Patient's question:
The day after I used Amway shower gel, I was bitten by an insect. The bite felt like being pricked by a needle, and then my skin became extremely itchy, even the skin that wasn't bitten started to itch. After a week, I accidentally found a small thing on the bitten area of my skin. It moved very quickly, and when I crushed it, it bled. I was told it was a louse. I washed and boiled my bedding, dried it in the sun, sprayed insecticide on the mattress, and used camphor balls to wash my hair, but it still persisted. I searched online for information and suspected it might be pubic lice. However, I bathe daily and wash my private parts every day, and I don't have a history of sexual activity.Is what I have on my body pubic lice or lice?
Doctor's answer:
Hello: Pubic lice are a type of louse.Lice are external parasites that can be divided into three types based on their species, morphology, and host location:
(1) Body lice: These lice infest clothing seams and are also known as cloth lice.
(2) Head lice: These lice infest the hair and lay eggs.
(3) Pubic lice: These lice infest the pubic hair.
Pubic lice infection is a sexually transmitted disease, primarily spread through sexual contact. It can also be transmitted through bedding or bedding contaminated with pubic hair. The main symptom of pubic lice infection is intense itching of the external genital area due to the lice's bites, blood-feeding, and excrement.
The treatment is simple: shave the pubic hair to remove the lice's habitat, burn the shaved hair, clean the remaining areas with hot water and soap, and then apply topical medications such as 50% stemonine tincture, Uriage Eczema Cream, or Sulfur Salbe. Generally, the infection can be cured within 3–5 days. However, specific medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor. Additionally, sexual partners should be treated simultaneously. Underwear, pants, and bedding should not be shaken indoors but should be disinfected with boiling water.