Can headlice cause an allergic reaction

[charitymum]

Can headlice cause an allergic reaction? Hives, spots etc. DD has had some very bad reactions over last month. At first doc put it down to virus but that now gone and she still getting them on and off. Hives, some swelling, itching, spots etc. Sometimes all over her but often top of back and around face/hairline.

She is well inself and we are waiting for referral to allergy specalist.

She has been so bad we have had to give her intermittant steroids so keen to find cause if we can.

Just realised that she has had nits at same time and that respite periods overlapped with application of Hederin and wet combing to deal with nits.

Anyone any experience of nit allergy?

[MumsGoneToYonderLand]

i hadn't had lice since the age of two - then aged 40 i went to the doctors with a rash on my arms and down my back and feeling unwell (I have long hair). he checked me for scabies then (as they do) said it will go away on its own. a few days later the nursery told me both my young kids had head lice - i did too! the rash cleared up as soon as I treated the lice.
its never been as bad as that first adult time, body must be getting tolerant.
I am feeling itchy today on head and arms so will check myself and kids later with the old nitty gritty comb.
Thanks kids. Who'd have em.

[BS88]

My 12 yr old daughter has recently had a scan due to lymph nodes up. Felling very ill, eyes painful like red hot needles candy tummy upsets. The consultant confirmed it was nits and that many people are allergic to them. Strangely enough my 68 mother has been mocked after saying for years she is allergic to them, she suffers the same problems after having young children visiting. Could this be hereditary?

[Chantelle9876]

This happened to my son , the doctors told me it wasn't related to him having hives , but I wasn't convinced , as soon As I treated headlice the hives went

[kimmyemm]

Yeah when I was a child they suspected I may have lymphoma, I had huge lumps nearer the back of my neck and they were going to do a biopsy on me, until it was diagnosed it was just an allergy to headlice, I know its not the same symptoms but shows how extreme the effects of these little creepy bugs can be :-$

[charitymum]

Thanks. Certainly seems that something is biting her. We are getting 3-4 day respites between attacks now and then a major covering of hives followed by some red dots over her skin. I know people have much worse to deal with but it's been 8 weeks now and it is so worrying and quite draining. She's ok - but itching and swelling not nice - I just don't think I am handing the worry very well.

[bruffin]

The old saying feeling "lousy" when your ill actually refers to how bad head lice can make you feel.

[mspotatochip]

We have recently had our first encounter with nits (dd now3) and I read that the itch is actually an allergic reaction to the bit not the "feel" of the bute iyswhim so yes you can be allergic to headlice and its therefore I suppose possible to have a more extreme reaction to the norm?

What you are supposed to do to help your child when the world seems full of the pesky buggers is beyond me

[charitymum]

It seems to get better when we have done a round of Hederin and nit combing. She's getting them from school and her and sister keep re infecting. I've had them too. Stuck in one of those cycles.

It's the scale of reaction that worries me - face swelling and being covered in hives. Fortunately it does not seem to affect her airway.

It's seems extreme for nits so keen to know if others experience similar.

[drloves8]

loads of kids get a nit rash on the back of the neck/behind the ears btw!

[drloves8]

i think they could (in theory) . they are insects that bite .loads of insects cause allergy. And any broken skin is going to cause irritation/ interferon .... too much and you get a rash.

[Fennel]

oh yes, my friend told me her daughter gets swelling/itching when she has nits, and it made me realise I do too, luckily I don't get nits that much but with 3 shaggy small daughters it comes and goes. And I get swelling/itching with nit bites too. not the treatment, just the bites.

it isn't severe with me at all, that's why I hadn't noticed it til my friend mentioned her daughter, but it's definitely there.

[midnightsbrokentoll]

Where did she catch the nits?

[Dillie]

Could it be the hedrin? Cant really answer tbh, does it say anything on the packet?

Changed her shampoo or anything like that?