The Childhood Vice That is Lice
It’s that time of the year again when parents start receiving alerts from school that head lice have been going around in their kids’ classrooms. Before you start panicking just remember that head lice are very common and can be treated easily. Studies show that approximately 6 to 12 million lice infestations occur every year in the US among kids aged between3 and 11 years.
Before we discuss why head lice are so common among children, let’s take a look at what lice really are.
What are lice?
Head lice are microscopic insects that live close to your scalp, in your hair. They suck on your blood from the scalp and lay tiny eggs — called nits — that attach themselves firmly to the hair shafts. Intense itching is caused when lice feed off of the scalp tissue; however, it may take a few weeks before you start experiencing the urge to itch.How do they spread?
Elementary-school aged kids are likely to be infested with lice because they are habitual of playing in small groups huddled together. Since lice cannot jump or fly, they transfer from one person to the other through close hair contact or contact with infested clothing. Lice can’t survive away from the human head for more than a week, which is why they cling to hair shafts for dear life when you take a bath. Kids with longer hair are at a higher risk of getting lice; however, sharing personal belongings like hats, hairbrushes, hair ties and towels can also spread lice. People are often mistaken that getting lice is related to bad personal hygiene. The truth is, lice love everyone — especially those in group settings and close contact. Plus, you can’t get lice from pets because head lice only feed on human blood.
