Head Lice

[shellielm]

I have been told that if a person gets head lice a lot it can lead to that person getting human worms. I don't really believe it - can anyone confirm or deny this please?

[kazzianne]

Thats utter rubbish!

[dot.hawkes]

what she said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Pippa68]

Oh bejesus!

[jno]

you mean like they burrow down into your skull and enter your bloodstream? I don't think so.

[jno]

... but it'd make a great film, wouldn't it... The Headlice of Horror!

[dot.hawkes]

Who would play the lead, Anthony Stewart Head?

[Lonnie]

Love the above answers, Headlice are just a nuisance, very clean creatures which do no harm except to take a miniscule amount of your blood to live, they do no harm whatsoever, the only damage is the host person scratches to hard.

Think i'll start a Headlice appreciation society, anyone up for it?.

[kazzianne]

Not sure whats more daft - the fact that somebody told you this,or that you even considered that it might possibly be true coz you asked us!!

[andy-hughes]

This is one of the old wives' tales that means head lice is, and continues to be, at epedmic levels in schools.

Headlice are transferred by 'hair-to-hair' contact - which is why it is so prevalent in primary schools. The lice only like clean hair, which debunks the myth that people who are infected are 'dirty'. Because of the stigma attatched, a lot of poeple will not advise their child's school if their child picks up lice, which is about as common, and likely, as getting a cold.

Treatment consists of special lotion and shampoo to kill the live lice, and combing with a fine-tooth 'nit' comb, to remove the nits, or lice eggs.

The problem is, lice are supremely adaptable and aim to survive, so they change the colour of their eggs to match the host's hair cover, and the eggs have tiny hooks to make sure they cling to the hair.

But, to answer your question, they are unrelated to worms, and although unpleasant, they don't go anywhere except the hair, so spead the word about that, and proper treatment.

[Pippa68]

I have alsways likened head lice to ants in the garden ~ a bit of a problem but not worth getting too upset over!

We seem to have epidemics, & I have a constant battle with my daughters hair..I do my job, but it is to no avail when other parents can't be bothered :o(

My best form of treatment is not to use lotions ~ if other parents aren't treating, then it's a big waste of money. I wet comb every other day, & the other day I dry comb. Combing disables lice so they cannot breed..and you get eggs out too!

Another thing to remember is to do every ones hair, not just the kids. I think that is often where the problem lies..a lot of parents think they are immune ;o)