well without rubbing with lukewarm water, and the eyes and eyelashes should be washed well with water, as there may be something stuck with them that causes the eye to become irritated and swollen.
Using cold compress on the eyes, they relieve the itching sensation that sometimes accompanies swelling, and they also calm the eyes and reduce their puffiness.
Use anti-allergic eye drops, and ask the doctor or pharmacist about the appropriate drops for your child, as simple swelling can be treated by these drops in a short time.
If the eye swelling in children has secretions in the eye or intense redness in the white of the eye, refer to the doctor to refer you to the appropriate treatment, and some of the cases that we mentioned above (such as viral or bacterial conjunctivitis, or dacryocystitis) need to refer to the doctor To prescribe the appropriate treatment for the case.
What are the other causes of swollen eyelids other than mosquito bites or other insect bites?
Eyelid swelling occurs as a result of exposure to an irritation due to a microbe; due to a sting; or after accumulation of too much fluid in the eyelid.
There may be swelling of the eyelids or one of them, and it may be accompanied by a feeling of pain in some cases while it is not painful in other cases, and itching may also be raised in it in some cases.
Eyelid swelling has several causes, the severity of which ranges from mild to serious, and the most important of these reasons are the following:
Having an allergy
just as it may affect any part of the body, the allergy may affect the eye as well. And it occurs when the immune system in the body reacts excessively against any foreign body, and these external bodies may be either dirt, eye drops, contact lenses, traces of pets, or the insect saliva after biting. When the eye is exposed to one of these external bodies, the immune system secretes a chemical called histamine, in an attempt to protect the eye.
And histamine affects the blood vessels, causing them to expand and swell, and it causes itching in the mucous membranes, and it also works on causing redness and increased tears in the eyes.
The most common eye allergy symptoms include: Red, swollen or itchy eyes; burning or tearing of the eyes; and sensitivity to light.
Conjunctivitis
The conjunctiva is a thin mucous membrane that lines the inside of the eyelid and covers the white of the eye (or what is called the sclera). The conjunctiva may become inflamed as a result of either an allergy or a bacterial or viral infection.
The conjunctivitis is called pink eye as well, and it is usually accompanied by swelling of the eyelid, in addition to itching, redness, and increased tears.
Suffering from eye Meibomianitis
It usually appears as swelling and redness on the edge of the eyelid, and results from a bacterial infection that leads to irritation of the Meibomian gland, which is one of the sebaceous glands in the eyelid, and eyelid swelling in this case results from blockage of the ducts of these glands.
Eye Meibomianitis may cause swelling of the entire eyelid, and it may cause severe pain when touched.
Cold infection
It is a sebaceous cyst that appears on the eyelid as a result of blockage of the Meibomian gland as well. The eye beggar may resemble the cold infection in its appearance at first, but it differs from it in several things, as the cold turns later into a solid sebaceous cyst, and often resorts to appearing away from the edge of the eyelid, unlike the eye beggar who appears near it.
The two are similar in that both cause the eyelid to swell, and also make the affected area painful to touch.
Eyelid swelling may occur to people who wear contact lenses
If the lenses are dirty, or stored in an unclean case, or if the patient swims while wearing them, as this may cause eyelid irritation or inflammation. Wearing broken or damaged contact lenses may also cause eyelid swelling.
Suffering from blepharitis
This inflammation is characterized by eyelid swelling in addition to the feeling of pain in it, and it may be accompanied by peeling of the skin in this area, and the patient may suffer from eyelashes loss as well.
This inflammation results from an imbalance in the glands fatty acids found in the eyelid, usually a chronic condition, which means that this condition will persist with the patient throughout his life and there is no cure final to her, but it is possible to control the symptoms by taking medicine appropriate, and by following good health habits.
It may also be associated with suffering from a bacterial infection.
Infection with periocular dermatitis
Also known as periorbital dermatitis, It is a serious bacterial infection that affects the tissues around the eye, which causes redness, swelling and pain of the upper and lower eyelids, and symptoms may extend to include the eyebrow or cheek, and it may also be accompanied by the emergence of other symptoms, such as protruding eyes, poor vision, or a high body temperature or, the feeling of pain in the eye itself when moving it.
