It’s almost certain if you have a child in school that you’ll receive a letter at some point in their academic career concerning lice. Usually, a school nurse will detect an outbreak, and the dutiful school administrators will alert the parents to examine their offspring’s heads closely for signs of the creatures.
Lice (the plural of louse) are small, parasitic, wingless bugs that thrive in human hair, where they affix themselves to hair follicles and feast on blood from the scalp. They are contagious, annoying and somewhat hard to get rid of, but they are not particularly dangerous. They do not transmit disease and can’t be shared with pets, although they do cause a lot of itchy scalps, which can become infected if the lice aren’t removed.
Ultimately, with a little attention and medicated shampoo, infected kids will be back on track, minus the lice.
What to Do About Those Tiny Little Nuisances
A lice outbreak will be visible to the naked eye and are usually seen as nits on the hair follicles rather than live lice. They may be tan, yellow or brown and are about the size of tiny watermelon or sesame seeds. Because they are contagious, an outbreak on one person will usually lead to a cluster of three or four infected people. Hence, the letters home to remind parents to check for them.
A medicated shampoo, lotion or cream applied directly to the hair is the usual treatment. This requires patience because the procedure needs to be repeated, and a fine-toothed comb needs to be used to remove any remaining nits. Medicated shampoos are available over-the-counter or with a prescription and usually are good for use on anyone 2 years and older. But as with any medication, read the directions carefully and ask a doctor if you are unsure about any use for a child or other person with any special medical condition.