Anyone treat LICE at home? (child, mother, adults, brother)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You seem to think they are jumping off people's heads, running around cars, etc. that just isn't their biology.
Want to go overboard, your prerogative but it isn't necessary over even widely recommended. When my daughter got them in third grade, we washed the bedding, combed her hair each night, and they never came back. No freezers, no garbage bags, no nuclear option, just plain old killed the actual insects.
Reality is that if you are having reoccurrences, it's because someone still has lice breeding on their head, not because they are infesting your car or couch.
As for the Philippines, I should have said WERE more common. When I was growing up no one got lice here. Now those lice letters go out regularly. O
The literature states lice can live away from a host anywhere from 2 to 10 days.
You seem to think they are jumping off people's heads, running around cars, etc. that just isn't their biology.
They are going on an overnight field trip tomorrow. They will be sharing beds if they are staying in a motel. I'm not saying they are running around cars. I'm saying that if someone's head touches the seat and then someone else's head touches the seat, the lice or eggs can transfer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lkb0714
Want to go overboard, your prerogative but it isn't necessary over even widely recommended.
We've never had lice, not even once, because I go overboard whenever I even hear of a lice infestation being anywhere near one family member.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lkb0714
Reality is that if you are having reoccurrences, it's because someone still has lice breeding on their head, not because they are infesting your car or couch.
Yeah, that someone is usually the family that isn't taking it seriously like you promote.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lkb0714
As for the Philippines, I should have said WERE more common.
Actually, they're still more common in the Philippines today.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lkb0714
Now those lice letters go out regularly. O
Interesting. I only recall one lice letter ever in the entire education of my two children.
I see no reason for you to encourage the OP to take this lightly. Based on what she has shared so far, it seems she will be in this for the long haul. They did a combing (possibly without treatment) and sent him straight into school, and he's going on an overnight field trip tomorrow. Since her child has lice, chances are very high that other family members have lice too. She didn't say anything about treating the rest of the family.
The CDC says the louse dies after 1-2 days off the host CDC
Live lice can live two days off the host, or up to 4 days at 74 degrees. Eggs hatch in 10 days. Eggs can fall off people via being attached to hair that sheds. The eggs can survive the 10 days without a host in an environment with the right temperature. That's where you get the 2 to 10 days. An egg hatches and the nymph needs to feed in hours. If it finds a host, there will be a re-infestation.
The literature states lice can live away from a host anywhere from 2 to 10 days.
Maybe. Killifish can also live out of water for hours, and roaches can live for days with their heads cut off. But it is not their typical biology.
I see this everyday in my field, people have these knee jerk reactions to thing that result in short burst of overkill when they way you treat these things, whether they be parasites, infections, invasions, whatever, is through consistent small efforts. I get it, it is human nature to react this way, but from a scientific standpoint a downright ineffective strategy.
If people have an invasive species like say kudzu, they want to nuke it with roundup and then ignore it. When the most effective method is consistency, and usually physical removal.
If people have an infection, they take their antibiotics right away but many do not take them for the full course, or on time, etc. Results in greater antibiotic resistance.
Same thing with head lice, people go nuts, get burnt out, and then don't consistently remove nits and newly hatched lice for the full 2-4week life cycle.
The reality is this species thrives in close conditions with high population density because their typical biology is to travel from head to head not to wander around homes or cars. Just not how they have evolved.
And as far as pests/parasites go, they are relatively innocuous, especially in this country. The fact that people would rather use chemical pesticides on their HEADS and BEDS that spend an hour a day is beyond me. Seriously, I think if people realized what things like lindane (the prescription treatment for lice) actually are and can do to people, I think they might actually invest in a good comb and some time combing their kids hair rather than spend hours vacuuming and doing daily laundry.
People, that lindane stuff has a nice sounding name right? It is really a commercial grade cyclohexane, an incredibly toxic chemical.
They are going on an overnight field trip tomorrow. They will be sharing beds if they are staying in a motel. I'm not saying they are running around cars. I'm saying that if someone's head touches the seat and then someone else's head touches the seat, the lice or eggs can transfer.
We've never had lice, not even once, because I go overboard whenever I even hear of a lice infestation being anywhere near one family member.
Yeah, that someone is usually the family that isn't taking it seriously like you promote.
Actually, they're still more common in the Philippines today.
Interesting. I only recall one lice letter ever in the entire education of my two children.
I see no reason for you to encourage the OP to take this lightly. Based on what she has shared so far, it seems she will be in this for the long haul. They did a combing (possibly without treatment) and sent him straight into school, and he's going on an overnight field trip tomorrow. Since her child has lice, chances are very high that other family members have lice too. She didn't say anything about treating the rest of the family.
The fact that you think your children haven't had lice because you vacuum your car tells me how ridiculous this conversation is.
As for treatment, this is lice, not bacterial meningitis. They are not vectors for disease, the family does not need to be quarantined.
People, don't be afraid, lice is not the end of the world, comb your kids hair, wash their bedding, maybe go to a nit picker if you can't do it yourself. Slathering your kids and environs with pesticides not a good idea nor is wasting your time freaking out.
Maybe. Killifish can also live out of water for hours, and roaches can live for days with their heads cut off. But it is not their typical biology.
I believe you are arguing with someone who is a medical professional.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lkb0714
The fact that people would rather use chemical pesticides on their HEADS and BEDS that spend an hour a day is beyond me. Seriously, I think if people realized what things like lindane (the prescription treatment for lice) actually are and can do to people, I think they might actually invest in a good comb and some time combing their kids hair rather than spend hours vacuuming and doing daily laundry.
Nobody said to use chemicals on bedding. We said wash bedding and vacuum. There are nonchemical treatments.
The fact that you think your children haven't had lice because you vacuum your car tells me how ridiculous this conversation is.
I never said I vacuumed my car. I said I prophylactically treated my family whenever I heard of any of us being exposed to someone who had lice. I never vacuumed my car. My girlfriend had to vacuum her car after she couldn't get rid of lice for 10 months. (Her school district is quite unique in many ways.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by lkb0714
As for treatment, this is lice, not bacterial meningitis. They are not vectors for disease, the family does not need to be quarantined.
In the United States, it's socially unacceptable to expose other families to the hassles of lice.
Parents expect other children to not be around their children if the children haven't been properly treated for lice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lkb0714
People, don't be afraid, lice is not the end of the world, comb your kids hair, wash their bedding, maybe go to a nit picker if you can't do it yourself. Slathering your kids and environs with pesticides not a good idea nor is wasting your time freaking out.
You need to wash the clothing and the towels too. You need to treat the stuff that touches hair like combs, brushes, ponytail holders, etc.
I believe you are arguing with someone who is a medical professional.
So what? I am scientist with a graduate degree in biology, who has published papers that included quite a bit of entomology. If we are going to do the appeal to authority logical fallacy, I still rate.
Quote:
Nobody said to use chemicals on bedding. We said wash bedding and vacuum. There are nonchemical treatments.
Lots of people in this thread talked about chemicals. What do you think RID is? Fairy dust? Some have even mentioned prescription treatments, in most places besides California, that means Lindane. Also, a chemical.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
