Subtle Indicators That Your Child Could Have Head Lice

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The simplest way to typically tell that your child has developed a case of head lice is to note if he or she is constantly scratching his or her head or complaining of severe head itching. However, there could be times that you don't catch these clues. If your child isn't much of a vocal complainer, for example, he or she might not alert you to the itchiness. Additionally, if you're working long hours and aren't seeing your child much during a particular period, you might not notice the head scratching. The good news is that there are other symptoms that can suggest your child is dealing with this health issue. If you notice these symptoms together, perform an inspection of the child's head by parting the hair and looking for lice or lice eggs.

Inexplicable, Constant Fatigue

While children can suffer from fatigue for a wide range of reasons, this can often be a clue that your child has lice — provided that you're seeing some other symptoms, too. The itchiness at night can disrupt the child's quality of sleep, and he or she might wake up at several different times throughout the night to scratch. Over the course of a couple days, this can make your child tired and possibly irritable, which are two signs that it's time to investigate what the issue might be.

Blood Stains On The Pillowcase

Lice bites and severe scratching can leave small sores on the child's head, but his or her hair might make these difficult to notice without careful inspection. Where you might notice a related sign, however, is on the child's pillowcase. If you see a series of small dots of blood, it's obviously an indicator that your child likely has some sores on his or her head. Upon noticing the blood, you can then inspect the child's scalp to look for signs of lice.

Information About Other Lice Cases

Lice can spread quickly, especially among children at school or on a youth sports team, given the close contact of the children and the fact that they might occasionally wear each other's hats or clothing. As such, a clue that your child could have lice is that you're hearing information about other children in the school having the same issue. Keep an eye out for social media posts of this nature among the parents of your child's peers. Even if you haven't seen symptoms in your child, it's time to give his or her head a thorough inspection.

If you find that your child has head lice, make sure to treat their scalp or head to a head lice treatment center for more information and help. 


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