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Who Is at Risk for Getting Head Lice?
Anyone who comes in close
contact with someone who already has head lice, or contact with clothing or
other personal items (such as brushes or towels) that belong to an infested
person. Preschool and elementary-age children, 3 to 10 years old, and their
families are infested most often. Girls get head lice more often than boys, and
women more than men. In the United States, African-Americans rarely get head
lice.
What Do Head Lice Look Like?
There are three forms
of lice: the nit, the nymph and the adult.
· Nit: Nits are head lice eggs. They are hard to see and are often confused for dandruff or hair spray droplets. Nits are found firmly attached to the hair shaft. They are oval and usually yellow to white in color. Nits take about one week to hatch.
· Nymph: The nit hatches into a baby louse called a nymph. It looks like an adult head louse, but is smaller. Nymphs mature into adults about seven days after hatching. To live, the nymph must feed on blood.
· Adult: The adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed, has six legs, and is tan to grayish-white. In persons with dark hair, the adult louse will look darker. Females lay nits; they are usually larger than males. Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person's head. To live, adult lice need to feed on blood. If the louse falls off a person, it dies within two days.
Where Are Head Lice Most Commonly Found?
They are most commonly
found on the scalp, behind the ears and near the neckline at the back of the
neck. Head lice hold on to hair with hook-like claws found at the end of each of
their six legs. Head lice are rarely found on the body, eyelashes or eyebrows.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Head Lice Infestation?
· Tickling feeling of something moving in the hair.
· Irritability.
· Sores on the head caused by scratching. These sores can sometimes become infected.
How Did My Child Get Head Lice?
· Contact with an already infested person. Contact is common during play at school and at home (slumber parties, sports activities, at camp, on a playground).
· 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 Is Head Lice Infestation Diagnosed?
An infestation is
diagnosed by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or
adults. Finding a nymph or adult may be difficult; there are usually few of them and they can move quickly from
searching fingers. If crawling lice are not seen, finding nits within a ?-inch
of the scalp confirms that a person is infested and should be treated. If you
only find nits more than ?-inch from the scalp, the
infestation is probably an old one and does not need to be treated. If you are
not sure if a person has head lice, the diagnosis should be made by a health
care provider, school nurse, or a professional from the local health department
or agricultural extension service.