Have you ever been informed by your child that there is a lice infestation in their class or school when they take out a notification from the school nurse?
You’re not alone if it makes you feel uneasy, disgusted, or plain irritated. Such responses are common among parents.
Your best line of defence against an infestation at home is learning how to identify and cure head lice. Most head lice infestations can be cured with over-the-counter or prescribed treatments.
A specific little bug known as a louse feeds on blood. Head, body and pubic lice are the three primary forms of lice that feed on human blood.
The places on your body they are most prone to infect are indicated by the names of the varieties of lice. “Crabs” is another term for pubic lice.
Diseases are only known to be transferred via body lice. However, head lice, which are the most prevalent form to infect youngsters, cannot transmit any infections. Head lice often only produce minor symptoms and no harm to health.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in South Africa reports that the medical term for having lice is “pediculosis”. It means infestation with the human head-and-body louse Pediculus humanus. Contrary to what many people think, it doesn’t mean your child is unclean or has bad hygiene.
Even the most hygienic individual can get head lice if they are in close proximity to an infected person or exchange personal belongings with them. Your child may get head lice, for instance, if they:
. Touch someone who has head lice with their head or their hair.
. Wear a cap or scarf that was worn by a person who had head lice.
. Use a brush or comb that has been used by a person who has head lice.
. Exchange other private items with someone who has head lice, such as barrettes, hair ties, pillows, blankets, wash-cloths, or towels.
Without wings, head lice are unable to fly or hop. All they can do is crawl. Additionally, because lice attach themselves to hair shafts with adhesive, their eggs, or “nits”, aren't mobile.
Therefore, according to an NICD study, intimate touch of some kind is necessary for lice to spread from one person’s head to another. There is no chance of catching head lice from animals, as they exclusively consume human blood.
The idea that lice can’t survive in short hair is a prevalent one. In actuality, they don’t give a damn about length or hairstyles.
According to the NICD, they attach themselves around half a cm from your scalp. They can thus live on the skulls of most individuals, even those with short hair.
If your kid has an itchy scalp, feels like something is crawling on their scalp, or has little blood spots on their scalp that might get infected, they may have head lice. If your kid often scratches his or her scalp, there is a greater chance of infection.
How can lice be checked?
Check your child’s scalp and hair with a magnifying lens if you think they could have lice. Shining a bright light on their head could also be beneficial. Since lice prefer to avoid strong light, it may be simpler to see them when they make an effort to flee.
The areas of your child’s body where lice and nits are most likely to be detected are at their neck, along their hairline and behind their ears.
To check for nits and lice in your child’s hair, use a lice comb (which has fine teeth). Even though you’re less likely to detect nits or lice there, you should nonetheless inspect their eyelashes and eyebrows.
Ask the school nurse, physician, or representative of the local health department to confirm, if you are unsure whether your kid has lice.
How are head lice treated?
To prevent the infestation spreading to other family members, it’s critical to treat head lice or nits as soon as possible if your child has them.
Other family members should also be checked for lice and nits. To reduce the chance of one person passing lice or nits on to another, treat everyone who has them at the same time.
Most head lice instances may be cured using pediculicides, insecticides that kill lice and nits without harming humans, they are available over-the-counter or on prescription.
Every two to three days after applying the medication, thoroughly inspect your child's head and comb their hair with a lice comb to eradicate any lingering nits and lice.
A week after the initial application you may need to repeat the process. If you have any questions, follow the directions on the packaging and speak with your doctor.
Cleaning objects that might harbour head lice is also crucial, according to the NICD. For instance, wash your child’s caps, scarves, hair accessories and clothing from the days before treatment, pillowcases from the days before treatment, bedding from those days, brushes and combs, and towels if they have head lice or nits.
Extended exposure to high temperatures kills lice and nits. Items that could be contaminated should be machine-washed in hot water and dried in a hot oven.
To get rid of any lice and nits that a piece of clothing may be carrying, dry-clean it, put it in a plastic bag for two weeks, or soak it in hot water for five to 10 minutes.
To rule out the possibility that the lice have already spread, family members in the home should be examined. Pediculicides should only be used on those who have been found to have lice.
Vacuum the floors, furniture, and beds to be extra safe and get rid of any hairs that may have fallen from your child’s head while they were affected.
It might be uncomfortable to deal with a head lice infestation. It’s critical to understand that head lice are not an indication of filth or bad hygiene. Anyone who has intimate contact with a person who has head lice or their possessions runs the risk of contracting it.
If your kid or a member of your household has head lice, act swiftly to cure the problem. Most cases of lice and nits may be eradicated treatments.