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Head Lice A NitPickin Nuisance

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Head lice feed on blood from your scalp ... Tickling feeling on scalp. Itchy scalp. Feeling of something moving in the hair. Irritability ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Head Lice A NitPickin Nuisance


1
Head Lice A Nit-Pickin Nuisance
2
What are Head Lice?
  • Insects that live and reproduce on your head
  • Head lice feed on blood from your scalp
  • Head lice are a common nuisance, but are not
    considered a health hazard

3
Who can get Head Lice?
  • Anyone who has close head-to-head contact with
    someone who has head lice
  • More common among preschool elementary
    school-aged children their families
  • Personal hygiene or cleanliness in home or school
    has nothing to do with getting head lice
  • Head lice cannot live on pets or animals, only on
    humans

4
How do Head Lice Spread?
  • Head lice crawl quickly from one head to another
    when in close contact
  • Head lice cannot fly, jump or hop
  • Head lice can be
  • transferred when personal
  • objects are shared
  • (e.g. combs, brushes, hats)

5
Recognizing Head Lice
  • Tickling feeling on scalp
  • Itchy scalp
  • Feeling of something moving in the hair
  • Irritability
  • Sores on head from scratching
  • Presence of nits (eggs), nymphs or adult head lice

6
What do they look like?
  • Adult head lice
  • Tiny wingless brown insects size of a sesame
    seed
  • Live for about 20 days
  • If a louse crawls off of a
  • head, it dies within 2 days

7
What do they look like?
  • Nymphs
  • Are baby head lice
  • Smaller than adult
  • head lice
  • Mature in about 1
  • week

8
What do they look like?
  • Nits (eggs)
  • Tiny specks about the size of a knot in thread
  • Firmly attached to the hair close to the scalp
  • Usually found on the hair behind the ears, at the
    back of the neck, and above the forehead
  • Do not mistake for dandruff, which can be easily
    blown off

9
Treating Head Lice
  • Ask your pharmacist for a recommended treatment
    product
  • Only use treatment when nits or head lice are
    present
  • Head lice products do not prevent head lice
  • Follow product instructions carefully to avoid
    re-infestation

10
Treating Head Lice
  • Products kill the head lice and many eggs
  • A second treatment is needed 7 to 10 days after
    the first treatment to kill any newly-hatched
    lice before they mature

11
Steps to Treating Head Lice
  • Before applying treatment shampoo childs hair
    over a sink with regular shampoo
  • Do NOT use conditioner or combination
    shampoo/conditioner
  • Many products require you to damp-dry hair with a
    towel or blow dryer

12
  • Wear plastic or rubber gloves to avoid
    unnecessary exposure to treatment product
  • Wrap a towel tightly over the childs eyes to
    protect them

13
  • Apply the head lice product according to product
    directions
  • Timing is important
  • If product is rinsed off too soon, head lice and
    nits may not be killed
  • If left on too long, there is unneeded product
    exposure

14
  • Rinse childs hair under tap, not in shower or
    bath, to minimize product exposure on the rest of
    the body
  • Wash your hands well after using product
  • Do not re-wash hair for several days after
    treatment

15
Treating Head Lice
  • A second treatment is required 7 to 10 days later
    to kill any newly-hatched lice
  • If you see live head lice 24 48 hours after
    treatment, then immediately treat again with a
    different product

16
Treating Head Lice
  • Talk to your family doctor
  • If a child is under the age of 2
  • If you are pregnant or breastfeeding
  • If a person has a seizure disorder
  • If a person has broken or infected skin on the
    scalp
  • If lice are on eyebrows, eyelashes or facial hair

17
General Product Information
  • Follow the directions
  • Timing is important
  • Do not mix products
  • Rinse childs hair under tap
  • Products should not be used near the eyes, nose,
    or mouth

18
General Product Information
  • Wear plastic or rubber gloves
  • Wash your hands after using product
  • Store products away from children
  • Do not apply to open or infected skin

19
Treating Head Lice
  • All nits should be removed after treating with
    product
  • Head lice products are not 100 effective they
    may not kill all of the nits
  • Removing nits
  • will reduce hatching of eggs that were not killed
    with treatment
  • will allow you to notice if a new infestation
    occurs

20
  • To remove nits
  • Part and lift hair to check for nits or lice
  • Work under a good light (window or lamp)
  • Live lice can be removed with scotch tape wrapped
    around your finger

21
  • To remove nits
  • Use fine-tooth nit comb
    or thumbnail/first finger
    to grab nit slide it off hair
    shaft
  • Place nits in a plastic bag when done, seal or
    tie up the bag and put in garbage
  • Take frequent breaks, especially with young
    children
  • Check remove nits daily for 2-3 weeks

22
Treating Head Lice
  • Avoid home remedies no scientific proof of
    effectiveness
  • Do not use flea control products, turpentine,
    paint thinner, etc.
  • If your child has head lice, tell the
    school/child care facility childs close
    contacts immediately to prevent further spread

23
Housecleaning
  • Wash in hot, soapy water
  • Headwear, combs, brushes, pillowcases, towels,
    bed sheets
  • Excessive housecleaning is unnecessary
  • Do not use insecticide sprays

24
Controlling the Spread of Head Lice
  • Discourage head-to-head contact and sharing of
    hats, scarves, brushes, combs and headwear
  • Check heads of all people in close contact
  • Treat all family members with head lice at the
    same time

25
Controlling the Spread of Head Lice
  • Check young school-aged children weekly for head
    lice more often if there is an outbreak
  • If head lice continue to return, call your local
    health unit

26
Recommended Websites
  • Centre for Disease Control
  • http//www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/lice/facts
    ht_head_lice.htm
  • Canadian Paediatric Society
  • http//www.caringforkids.cps.ca/whensick/HeadLice.
    htm
  • University of British Columbia
  • www.healthcare.ubc.ca/lice/intro.html

27
  • Harvard School of Public Health
  • www.hsph.harvard.edu/headlice.html
  • American Academy of Pediatrics
  • http//aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/p
    ediatrics110/3/638.pdf
  • Please note that information about head lice
  • varies among sources

28
For more information
Huron County Health Unit 77722B London Rd, RR
5 Clinton, ON N0M 1L0 519.482.3416 or
1.877.837.6143 www.huroncounty.ca
  • Used with permission of the Perth District Health
    Unit
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