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Can I borrow your comb? Your hat? Your earphones? Your
head lice?
Wait -- head lice? Sharing such items is a great way to
increase the likelihood of sharing head lice. The incidence
of head lice increases when school children share these
items.
Head lice are highly contagious, parasitic insects that
live on human scalps. They lay their eggs, or nits, on hairs
at the scalp which hatch about a 10 days later. In another
10 days those head lice reached maturity and are ready to
repeat the cycle. "The nape of the neck is the most common
place for lice and nits, but anywhere on the scalp can be
involved and even eyelashes can sometimes be affected," says
Mary Stone, M.D., UI dermatologist.
Head lice cannot fly, jump, or hop. You can't get them
from animals, grass, or trees, and you don't have to shave
your head to get rid of them.
So how do you get rid of them? Anti-lice products such as
NIX or RID are available from your local pharmacy and should
be used as directed. Ask for the comb designed to comb the
nits from the hair. Nit removal is very important because
available medications are more effective on the lice than
the nits. If the over the counter products are not
effective, prescription products may be necessary.
Treating the infected head is not enough. You need to
treat clothing, coats, hats, bedding, or anything that came
in contact with the infected area.
For more information about head lice, call UI Health
Access, 319-384-8442, ext. 104, or 800-777-8442, ext. 104.
For more information:
Listed above is a Web site that offers additional
information on this topic. University of Iowa Health Care
does not sponsor or endorse these sites, or guarantee the
accuracy of the information contained on these sites. These
links are here for general information only, and should not
be used for personal diagnosis or treatment. If you have any
questions, please contact UI
Health Access.
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