September Comes With More Cases of Head Lice
Discovering that you or your child has head lice can be very traumatic. It is estimated that 10% of preschool and elementary school age children are treated for head lice annually, so it’s only a matter of time before it affects you, your family, or your child’s classmates, teammates, and friends.
What are Head Lice?
Head lice (Pediculus capitis) are small parasitic insects, about the size of a sesame seed, that require human blood to survive. They live mainly on the scalp and neck hairs of their human host. Head lice can live on a human head approximately 30 days but generally cannot survive longer than 24 to 48 hours off the host.
The adult louse is constructed for climbing and grasping with six legs, each possessing a strong claw. Mature lice are tan to grayish-white in color, but can appear darker on persons with darker hair.
An adult female louse, which is slightly larger than males, lays 3-5 eggs (or nits) a day. Nits are extremely tiny, about the size of a knot in thread and are hard to see. They are yellowish or grayish white, teardrop shaped, and are attached firmly to the hair shaft. Nits take about 1 week to hatch. Eggs that are likely to hatch are usually located within 1/4 inch of the scalp. The nit hatches into a baby louse called a nymph, which looks much like an adult head louse, but is smaller. Nymphs mature into adults about 7 days after hatching, and then the cycle starts all over again.
How Do They Spread?
The presence of head lice normally doesn't imply a lack of hygiene or sanitation. They are mainly acquired by direct head to head contact with an infested person, and can also be transferred with shared hats, scarves, brushes and hair accessories.
Preschool and elementary-age children and their families are infested most often with Infestations most apparent at the beginning of each school year.
Signs and Symptoms of Head Lice Infestation
· Tickling feeling of something moving in the hair.
· Itching caused by an allergic reaction to the bites.
· Sores on the head caused by scratching.
Dealing with the Problem
In addition to being an uncomfortable and often embarrassing situation for all involved, treating head lice can be even more distressing. Many available lice removal products have proven ineffective, costly, and even potentially harmful.
“The greatest harm associated with head lice results from the well-intentioned but misguided use of caustic or toxic substances to eliminate the lice.” Richard J. Pollack, PhD.- Harvard School of Public Health
Products for head lice removal and aftercare have become big business in the United States. According to the American Head Lice Information Center, the makers of pediculicides (a classification of chemicals most commonly used to treat head lice) take in over $150 million a year from assorted insecticidal louse shampoos, crème rinses, and sprays.
Taking a closer look at the chemicals used in various over the counter and prescription treatments, we find a barrage of potentially harmful pesticides. It is a fact that any chemical that kills pests is considered a pesticide, and all pesticides have the potential to cause serious side effects.
Lindane, a potent pesticide commonly used in the treatment of head lice, is consistently ranked among the top chemicals of concern by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Also, the International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classify lindane as a possible human carcinogen (or can cause cancer).
Poisoning with lindane may occur by ingestion, inhalation, or skin absorption with possible acute symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, weakness, convulsions, dyspnea, and cyanosis circulatory collapse. Children are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of lindane with case-controlled research showing a significant association between the incidences of brain tumors in children with the use of lindane-containing lice shampoos.
Banned in 17 countries, lindane is harmful to the environment. The Los Angeles County Sanitation District estimates that one dose of a lindane treatment for head lice can pollute 6 million gallons of water to levels exceeding drinking water standards. This threat to clean drinking water, and the enormous costs of clean up, prompted California to ban lindane shampoos in 2002. Many other states have followed suit.
Other pesticides commonly used in lice treatments such as Maldison or Malathion, Piperonyl Butoxide Benzodioxole as well as pyrethrins and pyrethroids have also been linked to brain disorders, as well as heart, lung, muscle, kidney, and liver damage.
Although the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) requires testing for safety before they give their approval on any product, individuals can have unique vulnerabilities that must be considered before any treatment. The National Pediculosis Association (or NPA) warns against the use of any chemicals designed to kill or destroy head lice on any individuals who have pre-existing illness. This would include, but not limited to, those with asthma, epilepsy, brain tumors, cancer or AIDS. Those on medication, or who have been previously treated for head lice, as well as pregnant or nursing mothers may be more vulnerable to side effects and should avoid any chemical lice treatments for use on themselves or applying to others.
In addition to being potentially harmful, many products marketed for the treatment of head lice infestations are not nearly as effective as they claim. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has investigated the manufacturers of RID®, Pronto®, and Clear® for making false and unsubstantiated claims regarding the use and effectiveness of their products. Among the claims sighted were statements that these products kill 100% of head lice and their eggs and loosen the glue that attaches the egg to the hair shaft. In spite of the FTC's findings and subsequent actions taken against these manufacturers, many of these claims are still made by unscrupulous over the counter, salon, and internet-based companies.
