People get head lice from direct contact with other people who are infested
by wearing infested clothing, using infested brushes and combs, lying on
infested carpets or beds, and from resting the head against upholstered
furniture or car seats formerly used by an infested person.
ANYONE can become infested with head lice, rich or poor, dirty or clean.
Lice are small, grayish-white, wingless bugs (about the size of tiny ants).
They cannot fly, and they do not jump, but they do move very quickly. They lay
oval, whitish-silvery eggs called nits.
Nits are whitish eggs that are attached to a hair shaft with a cement-like
substance located close to the scalp. They are not to be confused with dandruff,
hair casts (debris) or hair spray droplets which are flaky. Nits are attached to
a single shaft of hair and will not come off like dandruff. Nits are the most
common sign of lice found during screening.
Intense itching caused by feeding of the lice is the other major symptom of
lice infestation.
Lice and their nits are usually found in the hairy surface of the scalp,
behind the ears and at the back (nape) of the neck, though they may be found on
other areas of the scalp.
Once lice infestation starts, it can spread quickly. Prompt action requires
ridding yourself of this tormenting pest. Be sure to check all family members,
especially those who sleep with the infested child.
Lice and their nits can survive, for a time, off the human host. It is very
important that infested persons and their personal articles that may be infested
are treated promptly.
TREATMENT
- Several
shampoos and a prescription cream rinse to kill lice are on the market.
Some can be bought over-the-counter at your local drugstore, (ask the
pharmacist for name brands) but others require a prescription.
- Remove
all clothing and put clothing in a plastic bag. This may be done in the bathtub or shower stall.
- Shampoo
hair and scalp with lice treatment product according to doctor's
instructions, label instructions or use the lice treatment cream rinse
according to the directions.
- Put
on freshly cleaned clothes. Use
clean towels and bed linens.
- Comb
hair well with fine toothcomb. Rinse
the comb after each area of hair is combed. Nit combs usually are supplied with the shampoo or
rinse. Removing nits manually
(pulling them out with fingernails) is the best option for removal,
especially when treatment products have failed. Be sure to wash under fingernails after nit removal.
- The
U.S. Government's Public Health Service recommends a second shampoo (with
the medicated shampoo) in 7-10 days to kill any (live) nits that were not
killed with the first treatment. Do
not treat more than twice in one week. Do not shampoo or put other products on hair between
treatments, and do not use regular shampoos containing conditioners.
- Machine-wash
all washable clothing, hats, coats, etc. and bed linens, towels that were in
contact with anyone infested in the last 3 days. Wash using very hot soapy
water, dry and/or hot setting. You
may also dry articles for at least 20 minutes on high setting of clothes
dryer for those articles that cannot be washed.
- Personal
articles of clothing or bedding, including stuffed animals, that cannot be
washed or dried may be dry-cleaned or left in a plastic bag and sealed for
7-14 days.
- Soaking
them in the special shampoo or cream rinse for an hour can disinfect combs,
brushes and similar items.
- Mattresses,
blankets, pillows, rugs, upholstered furniture and car seats need to be
treated. Vacuuming these
articles will work. Lysol,
Clorox or other such cleaners do not affect the head lice or nits.
To prevent the spread of head lice, persons should not share articles that
come in contact with the head, neck or shoulders such as combs, brushes, hats,
coats, towels, scarves, etc.
Resources
American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Clinical
Report on Head Lice, Volume 110, Number 3, September 2002,
http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/110/3/638
Harvard
School of Public Health
Head Lice:
Information and Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/headlice.html
Center
for Disease Control (CDC)
Fact Sheet:
Treating Head Lice
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/headlice/factsht_head_lice_treating.htm
