Head Lice - What Are the Symptoms

Head lice hot season is fast approaching and with the school yard a hot spot for

head lice infestations it is important to be aware of what to look out for and what you need to do in the case your child has a case of head lice.

It is said that one in four primary school children carry head lice at any one time a NitWits survey [2010] has also found that ninety five per cent of all head lice cases are picked up at school.

Remember that head lice are not dangerous, nor are they a sign of poor hygiene. They are highly contagious and quite irritating to the children and parents. They crawl exceptionally fast and once they have hold of the hair they will scurry further up the hair shaft on to the scalp. A female adult louse will lay between fifty and one hundred and fifty nits which, after seven to ten days, will birth new lice.

Many head lice infestations cause no symptoms at all and only thirty to fifty per cent of people actually do itch, which is why it is so important to be aware of a potential head lice infestation.

In some cases the louse bite can create an itch on the scalp which can cause some irritation. Nymphs are adolescent lice that will also feed off the scalp. Some people may see little red bumps or sores where the head lice have bitten into the scalp for blood and in some extreme cases one can get a very irritable rash. Irritation levels can go from mild to the extreme which would depend on the individual and also on the extremity of the head lice infestation.

One of the best things a parent can do is to regularly check their child for head lice once a week is ideal. Use a combing solution or conditioner to help make combing that much easier, and with a fine tooth comb, separate the hair into four centimetre sections and comb through the hair.

If a case of head lice is caught early one may find only a few head lice and eggs, if the infestation is left unattended the head lice life cycle can continue to create generations of head lice. To treat head lice you will need to apply a treatment solution and complete the treatment by thoroughly comb out all head lice and their eggs. Complete removal is necessary to stop the head lice life cycle. The head lice eggs are not eradicated by the treatment as the solution cannot penetrate the shell, therefore will hatch and grow to lay their own eggs.

Don't wait for an infestation or even an outbreak in your school, look to protect your children from head lice. Discourage children from sharing hats and hair ties and encourage them to tie long hair into a bun or plait. There are also prevention and repellent sprays available at leading supermarkets and pharmacies that can be used daily and can help ward off head lice, avoiding a potential infestation and saving you the hassle of a complete head lice treatment.

Head Lice - What Are the Symptoms

By: Melanie Franklyn

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