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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1996)
October 1, 1996 SMOKE SIGNALS 3 I Bandaid Brief Head lice rear their ugly heads Head lice are a tedious chal lenge. The adult head louse is a small (2-4 mm), grayish white, flattened, wingless in- I". sect with a pointed head. I Each fertilized female lays 250-300 eggs over 20-30 days. The eggs, or nits, are cemented to hair shafts. About 7 to 10 days after deposition, small nymphs emerge that to survive, must pierce the skin and take a blood meal. Lice outbreaks are disniptive and often difficult to stop. While head lice have never been shown to transmit infectious disease, scratching or over-aggressive treatment can lead to secondary infections and other com plications. Despite advertising claims, all lice and nits are not killed with the initial treatment. With any of these products a second treatment is needed 7 to 10 days af ter the first treatment to kill newly hatched lice (yes, even with Nix). Nix kills only 70-75 of nits on human hair and scalp. Although most patients are louse-free shortly after treatment, live lice can often reappear 14 days after a course of "success ful" treatment. Nit removal is an important addition to treatment. While pcdiculicidcs can kill most nits, survivors can cause an apparent rein festation if an adequate residuum is not present. Dead nits remain attached to the hair shaft until they are combed out or the hair falls out. Since dead ones look pretty much the same as live ones, most Oregon schools have a "no nit" policy. Other over the counter products are available (e.g., Clear, an enzymatic lice egg remover) that attack the nit cement. To prevent reinfestation, all household members should be inspected for signs of head lice. Application of pediculicidcs should be combined with cleaning of re cently worn clothing, bedding, combs, brushes, and head gear. Articles that can not be washed in the laundry can be tumbled in a hot clothes dryer for 20 minutes, or sealed in a plastic bag for two weeks (by which time any viable nits will hatch and subsequently expire for want of a blood meal.) Small articles may be put in the freezer for three days. A vacuum cleaner will pick up any stray hair with nits from the floor, the sofa, car seats, or other vacuumable surfaces. Flea bombs and other environmental insecticides are not effective against head lice and may convey a false sense of achievement in the war. Lice feed only on humans; they do not infest dogs, cats, goldfish, or other pets. Survival of adult lice away from human hosts is short at most a few hours. Treatment failure is usually attributed to improper or inadequate application of pediculicidcs. Reinfestation from other household members or playmates is another scapegoat. Some so-called "failures" arise from the mistaken expectation that symp toms should disappear immediately follow ing successful treatment. This can lead to repeated applications of insecticides some of which may be hazardous when overused. Treatment is most likely to be successful when patients and parents have realistic expectations and some understand ing about the head louse's habitat, mode of spread, and response to therapy. When treatment appears to have failed, several issues should be reviewed. Was the product used correctly and repeated in the prescribed period of time? Might the pa tient have been reinfested from another source? Trying a different pcdiculicidc may be worth considering in some circumstances. These vermin can infest almost anyone, respecting neither economic status nor edu cational attainment. Many adults need re assurance that infestation in their household does not indicate a poor home environment or lack of personal hygiene. Early detec tion, careful treatment, and eternal vigilance remain our shields against this pest. Reprinted in part from the Center for Dis ease Prevention and Epidemiology, Oregon Health Division. August 20, 1996, Vol. 45, No. 17. Head Lice Summary Protect your family, protect your home Every school year there is a problem with head lice. Statewide, this is one of the worst years. It happens to many families, regardless of their home conditions and cleanliness habits. It can happen to you. Please take these precautions to prevent head lice in your home or infecting others. B Keep hair clean. Short haircuts or shaved heads are the safest way to prevent reoccurring conditions. Instruct your children not to share combs, brushes, hat, coats and other personal items with their friends at school. B When a member of your household becomes infected, treatment should be prompt. Your entire house must be cleaned. All toys, clothes, bedding, furniture, and car peted areas should be treated. Items that cannot be washed or dry cleaned can be placed in a freezer, preferably in a plastic bag. All other infected items should be placed tightly in plastic bags for two weeks. Tomorrow will be the same, unless you change something today! With these words, six students graduated from the LIFE SKILLS class presented by Chcmekcta Community College's New Work Force Program. Instructors, Bobbie Romesburg and Karen Ervin, expressed their joy and satisfaction in working with our students. Graduates ofthc Life Skills class were: VERONICA GASTON, DAVID 1V1ER CIER, RONNIE JOHNSON (RIGGS), DELMER CROY, MICHELLE MORRISON, AND FAYE MILLER. 1 ftf" ' ; I r '4 v ( 4 ' t 1 uifd! film) In chatting with the graduates, students expressed the following: Fayc Miller said. "I enjoyed learning about myself and would recommend the class to everyone. I want to finish my GED and continue on by taking computer classes." Veronica Gaston stated. "I feel a little sad now that class is over. I learned a lot about myself and found that anything is possible if we try. Because of this (class) I am working toward a better job. Wish class could be longer, there is so much to learn." Dclmar Croy said, "I thought it was excellent and everyone should do it! The class really helped my set my goals and out look for the future." David Mcrcicr added, "It was very helpful, I learned not to be afraid to ask ques tions. It's important to ask the right questions when trying to get a job. The class was comfortable and the instructors made it easy to learn." Bobbie Romesburg and Karen Ervin from the Chcinckata New Work Force Program praised, "The Grand Rondc Life Skills class represents a beginning. A beginning of lives turning full circle and finding within, the will, the courage and the power to discover their true potential. What an honor it has been to work with these fine people. We too have learned so much. It is also the beginnings of new partnerships and collaboration between Chcmekcta and Grand Rondc. Our special thanks to our students, and the special folks who made it all come together; Dean Azule, Patty Tom Martin, Tim Holmes, Doug Colton. Pam Warren, Marion Mcrcicr and Gayla Tulensru." College campus visitations scheduled Parents, Students and Educators arc invited to the Oregon State Univ ersity's Nativ e Ameri can Longhousc Annual Tribal College Visitation days. There will be three separate visita tions throughout Fall Term 1996 in which you may wish to participate. The dates are October 17, November 7, and November 21. The Tribal Visitation will include lunch, campus tours, workshops, and presentations. In order to provide food and possibly housing, we need to know in advance how many stu dents and parents will be attending. Please respond by October 2 for the first session: by October 23 for the second session; and by November 6 for the third session. Make ar rangements by calling (541) 7.17-2738. Marion Mcrcicr will be attending the November 7 session and welcomes students to attend that day with her. Contact Marion at the Tribal Education Office for more information. The 1996 Native American Student Day at the University of Washington is sched uled for Friday, November 1. Activities will be targeted for high school juniors, seniors, educators and counselors, as well as those in tribal education offices. Registration deadline is October 20. Please contact Marion Mcrcicr at ext. 2284 if you w ish to attend. Campus Student Visitation schedule is being developed at this lime. Any time a student wants to schedule an individual visitation with the Education Program stalTyou may do so by calling 1-800-422-0232 ext. 2284. Wc encourage students to maintain contact with Marion Mcrcicr throughout the academic year. Visitation areas that have tentatively been scheduled so far arc: October 9 & 10: College of the Redwoods, Southwestern Oregon Community College November 7: Oregon State University November 12 & 13: Lane Community College, University of Oregon December 4 & 5: Portland area colleges and universities January 9: Tillamook Bay Community College February 13 & 14: Western Oregon Stale College, Linn Benton Community College If you attend one of these colleges or plan to attend school in the near future please call Marion to schedule to meet.
