Review, are your kids scratching their heads more than usual? Maybe they are stumped by their new math classes - or maybe they are infested by head lice.
It could happen. It happens a lot, in fact, especially at back to school time. Experts say head lice will affect approximately one in every 10 children. Younger kids - between 3 and 12 - tend to pick up the parasite more than older kids, and girls more than boys.
Head lice are highly contagious, so there is no reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed they invade your home. Hygiene is not a factor. Lice need human blood to survive, so if some happen to have lost their way off of someone's head and into a cap or couch or carpet, all it takes is for your child to put on that cap or lean against that couch or lay on that carpet and the hungry little lice will be ecstatic to have found a new home on your child's pretty little head. Away from a host, the parasites can survive for a day or two on upholstery, clothing and the like.
Head lice - what to look for
If you suspect lice, do an inspection. Look behind the ears and the back of the neck where lice have a tendency to hang out. They are about the size of sesame seeds and similar in color, though they can be lighter or darker. Nits, as lice eggs are called, are easier to find because lice practically cement them on to the hair near the scalp. They are tiny ovals that could be mistaken for dandruff, but unlike dandruff (or other debris) you will not be able to shake a nit off. Eggs take about a week to hatch.
Head lice - what to do about them
First of all, wash everything the infested family member has come into contact with in very hot water, vacuum everything, including furniture and car, and seal unwashables like stuffed toys, pillows, and the like in plastic for a couple of weeks.
There are head lice home remedies and over the counter head lice treatments. You'll also need to get a lice comb or nit comb. Use the treatment as directed, and comb through your child's hair with the nit comb every day. When finally you see no evidence of lice, you still should continue to use the nit comb daily for at least eight days after. Two weeks is better.