Head Lice And Diagnosing The Problem|Healthy LifeStyle

Head Lice And Diagnosing The Problem

By: GREGORY MARTINI

Between six and twelve million people in the U.S. alone struggle with infestations of head lice and body lice each year. Lice date back to ancient times, and they have lived as parasites on our bodies and scalps ever since. An adult louse has no wings, so when he finds a head to live on, he's there to stay. His only food is human blood. Living on the scalp means he always has a ready food source. It's a rare person who has never had to deal with head lice with children being the most susceptible to infestations.
The diagnosis of head lice is relatively straight forward. You can look for lice bites or the presence of shiny white eggs in the hair, but the best way to determine if somebody has head lice is to comb their hair thoroughly with a lice comb and then examine the comb afterwards 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.
Keeping your child's hair short is a useful way to prevent nits. If your child has been infested with lice, you cannot send your child to school where others may then be contaminated. It is vital to wash all bedding and towels regularly in hot water. The first clue that your child has nits is constant scratching of the head and scalp.
There are numerous different treatments available for a child infested with lice. There are natural products, silicone based lotions, and hot hair treatments that will put an end to the problem. But, no matter what treatment you choose, remember that none of the treatments are 100 percent effective. It is very important to follow up on the treatment to prevent a reinfestation.
Between six and twelve million people in the U.S. alone struggle with infestations of head lice and body lice each year. Lice date back to ancient times, and they have lived as parasites on our bodies and scalps ever since. An adult louse has no wings, so when he finds a head to live on, he's there to stay. His only food is human blood. Most schools in the United States have a no nit policy which means that children with lice are dismissed from class until the problem is dealt with and all lice have been removed.