Head Lice Often Causes Alarm, Embarrassment

Autumn signifies cooler weather and fun seasonal activities, but for many families, something less enjoyable has also arrived this fall: head lice. 

Though it is likely present at any time of the year, outbreaks at area schools may be more common as children come back together after the summer holidays.

Transferred most easily by head-to-head contact, an outbreak of pediculosis, or head lice, can be one frustrating side effect of teaching children to share. It often occurs as a result of passing personal items around or from playing and lounging together.

School children are often sent home immediately upon discovery. However, a comprehensive head lice guide co-authored by the Michigan Departments of Education and Community Health states that any child with evidence of bugs can remain in school until the end of the day.

When children are sent home, the state recommends instructions for immediate treatment is given to parents, which includes restricting children from close contact with others. Families of classmates should be notified.

For some, the initial reaction to being diagnosed with lice produces feelings of shame and embarrassment. But acceptance should be normalized, according to Lisa Muma, a registered nurse and  parent. Muma has been a frequent guest speaker on head lice at Troy Schools PTO meetings.

“The worst part is that it leads to bullying and assaults on self-esteem,” Muma said, “but lice is not a sign of being dirty, nor is it an indication of socio-economic status.”  

Kristie Persinger, a parent and preschool teacher in Royal Oak, had similar feelings, adding her own children’s' experience.

"They got it over the summer when their hair is at its shortest and they are probably at their cleanest due to all the pre and post swimming showering,” she said.

Family pets cannot transmit or contract human head lice. Nor is a louse able to jump from one person to another, rather lice spread by crawling onto a new host during close contact. This can happen during sleepovers, when children lay around on carpet, or when people share each other’s hairbrushes and hats. 

The tiny creatures usually announce their presence with furious itching as they bite the scalp to feed on human blood. That will trigger an investigation, and checking heads requires sharp eyes. Though visible to the naked eye, finding the tiny bugs can be tricky. 

They are only about 1-5mm in size and avoid light; healthy specimens can crawl quickly. Using sharpened pencils or tongue depressors to separate sections of hair while looking is helpful.

Gaby Bala, principal at St. Mary Catholic School in Royal Oak, shared a one procedural tip she uses in her school when lice is found: “We snip a hair with the louse or nit on it, bag it up and send it home,” she said.  “We want our families to not only have evidence, but to know what to look for as they’re treating.”

TREATMENT

Managing an outbreak can seem burdensome, but the steps for treating are very simple. Standard protocol includes the following:

• Treat the infected person with an agent to kill live bugs.
• Remove nits until no further egg sacs are found – this can take 1-2 weeks.
• Launder sheets and bedding and sanitize or replace personal items like hairbrushes.
• Bag items that cannot be laundered, like plush toys or other textiles, for up to two weeks in plastic. Off the body, a louse can only live for 1-3 days. The nits can last up to a week or so.

Many parents buy chemical shampoos and sprays that contain permethrin or other pesticides used to treat head lice. But treatment doesn’t have to involve the use of toxins.

Muma said use of these products shouldn't occur unless there is a known infestation.

“I hate to treat with pediculicides,” she said, “especially if there is no evidence of live bugs or nits.”

Non-chemical treatment can include coating the hair and scalp with thick emollients like olive oil or mayonnaise then covering with plastic or a shower cap overnight. This will suffocate the lice and nits, which can then be removed by combing.

Whatever treatment is chosen, successful riddance of lice depends on manual removal the nits. Failure to follow the steps accurately can lead to prolonged issues with infestation.

“It's a lot of work to take care of, so it's worth it to do everything correctly,” Persinger said.

PREVENTION

Using common sense can help avoid rampant spread of the critters. Yet even with preventive measures, you might still find yourself victim to an outbreak. But it doesn’t need to be devastating. 

“It just happens, you know?” Persinger said.

Indeed, humans have been dealing with evolving species of lice for thousands of years. Still, simple actions can lower the incidence of outbreak.

Common Sense Tips for School and Home

• Instruct individuals not to share pillows, blankets, hats, hairbrushes and combs.
• Keep long hair pulled back and/or braided and sprayed with hairspray while at school. 
• Hang coats and backpacks separately at school and at home.
• Disinfect shared headgear (helmets, headphones, etc.) before passing to another user.
• Know how to find lice and check school children frequently.