If fleas are found on a child’s head, a course of treatment should be started as soon as possible. Insect bites cause pain, discomfort, and often lead to complications. It is dangerous to self-medicate; you should consult a doctor.
Fleas on a child's hair.
What infections can fleas carry?
Parasite bites threaten not only with redness, unbearable itching and blisters. Insects are often carriers of many dangerous diseases. This does not mean that every individual is infected, but the risk is quite high.
If fleas appear in a child’s head, this can lead to the development of the following pathologies:
- hepatitis;
- brucellosis;
- anthrax;
- tularemia;
- encephalitis;
- salmonellosis.
With a single bite, you can protect your baby from infection. But if a whole population of fleas has settled in an apartment, it will be difficult to prevent the development of serious diseases.
Methods of infection
The answer to the question of whether fleas live on humans is positive. There is a separate species of insects whose main hosts are humans. Pests that parasitize animals can also bite children and adults.
Most often, parasites are contracted from domestic animals. Carriers are not only dogs and cats, but also hamsters, rats, and parrots. Fleas can also appear when purchasing pieces of furniture or pet products that have eggs on them. Most often, parasites are found on items purchased second-hand, but they can also be present on new items from the store.
Signs of flea bites
There are many parasites that can bite a child, and the symptoms are different each time.
Visually, flea bites are recognized by several signs:
- the affected area looks like a small red scar. The distance between damage is 3-4 cm.
- After the puncture, a small bruise remains under the skin, which is typical for a flea bite. Mosquitoes, lice, and other parasites do not leave such traces.
- After the bite, irritation remains; after a few days, spots and ulcers form. In a small child, the diameter of the inflamed areas can reach 2 cm.
- The skin becomes thicker.
- Immediately after the skin is punctured, pain and severe itching occurs.
- Often, after a flea attack, an allergy in the form of hives occurs on the child’s body. Rashes appear between wounds, masking them.
If the baby clearly feels the moment of the bite through the stabbing pain, it is definitely fleas.
Other insects inject a small amount of anesthetic composition under the skin, so there is no discomfort. Fleas do not have such features, so their bites are quite noticeable.
What do all types of fleas have in common?
All representatives of different species are similar to each other.
- They have an oblong body flattened on the sides.
- Powerful long hind legs.
- Hard chitinous shell protects from damage.
- Dark brown color.
- Piercing-sucking mouthparts.
- Spikes and bristles throughout the body, providing traction and movement.
- Do not inject an anesthetic during the bite.
When a flea bites, it injects an enzyme into the wound along with its saliva, which prevents the blood from clotting. At the same time, it is not possible to obtain the analgesic effect that bedbugs or ticks have. This is why flea bites are painful.
Important!
The peculiar structure of the body and paws provides the parasites with the ability to quickly move, turning them into invisible and elusive bloodsuckers.
First aid
When they find specific lumps on a child’s body that dissolve after a few days, many parents do not know what to do.
Immediately provide first aid to the victim:
- the wounds are washed with soapy water. Classic laundry soap or any other with bactericidal properties will do. An alternative option would be to treat with hydrogen peroxide.
- To relieve inflammation, apply a piece of ice wrapped in gauze to the affected areas.
- Specialized products will help get rid of itching: calamine lotion, ointment with hydrocortisone.
- After this, injuries on the body of children are wiped with iodine or brilliant green, especially for scratched wounds.
Providing first aid relieves pain and inflammation. It will be easier for the child to endure the consequences of a flea attack.
Professional products
There are no special preparations designed to combat fleas in a child’s hair, since insects do not live permanently on the human body. Of course, you should not use shampoos for cats or dogs.
The following remedies will help combat the problem:
- Shampoos designed to kill ticks and lice can also be harmful to fleas. The drug is applied to damp strands, left for 10 minutes, and washed off with warm water. After washing, the hair is combed with a fine comb to remove dead insects and their eggs.
- Shampoos with added tea tree oil. Helps eliminate parasites on the head.
- Fragrant lemon soap. Effective for people and pets.
It is not easy for children to cope with the itching; they scratch the bites vigorously, increasing the risk of germs getting into the wound.
Hydrocortisone ointment is popular, which quickly relieves itching after a parasite attack.
No less effective are:
- Sulfuric ointment;
- gel “Rescuer”;
- calamine lotion;
- pharmaceutical ointments from the “After insect bites” series.
Timely treatment will help avoid serious complications. Parents should definitely show their child to an immunologist.
How to prevent subsequent infection
To prevent the recurrence of parasites, pets should be treated. Pets are put on special collars or their fur is treated with anti-flea drops. A cat or dog should not be constantly with the child or have access to his bed. Children should be prohibited from contacting stray animals. They often turn out to be flea-bearing and can even infect a person using special ointments.
