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Kimball Physician Urges Proactive Approach to Prevent
Infestation
, September 10, 2007 -- Kids aren’t the
only ones who have headed back to school this fall — head
lice are sure to also be making an appearance.
That is why each September, the National Pediculosis
Association (NPA) sponsors the Head Lice Prevention Campaign for
back-to-school.
“The NPA’s message for parents is that
they should learn what to look for, and check their children for
head lice and nits regularly,” says Kimball Medical Center
family practice physician Vincent DeStasio, D.O. “Early detection
with thorough manual removal of lice and nits is the best defense.
The NPA urges this proactive approach given that there is no totally
safe and effective chemical treatment available.”
Head lice can be spread whenever there is direct contact of the
head or hair with an infested individual. Lice can also be spread
through the sharing of personal articles like hats, towels, brushes,
helmets, hair ties, etc.
“Head lice do not jump or fly and generally cannot survive
longer than 24 hours off the host,” says Dr. DeStasio, who,
with colleagues Lisa Kassenoff, D.O., and Mina Garrett-Scott, M.D.,
recently opened the Family Walk-In Center at Howell Medical Pavilion
to offer convenient all-day, after-hour and weekend care for routine
illnesses and minor emergencies. “They do not come out of
the air or from the ground, but are human parasites that have probably
been here since the beginning of time. In fact, dried-up head lice
and their eggs (nits) have been found on the hair and scalps of
Egyptian mummies.”
To learn more about the prevention of head lice, visit headlice.org.
For a referral to a Kimball Medical Center family practice physician,
call 888-SBHS-123 (888-724-7123).
10 Steps To Help Keep Head Lice
And Their Eggs Out Of Your Child’s Hair
1. Watch for signs of head lice, such as frequent
head scratching. Anyone can get head lice — mainly by head-to-head
contact, but also from sharing hats, brushes and headrests. Lice
do not jump or fly.
2. Check all family members for lice and nits (lice eggs) at least
once a week. Only those infested should be treated. Lice are reddish-brown
wingless insects, nits are grayish-white, always oval shaped, and
are glued at an angle to the side of the hair shaft.
3. Be sure not to confuse nits with hair debris such as bright irregularly
shaped clumps of dandruff stuck to the hair shaft or elongated segments
of dandruff encircling the hair shaft and easily dislodged. Lice
treatment is inappropriate for hair debris.
4. Consult your pharmacist or physician before applying or using
lice treatment pesticides when the person involved is pregnant,
nursing, has allergies, asthma, epilepsy, has pre-existing medical
conditions, or has lice or nits in the eyebrows or eyelashes. Never
use a pesticide on or near the eyes.
5. Remember, all lice-killing products are pesticides. If you choose
to purchase an over-the-counter treatment, follow the directions
carefully and use with caution. If the product fails, do not switch
to other over-the-counter treatments or use any prescription products
as a "last resort." This can be potentially harmful. Manual removal
is the safe alternative and a necessary component to any head lice
treatment regimen.
6. Follow package directions carefully. Use the product over the
sink, not in the tub or shower. Always keep the eyes covered.
7. Remove all nits. This assures total lice treatment. Separate
hair in sections and remove all attached nits with a wide-toothed
comb, baby safety scissors, or your fingernails.
8. Wash bedding and recently worn clothing in hot water and dry
in a hot dryer. Combs and brushes may be soaked in hot water (not
boiling) for 10 minutes.
9. Avoid lice sprays! Vacuuming is the safest and best way to remove
lice or fallen hairs with attached nits from upholstered furniture,
rugs, stuffed animals and car seats.
10. Notify your child's school, camp, childcare provider, neighborhood
parents, or visit HeadLice.Org to report a lice outbreak to the
NPA. Check for lice on a regular basis. This is the best way to
protect your family and community.
Source: National Pediculosis Association
CONTACT: Kathleen Horan
Public Relations and Marketing
732-557-3909
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