Is Organic Better?
Non-toxic remedies are obviously a preferred choice over pesticides whenever possible. However this does not mean that everything deemed “natural” is across the board safe. The American Head Lice Information Center states, “Many essential oils are extremely potent and should not be used on young children, babies or pregnant women.”
In addition, some manufacturers claim that their products are organic and contain essential oils that interfere with the nervous system and reproduction of head lice. These products typically do not meet FDA guidelines to be classified Organic, and their claims are often not supported by any type of clinical research.
The Problem Continues
An infestation of head lice is not easy to stop, especially in close-knit families, day care facilities and schools where one child can infect or re-infect dozens. Kate, a first grade teacher with a larger metropolitan area school district has seen the problem reoccur time and time again over the years.
“Kids, especially the younger ones,” claims the 22-year teaching veteran, “will walk arm in arm or hug each other without a second thought, so the spread of lice can happen quickly. Also many parents don’t take as active of a role in the problem as what is needed. They treat it once and assume the problem is gone. The child returns to school and within a couple of weeks, is back out again with another (or the same continued) infestation…In the mean time they are potentially infecting dozens of others at school, at home and at every activity that child participates in. It’s very frustrating. It’s also a terrible stigma for the infected child. It truly can be devastating for them and their self-esteem.”
Melissa, a busy mother of three recently had her own run-in with head lice that affected her closely-knit family. Every year since preschool at least one of her kids would bring home a notice from school warning of an outbreak or infestation of lice. She was very proud that they all seemed to manage to escape the problem every time. Her misconception, although well informed otherwise, was that she believed they eluded the issue due to her innate need for cleanliness.
A couple of weeks into this school year she noticed her daughter scratching her head. Melissa also had a sense of itching and upon examination found that all five family members had the nasty problem. Panic set in and she immediately ran to the drug store and bought the usual products they assumed would handle the problem.
“We tried chemical treatments, sprays, nit combs, shampoos, ….You name it!” Melissa exclaims. “I knew that these chemicals were not good to use on our heads or in our living environment, but I was desperate and willing to overlook it all to simply have relief. After a week of suffering, I realized that nothing was working so I ended up calling a removal service to get the problem under control.”
Teri, a mother of two, had a similar story. Her four-year-old daughter was sent home from preschool when she and several others became infested with the nasty little bugs. Worried for her three-month-old son, she kept the kids apart while treating her daughter with an over the counter lice shampoo that was recommended by her Pediatrician. She nit picked desperately for three hours combing through her daughter’s short blond hair to remove the bugs and their eggs.
“The school sent home a baggy,” states Teri, “with a few bugs and nits (eggs) that were taken from her head. This was so we could see what we were looking for. Being very blond, her hair was so light and fine that it was hard to see anything.”
According to Frank of Lousey Nitpickers, a Southern California based head lice and nit removal service, “It’s very difficult to see these little nits. I’ll spend hours going through each head of hair, physically removing one bug and nit at a time. It’s really the only way to safely and effectively take care of the problem and you have to get every single nit or the problem will just resurface in a few days.”
In Teri’s case, she was worried that she did not get all of the nits off of her daughter’s head so she called a local salon that specialized in lice removal and made an appointment. “The last thing I wanted to do, besides wait several days with bugs on her head, was to have my daughter’s hair picked through at a salon in front of everybody. I simply could not wait for the appointment, so I went on line and found a local service that comes to your home. They arrived the next day and after examining her head, found 10 more nits that I missed. I’m glad I called or I would still be dealing with the problem.“
Only through manual screening can one determine whether or not a treatment has worked. According to the NPA, effective screening and combing is the ultimate complement to whatever course of action an individual selects. To many who advocate against the toxic chemicals used in over the counter and even Pediatrician prescribed remedies, it’s the only way. Regardless of stance, the issue of head lice is a real one and one that must be dealt with swiftly and thoroughly.
Perhaps the best way to avoid head lice is through educating our children about the problem. According to Frank from Lousey Nitpickers, “Contrary to popular belief, lice don’t fly or jump. They crawl and need physical contact by an infested person or item to spread to a new host. To avoid getting head lice, I suggest that kids not share personal items such as hats, combs, brushes, scarves and helmets, and minimize head-to-head contact with others. Eliminate the contact and perhaps we can get this problem under control.”