You should regularly comb your child's hair using a fine-toothed comb. If adult insects or their larvae are found between the teeth, treatment should be started as quickly as possible. In the early stages, it is easier to get rid of parasites. It is better to treat all family members and the child’s friends at once in order to completely get rid of insects.
Folk remedies
When treating flea bites, you can use traditional medicine recipes, which will be no less effective than expensive drugs from the pharmacy.
Soda paste
To prepare, you need to take a few tablespoons of baking soda, add a little water to obtain a thick consistency and mix. The paste is applied to the strands and scalp and washed off without shampoo after 10 minutes.
Vinegar compress
Apple or table vinegar is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2 (two parts water and one part vinegar).
A clean piece of cotton cloth is soaked with the finished composition and applied to the affected areas for no more than 10 minutes. The procedure is repeated up to 5 times a day.
Green tea
Flea bites on a child lead to inflammation and blisters. Green tea will help get rid of these negative manifestations; just rinse your scalp with it.
Honey-lemon mixture
1 spoon of honey is mixed with 2 spoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. The affected area is treated with the mixture several times a day.
Aloe vera
If you have this plant in your house, you need to break off a piece of the leaf and carefully rub the juice into the damaged skin. This helps relieve inflammation and pain.
Medicinal herbs
Infusions prepared from chamomile flowers, plantain or dandelion leaves eliminate itching and relieve inflammation. A cotton pad is soaked in the composition and applied to the wounds.
Therapy with folk remedies for fleas is permissible only in the absence of signs of acute allergies. It is better to first consult with a specialist.
Video
About the most important thing: How to reduce itching from an insect bite?
Possible complications
A child's skin is thinner and more delicate than that of adults, so fleas prefer to attack children.
A bite for children is a serious danger for several reasons:
- thin skin tolerates inflammatory processes less well and takes longer to recover;
- immunity is not fully formed, so the risk of complications increases;
- Pain causes stress.
The main complication is an acute allergic reaction, which occurs when the body is hypersensitive to parasite bites.
The main signs of allergies are:
- small rashes in the affected area;
- increase in body temperature up to 39 degrees;
- digestive disorders;
- swelling of the tongue and lips;
- swollen lymph nodes;
- dizziness;
- nausea.
After multiple flea attacks, a child may develop chest pain, irritability, nervousness, and an aggressive state.
If a child has been bitten once, there will be no allergies, but numerous head injuries that are repeated regularly lead to dangerous negative consequences.
It is important to take your child to the doctor as soon as possible to identify the exact causes of the allergy and prescribe treatment. Self-therapy in this case is unacceptable and often leads to a worsening of the condition.
Prevention
To prevent flea bites in children, it is necessary to protect the home and the child himself from possible contact with parasites:
- If you have pets in your apartment, you must regularly use special insect repellents: shampoo, drops, collar.
- Change bedding frequently and wash it in hot water.
- Do not allow children to pet dogs or cats outdoors.
- For prevention, residential premises are treated monthly with anti-parasite agents: “Raid”, “Clandestine”. Wormwood ether is also suitable for these purposes.
- Repellents for clothing are applied to things when traveling outdoors. Such products repel not only fleas, but also ticks and other insects. At home, repellents can be used on upholstered furniture and mattresses.
- If there are a large number of parasites in the room, it is better to resort to the services of professional services that specialize in exterminating insects.
If flea bites are found on a child’s skin, the following procedure should be followed:
- disinfect wounds;
- carry out wet cleaning throughout the entire apartment;
- disinfect rooms and items of clothing;
- cure affected areas;
- See a doctor immediately if allergy symptoms appear.
By following these simple rules, you can prevent parasite attacks or start treatment in a timely manner.
Correct actions will help avoid infection, prevent the development of allergies and other complications.
Nuances of parasitism
The question often arises whether a person can get fleas. Parasites are not averse to attacking the human body, but contrary to misconception, they do not spend their entire lives on the victim. Fleas on a person or animal can remain in the hair or fur for a long time, but they live and reproduce near a food source.
On a note!
Fleas in people's homes hide in cracks, under baseboards, in the pile of carpets and rugs. They love places with high humidity, and their accumulations are often found in bathrooms.
Human fleas reproduce quite quickly. The productivity of each female is estimated at 400-500 eggs.
- Oviposition is very peculiar. The female can even squeeze embryos out of herself during a jump, thanks to which they end up in the most unexpected places. The shell of the eggs is not sticky, and they easily roll off vertical surfaces. The dimensions are very tiny and do not exceed 1mm.
- Under favorable conditions, after just 2 days, light, worm-like larvae emerge from the eggs, which as they grow become darker in color and molt three times. At this stage, flea offspring feed on organic remains or excrement of the imago. The larvae are very mobile; they can be found in apartments in flower pots, under baseboards, furniture, and near household waste bins.
- 14 days after birth, having reached a size of 4-5 mm, the larva is sealed into a cocoon. Depending on the conditions, this phase lasts from 7 days to 8 months.
