Patient's question:
The day after using 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 sheets, bedding, etc., sprayed insecticide on the mattress, and used camphor balls to wash my hair, but it still remained. I searched online for information and suspected it might be pubic lice. However, I bathe every day and wash my lower body; I also have no history of sexual activity.Please tell me if what I have is pubic lice or just 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 sites of infestation:
(1) Body lice: These lice infest clothing seams and are also known as cloth lice.
(2) Head lice: These lice infest the scalp 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 bites, blood-feeding, and excrement of the lice.
The treatment is simple: shave the pubic hair to deprive the lice of their habitat. Burn the shaved hair, clean it thoroughly with hot water and soap, and then apply topical medications such as 50% stemonin tincture, Ureterol cream, or Sulfur ointment. Generally, the infection can be cured within 3 to 5 days. However, specific medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor. Additionally, sexual partners should be treated simultaneously. Undergarments and bedding should not be shaken indoors but should be disinfected with boiling water.