Head lice

[Deleted member 3000]

Local schools are reporting an epidemic of head lice. According to the school district, they are spread by sharing hats, sleeping mats, and pillows.

The Forum has focused on bedbugs, but those shared mattresses and pillows may leave you with little visitors that you won't find until you get home and start scratching your head (not the scratching-your-head-in-wondermont type gesture).

 

[Tia Valeria]

Our grand-daughters bring these little creatures home from school. In my experience they start to tickle as soon as they arrive. We have 2 remedies. Terry copied our son and went for the 6mm short haircut. I used the special shampoo.
However here in England it is now possible to buy a special comb that is supposed to get rid of the pests, eggs and all. It is called 'Nitty Gritty' and all you need to do is wash your hair, put some conditioner on, then comb carefully. I wouldn't have thought about taking conditioner on the Camino, but maybe a 50ml bottle might be a good idea. So far I haven't had to try using this comb, but I expect it is just a question of time :? Makes me itch to think of them!!
Thanks for the warning Falcon
Tia Valeria

 

[annakappa]

All my grandchildren have arrived home from school, on many occasions, with head lice (apart from our 2 year old who has his head shaved about every 6 weeks)! When this happens, we use a special shampoo for at least 3 days on the run, have a good head check, and for safety, wash our hair too with the "special". By then, you think that your head itches!!! My kids also had them 30 or so years ago, both when we lived in Cairo and when we lived in Zurich. I have to admit that I thought about the possibility of contacting them on the Camino and the only thing that I could do was to cover my pillow and hope for the best! All these critters are very resiliant indeed (bed bugs and head lice). They have been around far longer than we have. Anne

 

[grayland]

I may have missed it, but I don't recall reports of head lice on the Camino???
Hopefully, it is one trial we do not face. :wink:

 

[sulu]

Head lice are transferred from head to head, they like warmth. Children get them easily as they tend to 'put their heads together' and work in close proximity. Adults get them more rarely as we are more likely to recognise something called personal space! Head lice don't live on pillows so they shouldn't become a problem on the camino, however for any one who gets close to someone else :lol:
Sue

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Causes

Head lice infect hair on the head. They are easiest to see on the neck and over the ears. Tiny eggs on the hair look like flakes of dandruff. However, instead of flaking off the scalp, they stay put.

Head lice can survive up to 30 days on a human. Their eggs can live for more than 2 weeks.

Head lice spread easily. You can get head lice when you come in close contact with a person who has lice, or by touching their clothing or bedding. Head lice are more common in close, overcrowded living conditions. Lice spread easily among school children.

Having head lice does NOT mean the person has poor hygiene or low social status.

Having head lice causes intense itching, but does not lead to serious medical problems. Unlike body lice, head lice never carry or spread diseases.

Emphasis added.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I think we ought to focus on the bugaboos that actually exist ON THE CAMINO. So far lice haven´t been a problem. Isn´t there enough Real Stuff to make people paranoid, without adding this to the mix?

As my dad used to say, "Don´t go looking for trouble. It will find you all on its own."

reb.