Humana HealthBeat Transcript Archive

Anyone who has kids in school or day care is very likely to hear the term "head lice" at some point. In fact, head lice affects 6 to 12 million people worldwide every year.

Last week my little one came home with a note that some children at her school have head lice. If the same thing happens to you, don't panic-and don't blame yourself if your child gets head lice. It doesn't mean you have a dirty household or neglect your child. These critters are extremely contagious and can be spread by head to head contact, or sharing hats, toys, or even lying on a couch that someone with the infection used before.

The head lice are parasitic insects, which need blood to survive-in fact, they die in a day or two if they fall from the head. The females lay their eggs, which attach right to the hair shaft. These eggs are called nits, and are usually yellow or white. They can be easily confused with dandruff or lint, but one way to tell them apart is that they are always oval and uniform in shape. Adult lice are about the size of a sesame seed, have six legs and are tan to grayish white.

Head lice don't carry other diseases but they can cause itching and irritation where they bite. Scratching the scalp may cause sores that can become infected.

Treatment consists of removing the nits with a fine tooth comb-- flea combs made for pets will work, or you can buy a special nit comb--and using over- the-counter lice medicine, such as Rid or Nix. Be sure to carefully follow the directions. And don't look for immediate results, lice are more likely to fall out the next day. You'll need to repeat the process in ten days to kill any lice that hatched after the first treatment. Insecticides, such as lindane and malathion, are available, but should only be used if treatment fails, and as prescribed by a doctor.

To prevent head lice, make sure kids know they shouldn't share combs, brushes and hats. It's also a good idea to wash or dry clean anything that could have come into contact with an infected person like hats, pillows, linens, and nightclothes, to vacuum floors, furniture and car seats, and to clean combs, brushes, and hair accessories.

March 6
Head Lice
	Anyone who has kids in school or day care is very likely to hear the term "head lice" at some point. In fact, head lice affects 6 to 12 million people worldwide every year. Last week my little one came home with a note that some children at her school have head lice. If the same thing happens to you, don't panic-and don't blame yourself if your child gets head lice. It doesn't mean you have a dirty household or neglect your child. These critters are extremely contagious and can be spread by head to head contact, or sharing hats, toys, or even lying on a couch that someone with the infection used before. The head lice are parasitic insects, which need blood to survive-in fact, they die in a day or two if they fall from the head. The females lay their eggs, which attach right to the hair shaft. These eggs are called nits, and are usually yellow or white. They can be easily confused with dandruff or lint, but one way to tell them apart is that they are always oval and uniform in shape. Adult lice are about the size of a sesame seed, have six legs and are tan to grayish white. Head lice don't carry other diseases but they can cause itching and irritation where they bite. Scratching the scalp may cause sores that can become infected. Treatment consists of removing the nits with a fine tooth comb-- flea combs made for pets will work, or you can buy a special nit comb--and using over- the-counter lice medicine, such as Rid or Nix. Be sure to carefully follow the directions. And don't look for immediate results, lice are more likely to fall out the next day. You'll need to repeat the process in ten days to kill any lice that hatched after the first treatment. Insecticides, such as lindane and malathion, are available, but should only be used if treatment fails, and as prescribed by a doctor. To prevent head lice, make sure kids know they shouldn't share combs, brushes and hats. It's also a good idea to wash or dry clean anything that could have come into contact with an infected person like hats, pillows, linens, and nightclothes, to vacuum floors, furniture and car seats, and to clean combs, brushes, and hair accessories.

	Should you treat yourself as a preventive measure if someone in the household has head lice? Absolutely not. You should only treat an active infestation. There's also no need to use any kind of insect repellant in your home. You should, however, check everyone in the home to see if any lice are present and treat those individuals who may be infected. References and Resources: Highlight on Head Lice Centers of Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/default.htm Headlice.Org www.headlice.org Head Lice Information Harvard School of Public Health www.hsph.harvard.edu/headlice.html