How Your Child Can Avoid The Second Round Of Head Lice In Schools

headlice February 6th, 2007

If you have children around the ages of 4-13 there is a good chance they have been exposed to head lice. Although society tends to stigmatize those who catch head lice, it is extremely common and spreads fairly easily.  Lice prefer clean hair. It is easier for the bug to feed when the hair is clean. Generally the start of every school year coincides with a head lice outbreak. This is due to children returning from summer vacations in which close play is the norm.  What many parents don’t realize is that even after their child is cleaned out they can catch lice again!

While it is troubling to think about, it is possible to be victim of the head lice epidemic more than once.  Head louse are the most common louse problem in the United States and can easily affect a crowd several times.  They are spread by physical contact, which is what makes younger children in school so susceptible.

If it weren’t enough that you can be affected more than once, it is even more troubling that it is difficult to prevent.  The head lice epidemic can hit even the cleanest children in the classroom simply by interaction with other kids.  In fact, in some of the most sanitary conditions you will find head lice.

Although girls do have more cases of head lice than boys, it has not been proven that it is because of the longer hair. It is more likely due to their play habits and social behavior. Boys are just as susceptible to getting head lice as girls, and are equally capable of spreading them as well.  Because of this, it is important that family members and school teachers pay equal attention to boys as girls when checking for head lice.

Having head lice is not a problem if dealt with properly and shortly after diagnosed.  There are a number of symptoms to look for. Head lice will cause more irritation than anything, but they can cause rashes if the child continuously scratch their heads.  This is especially relevant with kids who get head lice more than once.

Since certain strains of head lice are difficult to prevent and sometimes hard to detect. What exactly can you do to prevent getting head lice more than once?  The best thing you can do is contact the school as well as the parents of your child’s friends to notify them in the vent of an outbreak.  By pulling your child out of school until they are treated fully, you will prevent others in the class from getting head lice. In turn, this will eliminate the chance of your child catching it again when they return to school all cleaned out.

It is difficult to deal with the head lice epidemic since it spreads so quickly and easily.  By taking the proper precautions and treating head lice immediately, you can have a better chance at dodging the second round of head lice in school.

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