Head licecan cause a high level of anxiety.
Head lice infestation affects millions of children and adults each year, in every socioeconomic condition.
While undesirable, lice don’t spread any diseases.
© Verywell, 2018
They can be found on the hair of the head,eyebrows, and eyelashes.
They are especially likely to be found behind the ears and at the neckline.
While lice are a nuisance, they do not spread disease.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
The biggest risk groups are children in preschool, daycare, and school, and their families.
While it’s most common in young children, lice can spread to people of any age.
African Americans are less likely to have lice.
Lice infestations occur in families ofallsocioeconomic classes.
The following can contribute to the risk that it can be passed along to others.
If your child has lice, call your child’s school nurse or program coordinator to report it.
Don’t believe these common statements:
Getting lice is a routine childhood and family problem.
Panicking about them shouldn’t be.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
No.
They’re unrelated to any sort of microbial infection and do not spread disease.
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American Academy of Pediatrics.
healthychildren.org.Head lice: what parents need to know.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of head lice.
American Academy of Dermatology.10 reasons your scalp itches and how to get relief.
Devore CD, Schutze GE.Head lice.Pediatrics.
2015;135(5).
Meister L, Ochsendorf F.Head lice: epidemiology, biology, diagnosis and treatment.Deutsches Arzteblatt International.
2016;113(45):763-772. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2016.0763.
