Advice from Family Doctors: Head Lice

Advice from Family Doctors: Head Lice

For something so small, head lice sure do have the power to make us all shudder. From both a health perspective and a general-gross-factor perspective, these little creatures are unpleasant–but the more you know, the more power you have over head lice. If you searched “family doctors near me” looking for answers, then you’ve come to the right place: our family doctors have all the info you need on head lice.

Head Lice

A head louse is a small, parasitic insect that lives on the scalp and feeds greedily on human blood. These creatures are so fast and tiny that the easiest noticeable trace they leave behind is often their eggs–white spots that appear on hair shafts. Areas where small children gather, like preschool, are in the most danger of head lice infestations, most often because it is in these places where hats, hair brushes, and more are shared (which is a key step in spreading lice, since these insects can’t jump or fly on their own and rely on direct contact for travel). Checking for a head lice infestation involves looking for the lice themselves, though they are often hard to spot, or their eggs.

FAQ’s

Do you have more head lice questions? Let our family doctors answer some FAQ’s!

• Symptoms. Symptoms of head lice can include itching or rashes appearing at the neck and scalp, but in reality, there are often few signs of an infestation at all. The most important thing is to keep an eye out for the bugs themselves or their small white eggs on or in the hair.
• Treatment. If there is a true head lice infestation present, treatment will be necessary. The first thing to do is contact your family doctor and check with friends or other contacts (since infestations spread fast and are rarely isolated). Treatment involves multiple applications of a head lice topical and a hair-brushing with a fine-toothed comb to eliminate the eggs.
• Home protection. Although lice can’t live in your home for very long without something to feed on–namely you–it is important to clean your home once an infestation has been identified on someone’s scalp. Wash all bedding and clothing, and, when it comes to stuffed animals, focus on the most-used (the others likely won’t require washing).

Interested in more information on head lice? Did you search “family doctors near me” looking for treatment options? Contact us today!