🪳 Chapter L11 – Head Lice (Module 18)

 

Head lice are tiny parasitic insects that live in human hair and feed on blood from the scalp. They are very common in children and spread easily through close contact.

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🧫 What Head Lice Are

• Small, wingless insects (about the size of a sesame seed)
• Usually greyish-white or tan in colour
• Live on the scalp and attach to hair strands using claws
• Feed on human blood from the scalp

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🪺 Life Cycle

Head lice develop in stages:

• Adult lice lay eggs called nits
• Nits are glued firmly to hair close to the scalp
• Eggs hatch in about 8–12 days
• Lice live entirely on the human head

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⚠️ Symptoms

Head lice may cause:

• Intense itching of the scalp
• Tickling or crawling sensation in hair
• Irritation and irritability (especially in children)
• Sores on the scalp from scratching
• Difficulty sleeping (due to itching)

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🔄 How They Spread

Head lice spread through direct contact, not through the air.

Common transmission routes:

• Head-to-head contact (most common)
• Sharing combs or brushes
• Sharing hats or scarves
• Sharing towels or bedding (less common)

⚠️ They cannot:

• Jump
• Fly

They only crawl.

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🧬 Types of Lice in Humans

There are three main types:

• Head lice (hair/scalp)
• Body lice (live in clothing)
• Pubic lice (“crabs”)

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🧪 Diagnosis

Head lice are usually identified by:

• Finding live lice moving in the hair
• Finding nits (eggs) attached to hair shafts
• Nits are often mistaken for dandruff but:
  • Cannot be easily brushed off
  • Are firmly glued to hair

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🏥 Treatment

Treatment usually includes:

• Over-the-counter medicated shampoos or lotions
• Prescription treatments if needed
• Nit combing to remove eggs from hair

⚠️ Treatment often needs to be repeated to kill newly hatched lice.

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🛡️ Prevention

Head lice can be reduced by:

• Avoiding head-to-head contact
• Not sharing:
  • Hats
  • Combs
  • Brushes
  • Hair accessories
• Regular checking in schools or households where outbreaks occur

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❗ Misconceptions

🚫 Lice are NOT caused by:

• Poor hygiene or dirty hair

🚫 Lice are NOT spread by:

• Pets (they do not transmit human head lice)

🚫 Hair length:

• Short hair does NOT prevent lice
• It may only make them slightly easier to detect or remove

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🔬 Key Idea

Head lice are:

• Human parasites
• Spread through direct contact
• Not dangerous in terms of disease transmission
• Common in children and school environments

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🧠 Study Questions (Answers found in module text)

🔍 Understanding

1. What do head lice feed on?
2. Where do lice lay their eggs?
3. How long do nits take to hatch?

⚠️ Symptoms

4. What are the main symptoms of head lice?
5. Why do children often feel irritated or restless?

🔄 Transmission

6. How do head lice spread between people?
7. Why can’t lice spread through the air?

🧪 Treatment & Prevention

8. What is used to treat head lice?
9. Why is nit combing important?
10. What behaviours help prevent the spread of lice?

❗ Misconceptions

11. Are head lice caused by poor hygiene?
12. Can pets spread head lice?

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📌 Final Summary

Head lice are harmless but highly contagious parasites that live on the human scalp. They spread through close contact, cause itching and irritation, and are treated using medicated shampoos and careful nit removal.