Head lice are not a reportable public health problem, but researchers estimate that approximately three million Americans are affected each year. Nearly all public health officials concur that this incidence is increasing. With the exception of the common cold, head lice probably affect more children in the United States each year than all other communicable diseases combined. Animals do not carry human head lice, so there is no need to treat family pets. Top of page.
Scratching can lead to skin sores and infection.
You should look for nits attached to individual hairs. These can be seen with the naked eye, but you could probably identify them more easily with the aid of a magnifying glass under good lighting. Sometimes dandruff or droplets of hair spray can be confused with nits. Try removing the specks from the hair shaft. Dandruff or hair spray will come off easily whereas nits are very difficult to remove.