Pubic lice – types, causes, symptoms. How to treat pubic lice?

Proven content

Pubic head lice is caused by a separate species of parasite. Infection occurs through sexual contact. This disease is manifested mainly by unbearable itching in the intimate areas (the pubic area, thighs, groin and even the abdomen). In the treatment of pubic lice, mainly gels and shampoos are used.

What is pubic lice?

As mentioned above, pubic lice is a condition caused by a parasite that has its Latin name Pthyrus pubes. Pubic head lice are different from head lice that attack the scalp or clothing. The pubic louse is tiny and its size does not exceed 2-3 millimeters, moreover, it is difficult to locate it because it is white and yellow. We contract pubic lice through sexual contact with a sick person, wearing the same clothes or sleeping in the same bedding. On the other hand, research shows that other sexually transmitted diseases can also occur with pubic lice. A pubic louse is characterized by the fact that it does not jump and is not transmitted by quadrupeds, but unfortunately the parasite can even attack children. The occurrence of pubic lice in children often brings to mind sexual abuse, lice are located in their eyebrows and around the eyelashes.

The causes of pubic lice

We become infected with pubic lice as a result of direct contact with the disease by a person. Most often these are sexual contacts (due to where the presence of lice is usually found). However, parasite eggs can also spread to us through clothing, sleeping in the same bedding or using the same towel. Since adult lice can jump, we are at risk of pubic lice even by being in an environment where lice live. Therefore, this ailment can apply to the whole family, tenants, crowds of people in schools or dormitories and boarding houses.

Hatching period Pthirus pubis is about 30 days, and pubic lice itself is classified as a venereal disease, because infection often occurs through sexual intercourse. Pubic lice is a problem that mainly affects adults.

How is pubic lice manifested?

The louse feeds on blood, so hemolysis occurs in the places of bites and blue spots are formed (these are blue lesions). Patients mainly complain of unbearable itching caused by the movement of parasites. Itching occurs especially around:

1. belly,
2. groin,
3. skin around the thighs,
4. pubic mound,
5. eyebrows and eyelashes (there were single incidents).

The unpleasant symptoms of pubic lice usually appear several weeks after infection, when the lice multiply and begin to irritate larger areas on our body. The parasite responsible for pubic lice and its faeces is an allergic factor that can cause sensitization in people who are predisposed to allergies. Usually, a person suffering from pubic lice has nits in their hair. It sometimes happens that enlarged lymph nodes appear as a concomitant symptom (when an allergic reaction occurs).

Diagnosis of pubic lice

The diagnosis of pubic lice is based primarily on the examination of the pubic area by a physician. This ailment is very easy to diagnose on your own, so if we have some suspicions and want to be sure, we can use a magnifying glass to look for small insects in the intimate areas that resemble crabs.

A sign of a pubic lice infection is the eggs of the pubic lice, which are white in color and are small. Most often they are located near the pubic hair or other hair on our body. People who are not sure about their suspicions should see a doctor in order to verify and possibly select an appropriate therapy.

Pubic lice – treatment

Pubic lice is treated mainly by dermatologists. Very often, patients delay the visit to a specialist because they consider their problem to be very embarrassing. The sooner we make an appointment with a doctor, the sooner appropriate treatment will be implemented. In the treatment of pubic lice, it is important that all people with whom we live or with whom we spend time undergo therapy. For this purpose, special topical preparations in the form of gels, ointments, shampoos or lotions are used.

As an aid in treating head lice, it is worth reaching for Bioherba’s Tar Soap for atopic skin, which is available at a promotional price on Medonet Market.

Other treatments for pubic lice include:

1. change of underwear, clothes, towels and bed linen – they should be washed at a high temperature. If it is impossible to wash any of these items, keep the item in an airtight package for about 3-4 days;
2. patients should refrain from sexual intercourse so that the parasites do not spread;
3. it is also worth depilation of intimate areas;
4. lindane solutions can be used overnight. The treatment should be repeated after 8-10 days, e.g. using mercury ointment. You can also use a pharmaceutical containing dimethicone. It is a substance that instantly suffocates both lice and nits, and is harmless to humans and does not irritate the skin;
5. in order to get rid of pubic lice that are located in the eyelashes, you should put, for example, petroleum jelly on the eyelashes and eyelids, several times a day for several days. In addition, you can try to remove the lice with a pair of tweezers;
6. Patients should see their doctor for a special lice medicine that can be safely used around the eyes.

Pharmacological agents prescribed for pubic shoal:

1. lindane: is the most toxic and at the same time the most powerful preparation used in pubic lice. The preparation should be left for 4 minutes and then washed off. It is forbidden to use this product in pregnant women, breastfeeding women and infants;
2. malathion: is a topical lotion that, when applied to the affected area, can stay on the skin for 8-12 hours;
3. ivermectin: These are tablets to be taken by mouth with a dose of two capsules. It may be necessary to repeat the dose after 10 days.

With proper treatment, you can effectively get rid of pubic lice. It is important to apply the correct formulation at intervals in order to kill the parasites that are at different stages of development. It is not enough to eliminate the adult forms of the parasite, it is necessary to wait for the larvae to hatch from the nits and apply the treatment again.

Pregnant women who are breastfeeding or treating an infant infected with pubic lice should consult a physician about the products that are safe in these cases.

Unfortunately, there is still a belief that head lice occur due to lack of proper hygiene or poor living conditions, although it occurs quite by accident. Until 2009, lice was considered an infectious disease and should be reported to the poviat sanitary inspectorate. Now there is no such obligation, since the pubic louse does not transmit bacterial and viral infectious diseases.

Read also: Head lice