Though head lice are known to not spread diseases, they can still be very annoying. They can cause itching, which can lead to scratching, skin irritation, and infections.
One way to effectively get rid of head lice is by controlling their spread. Here are some tips to control the spread of head lice.
1. Solve the head lice problem as fast as you can
Minimize the opportunities of head lice to spread by solving your head lice problem as fast as you can. There are many ways to get rid of head lice. You can get rid of head lice manually by using a lice comb. These are combs that have narrow teeth and small gaps between them – small enough to catch head lice.
You can also get rid of head lice by using over-the-counter medication and prescription treatments, such as shampoos and lotions. But make sure you read the label and listen to your doctor. If you use these treatments inappropriately, they may become ineffective or dangerous, especially to children.
2. Clean your home to get rid of wandering head lice
There are three main ways to spread head lice – direct contact, sharing items, and sharing spaces with an infested person.
Control the spread of head lice by cleaning these shared spaces, such as your home. This is because head lice can thrive on beds, sofas, chairs, and other furniture. You can get these pests in your head if you make contact with these pieces of furniture. Vacuum your home consistently. You can also try steam cleaning to kill the pests with heat.
Also don’t disregard clothes. Head lice can also thrive on fabric, so make sure to always wash your clothes and heat them in the dryer. Transmitting head lice through clothing is relatively uncommon, but you shouldn’t take your chances.
3. Avoid head-to-head contact
One of the more obvious ways to control the spread of head lice is by avoiding head-to-head contact. You should not underestimate these pests’ capability to quickly latch on your hair if you make contact with the hair of an infested person.
In fact, head lice are so proficient in this that head-to-head contact is the most common way to spread the pests. Also remember that head lice can’t actually jump or fly. So, there is no reason to be afraid of an infested person just because he is near you. It’s likely that this person will only transfer his lice to you if you make direct contact with him.
4. Don’t share personal items with the infested person
Avoid using the items the infested person uses, especially if these items make direct contact with the infested person’s head and hair. Some of these items are brushes, combs, hats, helmets, ribbons, and towels.
Head lice can live up to two days without a host. This is a lot of time to stay on these items and wait for someone to use them, so the pests can latch on this unsuspecting person’s hair.
Also avoid keeping your items in the same place as that of an infested person. Sure, you are not using an infested person’s towel, but you can still get head lice if you are keeping your towel beside the towel of an infested person. Separate your belongings, so head lice will not have an opportunity to transfer from one item to another.
5. Don’t lie in bed with the infested person
As mentioned, earlier, head-to-head contact is a very effective way to spread head lice. And one of the most common places where head-to-head contact happens is the bed. Avoid lying down in bed with an infested person.
This may be easier said than done. What if the infested person is a child that can’t sleep on her own? Inform the child how it’s necessary to sleep in different beds to control the spread of head lice. You can also consider staying with the child until she falls asleep. But make sure you are not getting head-to-head contact with her.
6. Say no to sleepovers until the head lice problem is solved
Children are more likely to get head lice. This is because they are also more likely to make head-to-head contact with each other, especially when doing activities at school. So, don’t ever think that your child is unhygienic or dirty if he has contracted head lice. That is actually one of the many misconceptions about head lice.
Children really like sleepovers. But unfortunately, sleepovers are also great opportunities for head lice to spread. The children will make contact with each other, probably share some personal items, and sleep on the same quarters. Control the spread of head lice by saying no to sleepovers for the mean time.
7. Try not to rely on sprays and fogs
Bug bombs, sprays, foggers, and similar forms of insecticides are very effective in getting rid of pests. All you have to do is to let them spread across your home, close all passageways like doors and windows, and leave for a few hours.
But these insecticides can be dangerous because they have harmful ingredients. If you get back into your home too early, you may get exposed. This is particularly problematic if you have children.
Really, this method is unnecessary to get rid of your head lice problem. You can get rid of head lice using the methods enumerated above, such as using over-the-counter medication and prescription treatments.
Control the spread of head lice now
There are a lot of ways to limit the spread of head lice. You can kill the head lice as fast as you can to limit their opportunities to spread. You can clean your home so these pests can’t sit around and wait for a host.
Also avoid making direct contact, sharing personal items, and sharing shared spaces with an infested person. These are the most common ways to spread the pests.
Also remember that a head lice infestation is not a health emergency. They don’t spread diseases and the worst you can get is a skin infection from too much scratching, but even that can be prevented if you are disciplined.
So, there is no need to use extraordinary measures to defeat the head lice. There is no need to use bug bombs and risk your family’s health. Using the methods enumerated above is enough to control the spread of these pests.