Lice activity across the nation has increased this winter compared to previous years, even right here in Utah. Dr. Krista Lauer, the medical director for Lice Clinics of America, joins Good Morning Utah to talk about why we are seeing an increase and what families should do to prevent and treat lice outbreaks.
Included below are some of the facts Dr. Lauer shared with GMU.
Lice Clinics of America reported that their 330 clinics across the network saw an average increase of 30 percent in lice activity nationwide this winter.
Dr. Lauer said Utah clinics in Clearfield and Murray saw a 20 percent increase in cases in January 2019 over Jan. 2018
The CDC estimates six million to 12 million infestations occur each year in the U.S. among children three to 11 years of age, but they do not regularly collect data on lice infestations.
“Lice Clinics of America has a unique opportunity to gather its data to help identify trends. We believe we can attribute the increase in lice infestation bookings and treatments in our clinics to three things: it’s a fact that many over-the-counter products are no longer effective in treating the ‘super lice’ of today, so people are seeking professional help,” Dr. Lauer said.
Dr. Lauer said another factor is the lack of understanding the public has on the life cycle of lice and how they spread.
She said people are becoming increasingly aware of the more effective, technologically-advanced treatment methods offered by Lice Clinics of America
- Lice are highly contagious. According to the CDC, “Head-to-head contact with an already infested person is the most common way to get head lice. Head-to-head contact is common during play at school, at home and elsewhere, such as sports activities, the playground, slumber parties, and camps.”
- If you have school-age children in a region where lice infestations have been reported, it’s important to take some immediate steps to either prevent your children from being infested or properly treat and kill the lice before they spread to others in your family and social group.
- Don’t panic, and second, don’t be embarrassed. Those pesky lice have nothing to do with personal hygiene. This is what our medical director recommends:
- Inspect your child’s head at home, especially if your child has an itchy scalp. Look for eggs, nymphs and adult lice. One adult louse can lay about 100 eggs during her life span. That’s a lot of new lice.
- Call the parents of your child’s friends and have them check for head lice, remembering that earlier intervention can help to reduce the infestation level.
- If you see lice-or if you are unsure whether you have lice-visit a professional lice treatment center, such as Lice Clinics of America.
- Remember, traditional over-the-counter treatments contain pesticides that are no longer effective. Lice have evolved into “super lice” and have developed resistance to those pesticides. Find a treatment that is safe and effective. Lice Clinics of America has many from which to choose.
- Be safe this season by starting your child on a lice prevention regimen using trusted lice prevention products such as shampoos, conditioners, sprays and hair bands that will help to keep lice away from your child’s scalp.
With more than 330 clinics in 35 countries, Lice Clinics of America is the world’s number-one service brand for treating head lice. Lice Clinics of America’s revolutionary heated-air treatment is guaranteed to kill lice, lice eggs and super lice in a single, one-hour treatment. They also offer professional lice screenings and a full line of top-rated lice prevention products.
For those who prefer to do treatments on their own, the same precision-controlled heated air technology is available in a hand-held device for consumer use.
Lice Clinics of America’s OneCure™ Treatment Kit is available at Lice Clinics of America clinics and on Amazon.
For more information visit www.liceclinicsofamerica.com.
