Many things can cause an itchy scalp, and it’s easy to mistake conditions such as dandruff for head lice. It’s important to know what to look for so that you can treat head lice effectively:  Use a fine-toothed comb to examine the hair and scalp for lice and nits. Live head lice are about the size of a sesame seed (between 2-3mm long). Nits, or lice eggs, are usually yellowish white and stick onto hairs near the scalp. They are slightly smaller than adult lice.  Look for nits that are stuck to the hair shaft. Nits stuck to the hair shaft within ¼ inch of the scalp are the most likely to be viable (i.e., will hatch into lice). This is because head lice feed on tiny amounts of blood they draw from the human scalp. They also thrive on the warmth provided by your head. Nits that are further down the hair shaft are usually dead or already hatched.  Use a magnifying glass to examine the hair and scalp. Dirt particles and dandruff can often be mistaken for lice, so use a magnifying glass to determine whether there are live lice in addition to nits. If you don’t see live lice and the only nits are further down the hair shaft from the scalp, the infestation is probably already over.  Look behind the ears and at the hairline. Lice and nits are often easier to see in areas where the hair is thinner. Although they cannot fly or jump, head lice are extremely contagious and can easily infest everyone in a household. If one person in your household has head lice, check everyone’s hair and scalp for signs of infestation. Head lice are most easily spread by sharing hair brushes, hats, or beds with an infested person. If you have children who sleep in the same bed or room, or who share clothing regularly, make sure you examine everyone for head lice. If someone in your household has head lice, have them remove their clothing and put on fresh clothes. There may be some nits on their clothes, especially shirts, scarves, or hats. Head lice are not caused by poor hygiene. However, they can cling to fabric and household items and could spread from those items to other people, so it’s important to clean and disinfect those items thoroughly.  Machine wash and heat dry clothing, bed linens, hats, towels, and other fabrics that have come into contact with the infested person. Use hot water and the high heat drying cycle. If the items cannot be machine washed, seal them in a plastic bag and store them for 2 weeks. This will suffocate the lice.  Soak combs and brushes in very hot water (a minimum of 130°F) for 5-10 minutes, or run them through a hot dishwasher cycle. Vacuum floors and upholstered furniture. Head lice cannot survive very long if they can’t feed on humans, but vacuuming will help eliminate any lice that have fallen off a person and keep them from attaching to someone else. Anyone who has signs of lice infestation, or who shares a bedroom with the infested person, should be treated immediately. Otherwise, lice may remain in someone’s hair and start another infestation.
اعرفي أعراض قمل الرأس. افحصي كل رؤوس ساكني المنزل بحثًا عن القمل. غيري ملابسهم. اغسلي كل مقتنيات المنزل التي يستخدمها الطفل المصاب. عالجي كل أفراد المنزل في نفس الوقت.