Can You Die From Lice? Is It Reality or Just a Myth?

Occasionally, we get a call from a worried parent asking us how dangerous are head lice. Recently, a teenager who was extremely scared, texted LiceDoctors upon finding lice and asked, “can u die from lice?” It may sound silly to some but when dealing with lice for the first time it is natural to wonder can lice kill you?

What Are Lice?

Head lice are parasites that spend their 40-day lifespan on top of the human head. There are other types of lice that infest other areas and species, none of which reside on the human head. Head lice are tiny, wingless bugs that live on a human scalp, surviving off of blood from the head; they spend their time laying eggs, known as nits on the strands of hair.

So Can You Die From Head Lice?

If lice suck the blood from the scalp, can you die from head lice? Your internet search for head lice death can end here. No. Head lice has not been known to cause the death of human beings. While they live up to every letter of the word “nuisance” and can cause irritation, they are not deadly creatures.

Can You Get a Disease From Lice and Die?

What Happens if You Have Head Lice for Too Long?

We encountered an exhausted mom who had been battling head lice in her family for some time and was so tired she asked what happens if lice are left untreated. She wanted to know can head lice go away on their own, hoping they would eventually die off. If not, she was ready to give up and live happily ever after with long-term lice. There are a number of conditions that can develop as a result of untreated lice.

Extreme Itchiness and Rashes

One of the long-term effects of lice that is left untreated is extreme itchiness and rashes. Lice survive by feeding from blood in the scalp, so when they bite the skin on the head, it can cause a histamine-like reaction, much like when one is bitten by a mosquito. When bitten over and over again over the course of a long period of time, this can cause extreme itchiness all over the head, and the repeated scratching, among other issues, can cause rashes. This is one of the first and important symptoms, after which it is necessary to start treatment for lice.

Bacterial Infections

The extreme itchiness caused by lice bites can bring on additional untreated lice symptoms and conditions. One of which is bacterial infections. Children tend to get lice more frequently than adults, and part of being a child is often not washing hands regularly. When you couple this with the extreme scratching that comes along with an untreated lice infestation, the potential for developing a bacterial infection is high.

Cellulitis

Although highly unlikely, an example of what happens if lice go untreated is the bacterial infection of cellulitis. If this infection occurs, the patient would experience redness, swelling, pain, and tenderness in addition to warmth in the area infected. The treatment for cellulitis is prescription antibiotics.

Impetigo

Another possible, but unlikely, risk for what happens if you don’t treat lice is impetigo; this is a bacterial infection that requires prescription antibiotic treatment. This type of infection is most common in children and is a likely result of scratching open skin with the presence of the bacteria that cause impetigo present in the fingernails. This infection presents with a rash and small blisters that eventually result in a colored crust after the blisters burst.

Spreading Head Lice to Other People

Far more likely than getting a bacterial infection is the risk associated with long term lice infestations of spreading lice to others. Head lice are spread when live bugs transfer from one person to another. What happens if you don’t treat head lice is the infestation will continue to grow exponentially. As the number of bugs continues to increase, so does the risk of spreading it to others. Everyone who comes into contact with a person with untreated lice is at risk of contracting head lice as well.

School Problems

If a child continues to go to school with head lice, he or she can become known as a super spreader. This can lead to unnecessary bullying. The child has lice through no fault of their own, but the negative stigma associated with head lice can also lead the child to being an outcast, which is unhealthy. Another situation as a result of what happens if head lice is not treated is missing too much school, especially in schools with “no nit” policies. This can lead to low grades and penalties from the school as a result of missing too many days.

Hair Loss

We’re often asked can untreated head lice cause hair loss, or more specifically, do lice cause hair loss. The answer is yes and no. The bugs will not directly cause the loss of hair. When we posed the question can lice make your hair fall out, the simple answer is no. It would be counterproductive to their life cycle to directly cause the loss of hair. However, what can cause hair loss, is the constant scratching of the itchy head, stress associated with having head lice, and continual combing of the hair in failed attempts to eradicate the case.

Conclusion

While lice are not life-threatening, they are annoying and upsetting. There is no reason to suffer when there is safe treatment available. When you place yourself in the capable hands of LiceDoctors professionals, peace of mind and clear hair and scalp remain only a phone call away. Call LiceDoctors at 800-224-2537. Lice treatment in your home is available seven days and nights a week.