Vitality News Health Articles

The head louse is a wingless insect that lives on the human scalp and feeds exclusively on human blood. It has lived with us for thousands of years as a species, and most of us have experienced the frustration of having them as parasites at some point in our lives, most often when we were children, when we were most susceptible to being infected. Every year, between six and twelve million Americans deal with having head lice or body lice.

It is pretty easy to diagnose head lice. Those infected may have lice bites or even shiny white eggs in their hair. However, the easiest method to detect head lice to is thoroughly comb the individual’s hair using a lice comb, and then inspect the comb for the presence of lice.

As parents, the best way to prevent head lice on our children is to check them regularly. Most schools in the United States have a no nit policy which means that children with head lice are dismissed from class until the problem is dealt with and all lice have been removed.

This can stop lice from being passed between children, yet frequently lice are not discovered until they have been transmitted from one child to another. It is therefore very important to inspect your child’s hair on a regular basis, particularly if they are aged between four and twelve.

If your child is doing a lot of head and scalp scratching, it might be a sign of head lice. If your child does have lice, you’ll have to clean all bed clothes and towels frequently. Don’t send your child back to school until you’re sure all the nits are gone because lice are easily transferred to others. Keeping your child’s hair in a shorter style makes it easier to check the scalp and may help prevent the problem.

Luckily there are several viable options for treating lice in children and adults. There are silicone-based lotions and herbal lotions. The application of heat will also work. While any of these methods will work, they are not one hundred percent successful on the first application of treatment. That is why following the full course of treatment is very important in order to prevent relapses.

Millions of people in U.S. struggle with infestations of head lice and body lice each year. An adult louse has no wings, so when it finds a head to live on, it stays there. Its only food is human blood. Most schools in the United States have a no nit policy that means that children with lice are dismissed from class until the problem is dealt with and all lice have been removed. This can stop kids from spreading lice, but occasionally they are not exposed for an extended period of time. Keeping your child’s hair short is a useful way to prevent nits.

- norman horowitz