Schools are one of the places where head lice spread quickly among children; and at a rapid rate. It can be very difficult to prevent head lice among the children in a school, but parents must be on guard to keep the head lice outbreak contained. Head lice prevention will require treatment as soon as possible to eliminate the lice and eggs so that the lice epidemic stops as soon as possible.
Sharing hats, scarves, coats and other personal items can encourage the spread of head lice. To practice good head lice prevention, you should keep your kids from sharing their clothing with other children. The close proximity of children in school and clothing items that are stored in the same area makes it very difficult to stop the spread of head lice.
When head lice are detected in your child, it is important to begin treatment immediately. Some people who are infested with head lice don’t suffer from any symptoms whatsoever. The common symptoms that are experienced are a sensation of something moving on your hair and scalp. Some people will be distracted by the sensation and may constantly scratch their scalp. Others will be more irritable than usual, but this will depend on the person. Small red bumps are sometimes visible on the neck, scalp and shoulders of those who are infested with head lice. This occurs because of an allergic reaction to the saliva that comes from the lice when they are feeding on your scalp. Visibly seeing the lice is possible in some cases. The lice are typically very tiny and difficult to see, but they can also grow up to three millimeters in size. Nits or the eggs of the lice are also sometimes visible on the hair shaft. They look like dandruff, but they are not easily dislodged from the hair.
The risk factors for getting head lice are simply coming into contact with the lice. Personal hygiene does not have anything to do with whether or not you will get head lice. That is why it is common among young children who spend a great deal of time in close contact with each other.
Parents of children who have head lice should keep their children at home while they have an active infestation. The treatment for head lice can be bought over the counter and typically will kill the lice and the nits that are on the scalp. If the non prescription shampoos don’t kill the lice, you can also get a prescription strength shampoo to eliminate the lice and nits.
Head lice prevention is all about preventing the infestation to travel from person to person. Identifying the lice and nits is the most important first step so that treatments can begin. You are more likely to find the nits than you are to see the lice on your scalp. If the nits are within a quarter of an inch from the scalp the infestation is a current one and it must be treated. Nits that are further away from the scalp are most likely the result of a previous infestation.
Keeping your children home until the infestation is eliminated will prevent other children from becoming infested. In many cases, a widespread infestation of head lice occurs before anyone notices the symptoms and can begin treatment. Schools will typically perform head checks for head lice and inform parents if there has been an infestation found in the school. Catching the problem early is the only head lice prevention method that is currently available. Keep an eye on your children and check their scalp if you notice any excessive head scratching or if your child complains of an itchy scalp.
Comments are closed