If you have guessed head lice, you’re absolutely right.
Head lice are parasitic insects found on the heads of people. In fact, as many as 6-12 million people worldwide get head lice each year.
Am I at risk?
Anyone who comes in close contact with someone who already has head lice, contaminated clothing, and other belongings is at higher risk of getting head lice. More infestations occur in pre-school or elementary age children, 3-10, and their families. Girls get head lice more often than boys, women more than men.
How do I know I have them?
There are 3 forms of lice; the nit, the nymph and the adult. Nits are head lice eggs. They’re hard to see and often confused for dandruff or hair spray droplets. Nits are firmly attached to the hair shaft, oval and usually yellow to white. The nit (lice egg) will hatch in one week into a nymph. It looks like a small adult head louse. Nymphs live on blood and mature into adults about 7 days after hatching. The adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed, has 6 legs and is tan to grey-white. Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person’s head as they feed on blood and die within two days if it falls off.
A tickling feeling of something moving in the hair, or persistent itching caused by an allergic reaction to the bites can be a sign you have lice.
| Where do they hide?
A favorite hiding place is on the scalp behind the ears and near the neckline. Finding a nymph or adult may be difficult because usually there are only a few of them and they move quickly from searching fingers. Finding nits within 1/4 inch from the scalp confirms that you have lice and should be treated.
How did I get them?
• Contact with an already infested person ­ common during play at school and home
• Wearing infested clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms or hair ribbons
• Using infested combs, brushes or towels
• Lying on a bed, couch, pillow, carpet or stuffed animal that has recently been in contact with an infested person.
How can your RexallTM/MC pharmacist help?
If you suspect you have head lice talk to us to get all your questions answered. We’ll suggest appropriate treatment options for you and your family. We’ll give you tips on how to treat your home and rid these creatures from your combs, brushes, towels, clothing, furniture, carpets etc.
Prevention is key, and medications for treatment should be used according to the manufacturers’ instructions and exactly as directed. We want you to keep your wits, not your Nits!
H&L
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