McMeen Elementary

Weekly McMeen Nurse Message

10/06/22, 10:09 AM

Good Morning and Happy Thursday McMeen Families!

 

  This week's topic? Head lice! 

 

  Every school year, it is so so very common for us school nurses to come across at least a few students with head lice. Here are some facts about head lice:

 

1. Head lice does NOT carry or transmit disease. It can be very itchy and uncomfortable as well as highly transmissible, but, again, not dangerous to one's health.

2. Head lice can NOT jump! They way that head lice is transferred from one person to the next is close enough contact for a adult lice to walk from one hair shaft to the next.  They can also spread by shared clothing, bedding and hair brushes, headbands, hair clips, etc. 

3. Head lice does NOT discriminate. Head lice feed on the blood from the person's scalp on which they live. Head lice don't care if a person's hair/body is clean or dirty. All they care about is the blood supply. Head lice will infect all demographics of people and have nothing to do with a families cleanliness. 

4. Head lice IS often treatable with affordable, over-the-counter products found at your local grocery store

5. Students with nits (head lice eggs that are the small white dots that attach to one's hair shaft) MAY attend school. 

6. Students who have lice detected at school can usually stay until the end of the school day and then go home and receive treatment at home and return to school the following day.

 

 Some ways to prevent the spread of head lice:

1. Remind your students that, while hugs are nice, avoiding touching heads with other students is a good idea.

2. Remind students to avoid sharing hats, sweatshirts, hair accessories, etc.

Individuals with long hair can decrease their risk of getting lice but keeping hair in a ponytail, bun, or braid.

3. Occasionally check you students at home for lice. This can be done but inspecting your child's hair line at the nape of the neck and areas above the ears. The earlier lice is detected, the quicker treatment can be performed and get rid of the lice.

 

For more information regarding head lice, visit this link: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/head-lice.html?ref=search

 

Thank you, and as always, please reach out with any questions, concerns or comments.

Nurse Miriam