Itching and Scratching? It Could Be Head Lice

Every parent knows that when they see their child scratching their head, it could mean head lice. Head lice are tiny bugs that live on the scalp and lay eggs on the hair shafts. It's not a very nice thought, to have bugs crawling around your, or your child's head, but it happens quite frequently once children head off the day care or school. The lice are usually hard to see and can be a grayish brown color and they don't infect other animals like cats and dogs, but their eggs can dislodge from the scalp and fall onto bedding, clothing and carpet. Head lice live off human blood and as they feed and move around, they cause the scalp to itch. While the lice won't cause any diseases, they are an annoying and inconvenient pest and can drive parents crazy.

Head lice infestations occur frequently in children because they often share hair brushes or hats, which then transfers the lice and their nits, the young lice, from head to head. To prevent, or at least lessen the chances of your child becoming infected with lice, check their hair every few days or at least once a week. It's important to explain to young children that they shouldn't share clothing, especially hats, or use each other's hair brushes. For day cares, there should be separate lockers or cubbies for each child to keep possibly infected objects away from other clothing. There was an old rumor around that said head lice meant a person was dirty, but we now know that this isn't true. In fact, head lice prefer clean hair.

So what do you do if your child has head lice? First, it does no good to panic and while the lice are disgusting, it's very important to act quickly to avoid further spread. There are several very effective shampoos for treatment of lice. They cost around $10 or so and work quite well, however, the shampoos won't be effective on their own. There are shampoos that contain an insecticide and there are also non-toxic types available over the counter. One you've shampooed the child's hair and left the treatment on for the specified time, rinse thoroughly. Then comes the second part of the treatment. This involves using a special nit comb to carefully go through the hair a bit at a time to remove the nits. The combs have teeth that are close together to catch the nits and eggs. Starting close to the scalp, draw the comb through a small section of hair. After each section, wash off the comb with hot water and start a new section. This is definitely time consuming, but essential. Lice hatch after about 7 days, so you're likely to have a new batch of lice in about a week. So, repeat the treatment until you're certain no more lice remain.

If you have more than one child, it's probably a good idea to check them all and if necessary, wash everyone's head with the treatment shampoo. The non-insecticidal shampoos don't kill the lice, but they make them move slower so you can comb them out easier. After treating the hair, it's important to wash the child's comb or brush, bedding and clothing in very hot soapy water. Vacuum the child's bedroom and anywhere else they may have had contact with. Change the vacuum bag after cleaning to make sure the lice can't get out and reinfect the house. If the child's hair still has lice, repeat the treatment again, but only use the insecticidal shampoo every 7 days. The non-insecticidal shampoo can be used at any time. Once you and your child are lice free, go over the importance of not sharing clothing and hats and stress it over and over again, unless you want to go through the whole process again.