How To Prevent And Fight Head Lice In Children And Adults

Head Lice In Children And Adults

Head Lice In Children And Adults

Hard to get through the first years of the school unharmed by lice. What mother or father has not had their hair standing on end in the face of an infestation at their child’s school? And the hype is no wonder; if a single child is affected, an entire class can suffer an infestation.

And why are lice more common on the heads of little ones? The explanation is simple: the propagation takes place through direct contact, being the agglomeration in schools and daycare centers the favorable situation for these parasites to proliferate.

On the scalp, these small insects feed on blood and lay their eggs, the so-called nits, those tiny white dots that stick to the strands of hair. These eggs hatch in a maximum of 10 days, starting the infestation, which presents the first signs of intense itching.

The dermatosis caused by lice is called pediculosis, and there are three types: the pediculosis of the scalp, the body, and the pediculosis pubis (“boring”). The latter can be acquired through sex.

As head lice are not easy to treat but can be done in lice treatment houston for example, as they multiply very quickly, preventing an infestation can prevent many problems. Let’s list some simple measures below:

  • How to prevent head lice and avoid infestation
  • Frequently examine the heads of children;
  • Do not share items that touch your head, such as combs, towels, hairpins, hats, helmets, and headphones;
  • Change bedding routinely;
  • It is recommended to send children with their hair up to school;
  • Do not store clothing that is possibly infested with lice or pillows, blankets in closets;

Keep hairbrushes or other utensils submerged in hot water for 10 minutes. (Lice die in less than 48 hours without feeding on blood). Clothes and personal cloth utensils used in the last 48 hours must be washed with water at a temperature above 50 degrees Celsius and dried in a clothes dryer at the highest temperatures;

  • Comb wet hair with a fine-tooth comb to remove the nits;
  • Oral medication, only if guided by a doctor;
  • Treatment of family members is essential. However, it is rarely necessary to cut the hair of affected people.
  • It is still recommended that you continue to examine children’s heads for two to three weeks after the end of treatment to ensure that the problem has been brought under control.

The nits can be removed using a mixture of water and vinegar in a proportion of 1:1 (equal parts). The use of vinegar helps to loosen them from the threads. For removal, you can soak the hair with the mixture, wait for half an hour, and then use a fine-tooth comb or even your hands. You can also wet the cotton in the mix and go through the hair strands, from the roots to the ends.

Removing Lice And Nits Manually Is One Way To Treat Pediculosis.

All people who come into contact with a person with pediculosis of the head should undergo treatment in lice treatment houston for example. That’s why schools should be aware of this issue, as a student with the disease can be responsible for an infestation.

Pediculosis Prevention

The main ways to prevent the various forms of pediculosis are: avoiding contact with people infected by lice and not sharing personal items. In addition, it is essential that the guardians of school-age children frequently observe their scalp and, if possible, frequently perform a fine-tooth comb.

It is important to remember that pediculosis of the head is an issue that must be communicated to schools and daycare centers because, even if a person treats a child, it can be recontaminated if a collective effort is not made to stop the problem.