Should You Go to Work With Head Lice?

Head lice is a common problem for both children and adults. Whether a child has them or a parent has them, the symptoms can cause a great deal of anxiety. A parent may also be embarrassed about having head lice, and coworkers may perceive them negatively. But the good news is that head lice is an easily treatable parasite.

The first step to curing a head lice infestation is to wash your hair. Head lice are very small, about the size of a sesame seed. They are gray or pale in color and feed on small amounts of blood from your scalp. Without a blood meal, head lice cannot survive for more than a day. Then, the lice produce eggs, called nits. The eggs are oval in shape, about the size of a knot on a thread, and they are usually yellow or white in color.

Head lice can be treated with a prescription medicine called Ivermectin. It can be taken by mouth or applied to the scalp. The treatment should be repeated if necessary. The medication can last up to two weeks. It’s important to remember to keep the lice medication in an airtight container, and don’t share it with others.

While many people assume that head lice are dangerous, there is no scientific proof that they spread. If the child is infected with head lice, it is recommended that they stay at home to get the proper treatment. This also helps prevent the spread of the parasite to others, as lice cannot survive away from a human head for more than a day. Therefore, parents should do everything possible to protect their children from exposure. One way to do this is to keep the children’s hair clean at home. This can help prevent them from sharing combs, tuques, and hats.