HEAD LICE

Of all the common childhood ailments presented to pharmacies - Head lice would have to be the most frustrating to both parents and children alike.

Head lice are wingless parasites which infest hair. They cannot jump and don't have wings there fore they cannot fly. Head lice are spread by head-to-head contact, by clothing, hats, brushes and combs.

Head lice are equally likely to be found in dirty as well as clean hair. They survive for a maximum of 48 hours off the head as they need to feed regularly from the blood beneath the scalp.

Head lice are first seen as little white specs, called "nits" which attach themselves to the hair strands. These nits are the eggs. The lice are about 2mm in length and are white to milk- coffee coloured. The female louse lays its eggs at night and these attach to the hair shaft and cannot be removed as they attach with a glue like substance. The eggs hatch after 7 - 10 days, leaving the white shells of the eggs on the hair. The lice feed on the blood from the scalp and spill their saliva. The saliva causes the itching and discomfort.

Apart from physically looking at the hair roots around the nape of the neck to identify the lice, try spreading out brown paper and combing the hair with a metal fine tooth comb and examining what comes out of the hair. The nits should appear moving around on the paper. Louse faeces or cast shells may be seen as small blackish specs. the presence of empty shells attached to the hair shaft is not necessarily evidence of current infestation unless live lice are also found.

There are many Head lice solutions on the market and your pharmacist can best advice you on the most suitable for your child or family.

Head lice solutions work by killing the nervous system of mature eggs and the louse, hence the importance of using a fine metal comb afterwards to remove any freshly laid eggs. Immediate inspection following treatment may reveal lice still crawling around. Head lice often take up to an hour to die following treatment. Do not be tempted to retreat. Allow six days to elapse before retreating if necessary.

Having trouble getting the metal comb through the hair? Soaking the hair in a solution of one part Apple Cider Vinegar with one part water will help to loosen the glue that attaches the egg to the hair shaft. Alternately , consider using a product called Ionil T conditioner, this product also contains Apple Cider Vinegar, in a conditioner base, which will enable the comb to pass through the hair easier.

When using a fine metal tooth comb, ensure the hair is sectioned, and pass only a few strands at a time through the comb. This will prevent hair splitting.

All members of the family should be checked and treated to prevent reinfestation from one family member to another.

WORMS

Thread worm infestation is extremely common, any child can become infested. Once identified, it is extremely simple to treat.

Thread worms are highly contagious and commonly infest families. They look like threads of white cotton.

Poor personal hygiene is not the cause of threadwormns. Threadworms are easily spread by swallowing their tiny eggs. These then hatch in the small intestine. Larvae move in the large intestine and grow to a mature threadworm in 2 - 6 weeks. The mature threadworms then mate and the female finds her way you the anal opening to lay her eggs. The eggs are exposed to the air and breathed in. They readily lodge under fingernails and can even remain on items such as doors and tap handles for several days.

Humans are the only host for threadworms. and conversely, worms which infest animals do not infect humans. Threadworms are most common in school children.

The first sign of threadworms is an itchy bottom. The itching is caused by the irritant effect of the worms eggs, which are laid around the anus. Itching is worse at night, because at that time the female worms emerge from the anus to lay their eggs. Infestation with threadworm may also present as a loss of appetite, irritability, or restless sleep.

The worms can easily be seen in the faeces as white or cream coloured thread like objects about 10mm in length. The worms can survive outside the body for a short time and hence may be seen moving. Alternatively, the anal area can be examined at night with a torch light and the worms can be seen moving around.

Every family member who has worms should be treated at the same time. Although animals cannot transmit threadworms to humans, it is good policy to treat animals at the same time as the family for good measure.

Consult your pharmacist as to the best treatment for you. Advise if you are pregnant and also the age of the members to be treated. To help reduce the itching caused by the worms, discuss the use of anti itch creams or products such as rectinol and pinetarsol.

Cut fingernails short to prevent large number of eggs being transmitted. Discourage children from biting nails. Hands should be thoroughly washed after going to the toilet and before preparing food, since hand to mouth transfer of eggs is common.

Affected family members can shower in the morning to wash away eggs that were laid during the night. Wash and iron bed linen, sleep wear and towels, the heat of the iron will kill the eggs.

Mop floors and disinfect taps and door handles.

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