head lice, Know the facts...
What are head lice?
Who can get head lice?
Isn’t it true only dirty people
get head lice?
What are the signs and symptoms
of head lice?
Where are head lice most commonly
found?
How do I know if my child or I
have head lice?
What do head lice look like?
Misdiagnosis
What are head lice?
Pediculus Humanus Capitals, or head lice as they are
more commonly known, are tiny parasitic insects that
feed off human blood and develop on your scalp.
Having head lice is very common, in fact 6-12
million people get head lice every year.
Who can get head lice?
No one is immune to head lice; anyone who is exposed
to someone who already has the parasite is at
greatest risk. Pre-school and elementary age school
children, 3-11, and their families are typically the
most at risk. Girls get head lice more often than
boys, women more than men. Head lice can be
transferred in clothing such as hats, scarves, and
coats and personal items like hairbrushes and
towels.
Isn’t it true only dirty people get head
lice?
This is a common misconception, in fact personal
hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school have
nothing to do with getting head lice.
What are the signs and symptoms of head
lice?
-Tickling feeling of something moving in the hair
and on the head
-Itching, caused by an allergic reaction to the
bites.
-Irritability.
-Sores on the head caused by scratching. These sores
can sometimes become infected
Where are head lice most commonly found?
On the scalp behind the ears and near the neckline
at the back of the neck, Head lice hold on to hair
with hook-like claws found at the end of each of
their six legs. Head lice are rarely found on the
body, eyelashes, or eyebrows.
How do I know if my child or I have head
lice?
Head lice are often difficult to find. An
infestation is diagnosed by looking closely through
the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs, or adults.
- Finding a nymph or adult may be challenging; there are usually few of them and they can move quickly from searching fingers.
- If crawling lice are not seen, finding nits within a 1/4 inch of the scalp only means that there may have been louse there.
- If you only find nits more than 1/4 inch
from the scalp (and don't see a nymph or adult
louse), the infestation is probably an old one
and does not need to be treated.
- If you are not sure if a person has head lice, the diagnosis should be made by your health care provider, school nurse, or a professional from the health department.
Symptoms such as an itchy scalp, eczema, dandruff,
or allergic reactions to hair products are sometimes
misdiagnose as lice. A positive
diagnosis of an active case of head lice can only be
made if you find live lice. Nits can remain on the
hair for months but do not indicate an active
infestation.
There are three forms of lice: the egg (also called a nit), the nymph, and the adult. Nit:
- Nits are head lice eggs. They are hard to see and are often confused for dandruff or hair spray droplets. Nits are found firmly attached to the hair shaft. They are oval and usually yellow to white. Nits take about 1 week to hatch.
- Nymph: The nit hatches into a baby louse called a nymph. It looks like an adult head louse, but is smaller. Nymphs mature into adults about 7 days after hatching. To live, the nymph must feed on blood.
- Adult: The adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed, has six legs, and is tan to grayish-white. In persons with dark hair, the adult louse will look darker. Females lay nits; they are usually larger than males. Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person's head. To live, adult lice need to feed on blood. If the louse falls off a person, it dies within 2 days average.
Often dandruff , dry skin and or flaking is sometimes confused for lice. Be sure that it's not a skin condition as described above and when in doubt always seek the advise of a medical or hair professional that has been trained in the proper way to check and make that determination.
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