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Does Your Child Have Head Lice?
Head lice are tiny insects that live in human hair. If your child has head lice, they will likely experience intense itching of the scalp. You may also see red bumps on the scalp when you part the hair, as well as tiny white specks on the hair strands near the scalp that are difficult to remove. These are most commonly seen at the base of the scalp above the neck and around the ears, the most common places that head lice live. However, head lice can live anywhere on the scalp, and occasionally infest the eyebrows.
If you suspect that your child might have head lice, you should examine the scalp to be sure. This is best done in bright sunlight or using the brightest light you have in your house. Wear disposable gloves and part the hair all the way down to the scalp. If your child has head lice, you will probably see red bumps and irritation of the scalp when you look closely. You might also see tiny white bumps at the base of the hair strands. These are called nits, and are the eggs of the head lice. While you usually will not see live head lice on your examination, there is a chance that you will catch a glimpse of a tiny, brown speck amongst the hair. This is a louse.
Once you are sure that your child does have head lice, you must aggressively treat the problem to ensure that you fully eradicate the lice. Head lice cannot live on pets, but they can survive on bedding, clothing, combs, brushes and other commonly used items. Every person in the family should be examined for lice. If any other family members show signs of head lice, they should also be treated. All hairbrushes, combs and hair items should either be thrown away and replaced, or boiled in water.
While adult lice will usually die within twenty-four hours of leaving the infected person’s scalp, that amount of time is more than sufficient to spread the infestation. Therefore, sheets, pillowcases, blankets and stuffed animals should be put in a hot clothes dryer for thirty minutes to kill any lice on them. It used to be recommended that stuffed animals should be bagged for a few weeks to ensure that all adult lice and eggs were killed, but that is no longer considered necessary. The entire house should also be carefully vacuumed.
Treatment for head lice includes the use of special shampoos and combs to kill adult lice and remove their eggs. Many brands of head lice shampoo are available over the counter and are usually effective when used correctly. If these shampoos do not work, your physician can prescribe a shampoo with insecticide in it. It is important to use a fine-tooth comb specially made for removing nits to make sure that no eggs are left on the affected person’s head. To prevent re-infestation, emphasize that combs, brushes and hair items should never be shared.
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Sun 6 Jul 2008 02:26:55 CST | |