Cold sores may not be a serious health condition but they are painful, definitely annoying and often embarrassing for those who get them. And, as all sufferers know, often the sores appear at the worst times. We are all exposed to the cold sores virus but not all of us will experience an outbreak of the sores. Those who do usually get repeated attacks. Our first exposure to the virus is most likely in childhood.
With the kids back at school, head lice often becomes a hot topic for many parents. Head lice are small, flat insects about three millimetres long that live on the human scalp, feeding on blood. They cannot jump, fly or swim but are spread when people have their heads close together or by sharing combs, brushes and hats. The female lice lay eggs called nits close to the scalp and these are glued firmly to each hair. The eggs hatch in about a week and live for up to 40 days.
Scabies is quite a common skin condition caused by tiny insects (scabies mites) that get under the surface of the skin. The adult female burrows along and lays eggs as it goes. The eggs hatch into larvae that travel to the skin’s surface, mature into adults, mate and repeat the cycle.
