A female flea lays up to 50 eggs a day. Adult fleas live on pets, such as cats, feeding on blood and laying eggs in the fur. These eggs drop off in areas where the pet sits or sleeps and hatch into a larval stage. The larval stage then burrows down and encases itself in a cocoon to become the pupal stage, which can lie dormant for up to 6 months. Read more: How Can I Get Rid of Fleas on My Kitten? Article
Multimedia: Slideshows, Images & Quizzes
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Pet Health Pictures Slideshow: What You Need to Know About Fleas and Ticks
Watch this pet health slideshow to see the warning signs of flea and tick infestation and the best treatments for dogs, cats, and...
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Picture of Flea Bites
Some people are very sensitive to flea bites -- but scratching can cause a wound or infection. See a picture of Flea Bites and...
QUESTION
What percentage of the human body is water? See AnswerRelated Disease Conditions
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Common Medical Abbreviations & Terms
Doctors, pharmacists, and other health-care professionals use abbreviations, acronyms, and other terminology for instructions and information in regard to a patient's health condition, prescription drugs they are to take, or medical procedures that have been ordered. There is no approved this list of common medical abbreviations, acronyms, and terminology used by doctors and other health- care professionals. You can use this list of medical abbreviations and acronyms written by our doctors the next time you can't understand what is on your prescription package, blood test results, or medical procedure orders. Examples include: ANED: Alive no evidence of disease. The patient arrived in the ER alive with no evidence of disease. ARF: Acute renal (kidney) failure cap: Capsule. CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure. A treatment for sleep apnea. DJD: Degenerative joint disease. Another term for osteoarthritis. DM: Diabetes mellitus. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes HA: Headache IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease. A name for two disorders of the gastrointestinal (BI) tract, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis JT: Joint N/V: Nausea or vomiting. p.o.: By mouth. From the Latin terminology per os. q.i.d.: Four times daily. As in taking a medicine four times daily. RA: Rheumatoid arthritis SOB: Shortness of breath. T: Temperature. Temperature is recorded as part of the physical examination. It is one of the "vital signs."
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Flea Bites (In Humans)
Flea bites are caused by the parasitic insect, the flea. The most common species of flea in the US is the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. Signs and symptoms of flea bites in humans include itching, hives, a rash with bumps, red spots with a "halo," and swelling around the bite. Treatment for flea bites includes over-the-counter medicine and natural and home remedies to relieve and soothe itching and inflammation. The redness of a flea bite can last from a few hours to several days.
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Lice vs. Fleas
Lice and fleas are small wingless insects. Lice are parasites that can crawl and infest the human skin and scalp. Although they can bite people, fleas are parasites that mainly feed on non-human hosts and can jump from one host to another. Lice infestations and fleabites are treatable and typically do not cause long-term problems with proper treatments for home, people, and pets.
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How Do You Know if It's a Bed Bug Bite or a Flea Bite?
Learn the difference between flea bites and bed bug bites.
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