Dublin pharmacist Sheena Mitchell explains how parents can offer with and treat two very common ailments that kids can pick up while in school – head lice and worms
With kids being in school all day during the week, it’s only natural for them to pick up some ailments.
While coughs, colds and flus are all very common, there are also two other illnesses that can be picked up in school and they are trickier to get rid of: headlice and worms.
Here, pharmacist Sheena Mitchell explains how parents can offer with these common issues.
Headlice
If your child has an itchy scalp or a rash at the back of their neck, they could have headlice.
“Having long hair up in a bun or having a plait will help prevent lice. The junior classes spend a lot of time working in groups with their heads together, and when the hair is hanging down lice will transfer. They can’t jump or fly.”
To keep an eye out for lice, Sheena advises dry combing your child’s hair weekly with a fine comb. “I usually use a piece of paper or a kitchen towel and comb onto that, that way I can see anything that comes out of the hair.”
Lice tend to be present behind the ears and at the back of the neck, Sheena adds. “They are grey or white in appearance, and the egg case or nits are very small and white. Wet combing is better as it removes the lice and nits, but it’s harder to comb through wet hair. For detection, dry combing is enough, but if you spot lice or nits then you have to wet comb and treat.”
There’s no need to treat the whole family as a preventative measure, Sheena adds. “Wet comb everyone’s hair, including adults, and those with lice or nits should be treated. There’s lots of different lotions and sprays. I don’t advise using mousses as they don’t cling to the scalp as easily. Different lotions have different durations of action, make sure you read the pack as some are 15 minutes, others are overnight.
“Most contain similar ingredients immediately, they’re mainly dimethicone based. They stop the lice from being able to adhere to the scalp and hair. Most require a repeat treatment after seven days, keep checking for a week after treatment to remove dead eggs and to make sure they’re gone.”
Worms
Worms are a human parasite that can be passed between children in school. “If you have a child who is constantly scratching at their bum, especially at night, this is a sign of worms. They come out at night to lay eggs, which causes intense itching in the anal area. Usually they are visible in the stool.”
Thankfully, it’s a simple over the counter treatment for kids over two. “You have to treat the whole family. All of the pyjamas and bedsheets need to go into a hot wash and into the tumble dryer. Also cut people’s nails back to ensure they don’t hurt themselves or contaminate their hands.”
This article first appeared in the September issue of RSVP
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