Pediculus humanus
capitis
It happens every year, in every school! It's
horrible, it's disgusting, but it's here and there's no getting away
from it. However there are ways of helping it spread less. I did
mention to some parents that I had gathered some information on head
lice and so here we are.
Most people do not know where to start when
looking for head lice but they are actually quite easy to find and
can be seen with the naked eye. To be extra sure you could try
looking for them with a magnifying glass. Head lice attach themselves
to the base of the hair shaft, the eggs, or nits, appear as tiny
white or dark oval sand are especially noticeable behind the ears and
at the nape of the neck.They do suck blood and this may cause redness
and itching. They are spread mainly spread through direct head
contact, but cannot live away from a host for more than 48
hours.
There are lots of different treatments on the market.
In Italian pharmacies you can find various products, Mom, Nix,
Aftir and Cruzzy. They normally come as lotion, shampoo or gel.Tea
tree oil is supposedly another method and there are other
essential oils that apparently work. Whatever treatment you decide
upon it always has to be combined with combing. You can buy a very
fine toothed comb specifically designed for the removal of head
lice, this will facilitate the whole operation. Comb through the
child's hair and be very thorough. Get them to read a book or
watch a video while you are doing this as it can be long and
tedious. It also pulls at the hair and so may even be slightly
painful. Don't presume that because you have shampooed or even
combed the childs' hair that you have rid yourself of this
problem. Always check again over the following days to be 100%
sure.
Another important last note, please do not
feel embarrassed by head lice, it will probably happen to all of you
sooner or later. It is fundamental that the school is informed so
that we can check all the children and stop one case becoming an
epidemic.
- For more information you can
click here
-
-