Saturday, November 29, 2008

Does Your Child Have Headlice

By Jennifer King

Do you think your child has head lice? Have you noticed him scratching his head frequently? Or maybe you've heard of an outbreak of head louse at his school? You can probably discover if your son or daughter has head louse by doing an easy evaluation at home.

The easiest way to spot head lice is by noticing their eggs in your child's hair. Louse eggs are also known as nits. These eggs get laid by the lice on your child's hair shaft close to the scalp. This is why a head check depends on scrutinizing your child's scalp. Before the baby lice hatch, nits look tan, brown, or yellow. Once the nit has hatched, the shell will stay attached to your child's hair shaft. This is the easiest thing to notice, as it is whitish, looking somewhat like dandruff. The main difference between nits and dandruff is dandruff is easily shaken from the hair shaft, while nits are glued to the shaft.

Sometimes you will be able to notice adult head louse on your child's hair, particularly if your child's hair is short. These little beasties are small, the same size as a sesame seed from your hamburger bun, and they tend to possess the same coloring as your child's hair. A lot of parents grasp their little ones are infected the moment they see the adult lice moving through their kid's hair.

Head scratching is, without a doubt, another sign of a head lice infestation. In saying that, not all children find head lice to be itchy. Also, scratching the scalp could be an indication of other problems, such as dandruff or eczema. The itching from nits is commonly described as a tickle, or the sensation of something moving about on the scalp.

Children who have sensitive scalps, and spend a lot of time scratching because of the nits will regularly get a rash on their scalp. Head lice rash looks like red bumps at the base of the hair shaft. It may infrequently develop into a more extreme infection that needs antibiotics.

If you suspect your child could be suffering from head lice, part his hair and observe the base of the hair shaft for the nits. Pay particular concern to the areas of scalp around the ears and neck. If you have trouble focusing up close, you may want to use a magnifying glass. Make sure you do the lice checking in bright light. If you can't see anything, but the itching does not go away, it is time for a trip to the doctor. On the other hand, if there is continual scratching, and you've heard of an outbreak at school or day care, you possibly can be sure that the cause is head lice.

To treat head lice you can purchase a medicated shampoo that can eliminate the lice. Make sure you follow the instructions to the letter, because improper use won' eliminate all of the lice. You will also want to comb through the hair using a fine tooth comb to remove any nits that are not eliminated by the shampoo.

When you have cured your child, wash any clothes that are lying around, as lice have the ability to live up to three days out of the hair if they are attached to clothing. Also, boil anything that comes in contact with an infected head, including combs, brushes and bows. It is particularly crucial to wash any bedding. Vacuum all furniture and floors. Then watch carefully for signs of any re-occurrence. If it occurs, start the process again. It can be hard work, but you can get rid of head lice with the proper steps. - 16004

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