Head lice are tiny insects, barely visible to the human eye, that live in hair and feed on a person’s blood through the skin. Head lice are commonly found on school aged children, especially in the areas around the back of the neck and the back of the ears. While any person can catch lice, the most common carriers of the bug are school children because of their close proximity to other children in school and the fact that children are more likely to share items that can spread lice, like combs, hats, certain pieces of clothing, etc. Family members and other individuals who share a living space with school aged children are also more susceptible to head lice than those who do not.
Contrary to popular belief, head lice are not able to jump or fly. This means that they can only be spread through direct contact with a person or item that is host to the lice.
At first, a person who has caught lice may not show any symptoms of the bug. In fact, a person carrying head lice may not even notice the most common symptoms, like itching and redness around the affected skin, for several weeks or months after spreading begins. In some cases, the affected skin has been known to crust over and ooze a clear fluid. This can happen after constant scratching of the affected area. In even more extreme cases of head lice, hair may fall out of the scalp or the affected area of skin may grow dark.