|
WHAT ARE HEAD LICE?
Head lice are parasites that live on people's hair and scalp. The
medical name for head lice is “Pediculosis.” This is a very common
health concern, especially in children. About 12 million Americans
get head lice each year. Preschool and elementary school children
(ages 6-10) and their families get head lice the most often. While
it is a nuisance, it is entirely treatable and usually not cause
for serious alarm.
Having head lice does not mean a person is dirty or has poor
hygiene any more than catching a cold means a person is dirty.
Lice actually prefer clean hair.
SIGNS THAT A PERSON HAS LICE
-
Tickling feeling of something moving through the hair
-
Itching, caused by an allergic reaction to the bites
-
Irritability
-
Sores on the head caused by scratching
-
Seeing the lice or
lice eggs
on the person.
(They are most commonly
found behind the ears and near the neckline at the back of the
neck.
They hold on to hair with hook-like claws found at the end of
their legs. They are not usually found on the body, eyelashes, or
eyebrows.)
-
If nits (lice eggs) are found within about 1/4 inch of the scalp,
the person has lice and should be treated. (Nits will not slide off
of the hair shaft. If the nits are farther from the scalp, that
means the hair is growing and the infestation is probably an old
one and may no longer need treatment.)
-
If you are not sure the person has lice, the
diagnosis should be made by a health care provider, school nurse,
or another professional.
WHAT DO HEAD LICE LOOK LIKE?
There are three forms of head lice: the
nit, the nymph, and the
adult.
|
| Adult:
The adult is about the size of a sesame seed, has six legs,
and is tan or grayish-white. Adults can live up to 30 days on a
person's head, and need to feed on blood to live. If an adult
louse falls off a person's head, it will die within 2 days. |
Adult female and adult male
(magnified many times) |
WHAT
TO DO IN CASE OF AN OUTBRAKE
