200 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
LICE
There are 3 kinds: head lice, body lice, and pubic lice (or
‘crabs’) that live in the hairy parts of the body. Lice cause
itching, and sometimes skin infections and swollen lymph
nodes. To avoid lice, take great care with personal cleanliness.
Wash clothing and bedding often and hang them in the sun. Bathe and wash hair often.
Check children’s hair. If they have lice, treat them all at once, otherwise they will pass
them back and forth to each other. Do not let a child with lice sleep with others.
Treatment:
For head and pubic lice: You can usually get rid of lice without medicines by scrubbing
the hair well with regular soap or shampoo for 10 minutes. Rinse well, and comb
thoroughly with a fine-tooth comb, being sure to remove all the lice and their eggs.
Repeat every day for 2 weeks.
Do not use shampoos that include lindane.
Lindane is poison! If regular shampoos do
not work, medicated shampoos that include
pyrethrins (RID) or permethrin (Nix) may work,
but follow the directions carefully. Keep them out
of your eyes, watch for allergic reactions, and
avoid them if you are pregnant or the person with
lice is younger than 2 years old.
After treating for lice, you must also get rid
of nits (lice eggs). If the eggs hatch, the lice will
be back. People have tried different treatments,
but they all include careful combing. Repeat
combing every day for 2 weeks to make sure you
remove all the lice and nits.
♦ Rub olive oil into the hair. This will loosen the nits so they are easier to remove
with a fine-tooth comb. Some people find that oils such as tea tree, rosemary, or
eucalyptus (this can feel hot!) work well, but other people have allergic reactions
to them.
♦ Soak hair with warm vinegar water (1 part vinegar to 1 part water) for half an hour,
then comb it thoroughly with a fine-tooth comb.
For body lice: Soak your whole body in a bath of hot water every day for 10 days. After
each bath, wash thoroughly with soap and rinse well. Use a fine‑tooth comb on any hairy
places. If necessary, treat as for scabies. Keep clothing and bedding clean.
BEDBUGS
These are very small, flat, crawling insects that hide inside
mattresses, bedding, furniture, and walls. They usually bite at night.
The bites often appear in groups or lines.
To get rid of bedbugs, wash bedding and pour boiling water on cots and bed frames.
Sprinkle sulfur on mattresses, cloth furniture, and rugs and do not use them for 3 weeks.
Be sure to clean off the powder well before using again.
To prevent bedbugs, spread bedding, mats, and cots in the sun often.