Although this infection is rare, it is considered an emergency situation that usually requires treatment with intravenous antibiotics, in order to prevent complications. Such as damage to the optic nerve, or permanent blindness, among others.
Suffering from a herpes virus infection
The symptoms of this infection may be similar to the symptoms of conjunctivitis, and it may cause painful sores on the eyelid, in addition to blurring the vision resulting from corneal irritation and swelling of the eyelid. The severity of the inflammation ranges from mild to severe, and it may cause serious damage to the eye, and then the cornea needs to be replaced.
Graves’ disease
It is a disease caused by excessive secretion of the hormone thyroxine from the thyroid gland , and it causes swelling of the eyelids, protruding eyes, as well as double vision and drooping eyelid.
Nephrotic syndrome
It is a group of diseases that affect the kidneys, and cause fluid retention in the body, which results in swelling of many parts of the body, including the eyelid.
Eyelid swelling treatment
There is no specific treatment for eyelid swelling , as treatment varies according to the underlying cause. Doctors usually recommend using warm water pads on the affected eye in an attempt to reduce the swelling and the associated pain, but this does not substitute for going to the doctor to determine the cause of the swelling and take the appropriate treatment for it.
The human reaction to a bee and wasp sting may be normal, but it may develop into life-threatening symptoms, as some people are more sensitive to insect bites than others.
How do you behave towards stings? What do you do when it occurs in the head and neck? What are signs of allergy?
The stings of bees and wasps, within minutes and sometimes within hours, lead to redness and painful swelling of the skin, and the radius of this swelling may reach 10 centimeters and subside within a day. Those who are sensitive to insect bites should know how to avoid their damage, and it is important to speed up treatment after an insect bite.
Treatment of insect sting allergy includes first aid as well as long-term measures to reduce the impact of the resulting allergy. You must provide yourself with first-aid kits from bee or wasp stings, and these tools include anti-inflammatory materials. First aid must be trained in advance and respond quickly to the sting.
As a first aid against a bee or wasp sting, the swilling should first be cooled with a cold, damp cloth, and in addition, cortisone ointment should be placed on the sting area on the skin. Especially when the swelling is large, antihistamines that cause inflammation should be used, especially when it is proven that the person is prone to allergies due to insect bites.
At a later time, you should go to a doctor who specializes in allergies to have the necessary skin and blood test done. In addition, it is known whether treatment of the immune system of those allergic to insect bites is necessary. The doctor prescribes preventive therapeutic drugs that must be used in emergency situations, which are antihistamines such as cortisone or adrenaline.
Signs of an allergic reaction after bee stings
As a result of a bee or wasp sting, an allergic reaction may occur in the body that may develop into symptoms that threaten a person’s life. One of the signs of an allergy is the appearance of symptoms in the body far from the site of the swelling a few minutes after the sting.
These symptoms are in the form of pimples, skin swellings, difficulty breathing, nausea, and circulatory disorders such as hypotension, which is known as shock that may reach loss of consciousness and respiratory failure.
And the emergency doctor must be contacted immediately in such cases.
Who is safe from an allergy caused by a sting?
But is a person safe from allergic diseases if he had not previously had any allergic reactions due to the stings of bees or wasps in his life? In general, a person can develop a pathological allergy to insect bites later in life.
A blood and skin analysis must be done by a specialist allergist to find out if a person is exposed to allergies resulting from insect bites, noting that 20 percent of people – who are tested for allergies – may not necessarily develop these symptoms.
What to do when a wasp or a bee stings you?
You must stay calm! Most people do not develop an allergy as a result of a bee or wasp sting. However, insect bites should be taken very seriously, as failure to prompt appropriate intervention can lead to serious consequences.
First remove the stinging bee or wasp from the skin with forceps. Do this with caution so that the poisonous gland attached to the insect’s sting does not open and cause more insect venom to enter your bloodstream.
Cool the site of the sting using ice and cold water and apply a decongestant ointment.
To reduce the itching caused by a skin bite, apply vinegar diluted with water or slices of onion to the itchy site.
