Head lice in school children

If you are a teacher in a preschool or in one of the primary grades, you have probably come across head lice in some of your students from time to time. This is because head lice are more common to children than in adults. It is a condition that is considered prevalent among lower socio-economic classes of children, but it actually strikes in any and all schools. Head lice does not only cause discomfort, it can also be the cause of ridicule among school children. This can cause a lot of embarrassment to the children and their parents and it can even lead to depression. The worst thing about this condition is that it can spread easily within a preschool or school environment. So if one of the children in your class suffers from it, chances are the rest of the kids could come down with the same problem too. Here are a few tips that parents, teachers and schools should all know.

Lice are grayish brown small insects that thrive in human hair. They are parasites that eat small amounts of blood, pretty much like mosquitoes do. When a louse starts to lay eggs, they would increase their numbers rapidly. A quick trivia: A single louse can live up to 30 days and lay about 8 eggs in a day. You do the math. It is not impossible to have hundreds of lice on a month’s time! If you don’t want to live that nightmare, here are some tips on how you can prevent them from striking your classroom: The first symptom of head lice is itching. Although it is unavoidable to scratch your head, avoid doing so. Scratching can cause serious scalp infections.

Every child should have his or her own personal grooming kit. When a person has head lice, it can easily be passed on to anyone if they use their comb, headbands, or barrettes that are inflicted with head lice. If you have a child with head lice, be sure to soak their combs and other hair accessories in hot water and wash them using medicated shampoo.

You can also dispose of them when so needed. Always change bed sheets every so often. Lice can easily be left behind in pillows, bedding and blankets. It would be a good idea to vacuum carpets, car seats and furniture and other areas that may be the breeding areas of head lice. Use a fine tooth comb. It can effectively remove nits, which are the place where lice eggs are laid. Never use a hair dryer when you are in hair treatment. Most medicated shampoos have flammable ingredients. You can buy over the counter medicated shampoo. There are also other options like hair cream and lotion that can eliminate lice. Hair treatment can go from 7 to 10 days. Consult your doctor if head lice turns to scalp infections. They can recommend medication depending on the severity of the infection. Head lice can be a real problem, particularly in preschool and primary grade levels. As a parent you should check your child’s scalp carefully whenever you give them a shampoo. As a teacher, you need to watch carefully to ensure an epidemic doesn’t take place in your classroom. And as either parent or teacher, recognize that this is not the child’s fault. It is something that is easily picked up by a child and there should be no teasing or other negative result of finding head lice on a child.