Bc health file head lice

Others require follow-up treatments. Children should be able to keep going to school. Children should be encouraged to avoid head-to-head contact with other students until after their first treatment. Check the scalp for live lice 48 hours after treatment. If you find some, try a different type of treatment.

It's possible that the lice in your area are resistant to the first treatment you tried. After treatment, you'll still see the shell of the nits attached to the hair. You don't have to remove them. But you can use a comb to remove them, if it makes you or your child feel better. Sometimes the skin itches for a week or more after treatment. How can you prevent head lice from spreading? Check everyone in your home for lice. You don't have to worry about pets.

They can't get lice. Teach your children not to share anything that comes into contact with hair. For example, don't share hair bands, barrettes, towels, hats, combs, or brushes. You don't need to spend a lot of time or money deep cleaning your home. But it is a good idea to: Wash hairbrushes, combs, barrettes, and other items in hot soapy water. Vacuum carpets, mattresses, couches, and other upholstered furniture. Machine-wash clothes, bedding, towels, and hats in hot water.

Dry them in a hot dryer. If you don't have access to a washing machine, instead you can store these items in a sealed plastic bag for 14 days. When should you call a doctor? Call your doctor now if: You have signs of infection, such as: Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness. Red streaks leading from the area.

Pus draining from the area. A fever. Call your doctor if: You are not getting better as expected. Your symptoms get worse. Scabies and lice. Compendium of Therapeutic Choices. Ottawa: Canadian Pharmacists Association. Accessed December 2, Head Lice: Appearance on Hair. Feedback Regarding:. Your name:. Your email:. Do you want a reply? Leave this field blank. What is your message about? Lice do not jump or fly, and their bites make the scalp itchy.

Nits are lice eggs, which are attached to the hair, close to the scalp. You can't get rid of nits by brushing, or with a hair dryer. After the head lice hatch, the shell of the nit stays stuck to the hair. Lice are spread by head-to-head contact and by sharing brushes, hats or other items that come in contact with the head.

Head lice are common where children play or work closely together. Lice do not cause disease. Adult head lice lay about 10 eggs called nits every day. These nits are stuck to the hair near the scalp. It takes days for the nits to hatch. It takes days for lice to become adult. During that time, it stays on the head, but does not lay. How do I prevent my child from contracting head lice?

Teach your child to not share hats, brushes, helmets, hair barrettes and towels. Keep long hair tied back when lice have been identified in your school. What do I need to know if my child or student has head lice? Head lice are an ongoing problem but are not a major public health concern as they do not spread disease. They can be a community concern because of the nuisance and discomfort surrounding infestations and spread.

The primary responsibility for control of head lice rests with the family and community, though trained volunteers can help families by providing routine head lice screening and parent education.

Public health nurses can also answer questions about the management of head lice. Please note that public health nurses do not perform head lice checks for children and families at any public health units. Nor do public health nurses visit schools to conduct head lice checks on students when there is a concern or case. If a child has head lice they can continue to have contact with others for the remainder of the day - children should not be excluded from the community or school due to head lice.

If there are problems with the treatment, parents are encouraged to consult a public health nurse for information and resources. To prevent the spread of head lice and ensure that the child has received treatment, information letters should be given to parents and classroom contacts.

Download a sample parent and classroom letter. How do I check for head lice? Have them sit in a comfortable spot under bright light. Untangle long hair using a regular comb. Divide the hair into four sections and check one section at a time. You are looking for live lice and nits. Nits are the lice eggs that cement to the hair near the scalp. Nits are white, grey or yellowish and can be confused with fluff, dandruff or dirt however a nit will not move until you dislodge it.

If using a lice comb, comb it through the hair close to the scalp and then wipe on a paper towel. Look at the paper towel for lice or nits. You must look through the entire head. Use hair clips to hold longer hair in place. If you find lice or nits follow the instructions in the treatment options section of this resource. What are the approved treatment options for cases of head lice?

There are only two acceptable treatment options: Option A : Head lice shampoo - special head lice shampoos or rinses are used because they have been tested and determined to be a safe and effective treatment.

Use generous amounts of hair conditioner and a special lice comb, every 4 days for at least 2 weeks. If you find lice on the final combing, add one more combing in 4 days until you find no live lice.

Any young lice that hatch from eggs after the first session are removed at the second, third and fourth sessions. This is why it is important to do the full series of sessions. Wet combing is safe for infants, young children, as well as pregnant and nursing mothers. Contact your public health unit for complete instructions on the wet combing method.

To find your local public health unit, visit www2. Shampoos, creams, rinses and sprays that contain an ingredient that kills lice are available at most pharmacies without a prescription. Some examples are permethrin, pyrethrins, isopropyl myristate and dimethicone. Some chemical treatments may not be safe for infants, young children, pregnant or nursing mothers or other individuals.

Speak to your health care provider or pharmacist to find out which is best for you or your child. Always carefully follow the directions for use on the label and be sure to keep the products out of the reach of young children. After treatment, check the hair and remove eggs and lice. Most treatments are repeated in 7 to 10 days to make sure that any head lice that have hatched after the first treatment are killed before they have a chance to lay any eggs.

It is also important to check the head for any eggs and remove them after the second treatment. Itching may last for 7 to 10 days, even after successful treatment. Head lice have started to develop resistance to many of the chemical products. If you think the product is not working after 24 to 48 hours, use the wet combing method to check for lice. If you find lice, use a different treatment method. Head lice cannot develop resistance to non-chemical treatments.

Call your health care provider if the treatments are not successful or if you are unsure which kind of treatment is best for you or your child. Chemical treatment of pregnant or nursing mothers and of children less than 4 years of age should be given only under the direction of a health care provider.

Some methods and products should not be used because they are either not safe or do not work. These products include: insect sprays, motor oil, gasoline, alcohol, flea soap, dyes, bleaches, heat applied to the scalp, garlic, tea tree and other essential oils, electric lice combs, and shaving the head.

Healthy head lice rarely leave the scalp and if they do they may only survive for 24 to 55 hours. Head lice are not shared through contact with furniture, pets or carpets. There is no evidence that a major cleaning of the house or car is necessary.

Hats, pillowcases, combs and hairbrushes that have had contact with the head of the person with head lice in the previous 48 hours, could be considered for cleaning in hot soapy water. Clean supplies that you used for wet combing in hot soapy water.

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