A Lice Infection
What Do I Do Now?

A lice infection is annoying, but it doesn't have to be disastrous. You can get rid of head lice and keep them away with a natural head lice treatment.

Technically, I guess we should say "lice infestation" rather than infection, because lice are more of a nuisance than a health hazard. Although lice may bite and make you itch, they do not carry any disease causing pathogens, which is good to know.

You'll know you have a problem, of course, if you happen to see a louse crawling on your child's head. But there are other head lice symptoms you should be on the lookout for. One of the most common symptoms is a very itchy head!

Don't be alarmed if you wind up with a lice problem.

Head lice is not a sign that you are dirty or don't practice good hygiene. That was a very popular misconception for some time. Guess what? Lice actually prefer clean heads!

It is just really easy to pick up head lice. Lice don't really jump from person to person, but they can easily travel from head to head contact. They also are shared right along with hair brushes, hats, combs, sweaters, etc.

Picture your toddler cuddling an adorable doll or stuffed animal that was just recently abandoned by another child with head lice. I think you get the picture.

Although lice can only stay alive for about 24 hours without a host head to feed on, it doesn't mean they can't use inanimate objects as their own version of public transportation!

So, don't panic if you or someone in your family comes home with a few uninvited guests. Just give them a very warm welcome with a head lice herbal treatment and send them on their way.

I don't remember getting a lice infection very often when I was a child. The last time I recall dealing with them on my own head was when I was in Bible College. We used to work with inner city children each weekend, picking them up and bringing them to Sunday School on the bus.

With all the bouncing around on the bus, playing of games and sharing hugs, it was not uncommon for the workers to return to the college dorms with a head louse or two.

I somehow managed to avoid them until my senior year, but my turn eventually came around. Thankfully, I had a sister in college with me at the time who served as my hairdresser to comb the little critters out.

These days I generally only have to deal with lice infestations on the heads of children that I work with. Having a reliable home remedy for head lice is something to be thankful for.

To your good health!

Return from Lice Infection to Skin Parasites

Return to All About Parasites Homepage