Causes and risk factors
The lice lay eggs and feed on the blood. Infection with body lice occurs by close contact with the person infected by it, sharing clothing, bed linens and towel with the infected person, in overcrowded places like refugee camp, by living in unhygienic conditions. Sometimes lice are formed following an illness such typhoid or in people with lowered immunity.
Clinical presentation
The symptoms caused by body lice are intense itching [pruritus], rash caused by an allergic reaction to body lice bites, red bumps on the skin. Vagabond’s disease – thickened or darkened skin, usually near the waist or groin, if the lice have been there for a long time.
Investigation
Medical history by the patient and clinical examination by the doctor helps in diagnosis. Presence of eggs in seams of clothing or crawling lice confirms the diagnosis.
Treatment
Body lice in most cases can be easily treated by improving the personal hygiene. All clothing, bed linens and towels used by the infected person should be thoroughly washed with hot water and then machine dried using hot air. If these measures do not help, doctor may prescribe pediculicide- lice killing medicine.
Other Modes of treatment
The other modes of treatment can also be effective in treating body lice. Homoeopathy is a science which deals with individualization considers a person in a holistic way. This science can be helpful in combating the symptoms. Similarly the ayurvedic system of medicine which uses herbal medicines and synthetic derivates are also found to be effective in treating body lice.
