Head Lice Are Bad Enough But Now Super Lice?
Posted by skhc on September 24th, 2008. Published in Health Room. No Comments »
What does head lice look like?
Head lice, or pediculosis, are tiny insects that crawl from head to head, latch onto hair follicles, and then feed on tiny droplets of blood. Sounds gross, right? School nurses, teachers and parents know these little pests are no strangers to day care centers and elementary schools. Young people are in close quarters making it easy for these sesame seed-sized-insects to spread. Adults aren’t exempt from these annoying little critters but the itchy condition is most common in school kids, particularly girls. Head lice are bad enough but now there’s the fear of super lice.
Super lice are the same as head lice except they are believed to have become resistant to over-the-counter lice treatment and medications. For years researchers have been warning that head lice not only in the United States but around the world are developing immunity to the strong insecticides used in over-the-counter and prescription shampoos. Shirley C. Gordon, an associate professor at Florida Atlantic University who studies persistent head lice, notes it takes only three to five years for the bugs to adapt to a new product. Manufacturers of these over-the-counter products beg to differ and health officials continue to recommend products such as Nix and RID. Health officials agree that the permethrin in Nix, the pyrethrin s in RID, the lindane in Kwell and the prescription malathion in Ovide may not work on everyone but it still works on some people.
Whether you’re dealing with a case of head lice or the feared super lice what product are you using to get rid of lice? Are you using RID? How about NIX? Are you removing lice the old-fashion way with a tried and true fine-toothed nit comb? There are many new products that you may or may not have heard of such as Lice B Gone which is a non-toxic shampoo, Accu-Life Lice Cure which is a lice and egg removal system, or the urban legend of mayonnaise – HeadLiceInfo.com suggests you opt for olive oil which is easier to remove from hair. If you’re a school nurse checking students for head louse do you use the wood applicators AKA “chop-sticks” or have you tried the new Neon Nits Head Lice Locator? For a light-hearted book to read to your students or children check out Yikes-Lice! by Donna Caffey. Share your best remedies, stories and remember to take this week’s democracy poll!
Source: MSNBC
