Two things arrive with the new school year that nobody puts on the uniform list: head lice and threadworms. Both are common, neither is a sign of poor hygiene, and both are straightforward to sort once you know the rules.
Head lice
How do I know?
Itching is not enough - many children with lice do not itch at all. The only reliable check is detection combing: wet hair, plenty of conditioner, a fine-toothed detection comb pulled from root to tip, wiped on white tissue after each stroke. If you find a live louse, treat. If you only find eggs (nits) with no live lice, keep combing every few days for a fortnight.
What works
- Wet combing every three to four days for two weeks. Free, no chemicals, but it takes patience and every session must be thorough.
- Physical insecticides such as dimeticone lotions and sprays. They coat the louse rather than poisoning it, so lice do not become resistant. Most need one application repeated after seven days.
- Traditional insecticides such as malathion (for example Derbac M) are pharmacy medicines: we ask a few questions before supplying, and they are not the first choice for very young children or in pregnancy.
Whatever you use, check everyone in the house and treat only those with live lice. There is no need to wash bedding at high temperatures or keep children off school.
Threadworms
How do I know?
An itchy bottom, worse at night, and sometimes small white threads about a centimetre long visible in stools or around the bottom. A torch check at night is the classic parent move. Children pick them up by touching surfaces with eggs, then putting fingers in mouths.
What works
A single dose of mebendazole (for example Ovex), given to everyone in the household over the age of two at the same time, usually repeated after two weeks because the tablets do not kill eggs. Mebendazole is a pharmacy medicine, so online it starts with a short pharmacist consultation. Under-twos and pregnant women are managed with hygiene measures alone - ask us.
The hygiene part is not optional: for two weeks, everyone showers each morning, wears close-fitting underwear at night, keeps nails short, washes hands and scrubs under nails after the toilet and before food, and you change bedding and towels frequently. Skip this and the family simply re-infects itself.
Tummy bugs, because they come too
For the vomiting-and-diarrhoea bugs that circulate in September, the priorities are fluids and rest. Oral rehydration sachets are sensible for young children; paracetamol helps with the misery. Keep children off school until 48 hours after the last episode. Blood in stools, signs of dehydration (very little wee, drowsiness, dry mouth) or a bug lasting more than a few days need a GP or 111.
Buying from us
Combs, dimeticone treatments and children's medicines go straight into the basket. Pharmacy medicines take a three-minute online check first, reviewed by our pharmacist at 140 Oakfield Road before we send anything - one pharmacy medicine per order. Or just call 0151 263 3631 and ask; we have had every version of this conversation.
Always read the label. This is general information for parents, not a diagnosis.
