Can Head Lice Go in Your Ears?

Some people have the misconception that head lice go into your ears. In fact, lice live and thrive on the surface of the head. Once infested, lice can move anywhere on your head. This is due to their ability to feed on human blood. Lice can live for up to 30 days and lay up to 300 eggs. This type of infestation can be hard to detect, but you can use a lice comb to try to catch the bugs.

The first sign of a head lice infestation is itching, scratching, and nits on your hair. You can also experience intense itching around the hairline and genital area. The itching can be so intense that it can cause a secondary bacterial infection. It may take two or three weeks for you to notice the symptoms of head lice.

If you suspect that you have head lice, you should not swim. Swimming may reduce the effectiveness of some medicines used to treat head lice. Before you decide on the best course of treatment, you should always consult a health care provider or health department. Remember that head lice do not jump and are not intended to spread from one person to another.

Treatments for head lice include natural remedies and prescription treatments. You can buy topical treatments in drug stores. Natural treatments such as olive oil are also effective. However, you may want to consult a doctor if you have shared bedding with the child with the lice.