How to Treat Lice

No one wants to be told that he or she has lice. Lice are very small parasites that like to dwell in clothing or in the hair found on humans. The medical term for a lice infestation is pediculosis. While all ages and genders may suffer from a lice infestation, it is commonly found in school-aged children.Lice feed on blood and their bites cause red, sore, itchy bumps. In severe infestations, they can be seen on the scalp and perhaps in hair that grows under the arms and in the groin area.Three types of lice are common to humans, including head lice, body lice and lice found in the groin area. Head lice are extremely common in children who go to school or day care and are very contagious. Learning how to identify and treat lice may help relieve symptoms, offer emotional and physical relief as well as to prevent spreading.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Over the counter anti-lice products
• Magnifying glass
• Nit comb

1. Watch for intense itching and scratching of the scalp. Carefully examine your child's scalp. Pay special attention to the roots, neckline and behind the ears. You should look for miniscule moving objects, though in some cases, parents are able to adequately see tiny white-looking egg sacs clustered around and clinging to hair roots at the base of the scalp.

2. If you purchase an anti-lice kit at your local drugstore, it should contain a special comb called a nit comb as well as an anti-lice shampoo. Using the comb, slowly pass through small sections of hair to remove lice. Part the hair in sections and then carefully examine each section, especially those close to the scalp and near the hair roots. In some cases, a parent or individual will need to use a magnifying glass to see the lice.

3. Remove the child's clothing and place in a plastic bag. Remove the special shampoo contained in the anti-lice kit. Pour about an ounce of the shampoo inside the palm of your hand. Gently lather your child's scalp, making sure to reach and coat areas near the base of the scalp and around the ears and crown of the head. Rinse, and then repeat the process as necessary.

4. Wash all items used by the child or person infested. Vacuum anything in the home that the person has been in contact with. Lice generally die within 24 hours unless they have a blood source.

Tips & Warnings

• Wash all clothing, bedsheets and covers in hot water. Prevent the child or individual from playing or coming into contact with others until it is certain that the lice are dead and cannot spread.
• Intense itching may cause infections and extreme discomfort. Always treat lice as soon as possible with a combination of manual combing and anti-lice treatments found at your local drug store.

Resources

• National Pediculosis Association

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[shigawirereel]

on 11/22/2009 You don't need to vacuum, wash, etc. As you say, lice die without a blood source, so they really don't hang out anywhere but the human head. Just treat the head and skip the cleaning. The FAQ on the "Nuvo for head lice" site is really good. (Don't worry, the site isn't selling anything.) I strongly recommend the Cetaphil treatment described on that site; worked for my family. No matter what treatment you choose, you will find the FAQ on that site very helpful in dispelling all the misinformation out there.