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MASSACHUSETTS NURSE NEWSLETTER
:: March 2005
How health care sometimes hurts patients
and the environment
By Evie
Bain
At a recent meeting of A Health Tomorrow and The Massachusetts
Breast Cancer Coalition, I had the pleasure to learn about The National
Pediculosis Association and nontoxic alternatives to treating head
lice.
Individual toxicity
The chemicals in pesticides used in conventional treatment for head
lice, can be absorbed through the skin and inhaled by both the child
and the parent or whoever is applying the chemical. Pesticides accumulate
in the body and build up to toxic levels over time, especially since
many other products that are used frequently contain pesticides,
i.e., sun screen products containing insect repellant or insect
repellant itself (very toxic products indeed).
Adverse reactions
Headache, nausea, confusion, dizziness are noted as immediate reactions
to absorbed or inhaled pesticides. They are also associated with
long term health consequences including certain cancers.
Environmental toxicity
The chemicals in these products can also be found in ground water
because they are not bio-degradable. They are in a class of chemicals
known as bio-accumulative toxins or BAT's .
Non-toxic alternatives exist
The National Pediculosis Association has a kit and a process called
the Lice Meister and information about this product is available
at its website www.headlice.org.
An association fact sheet is reprinted at below.
Recently an MNA member, Cindy Juncker, lead school nurse in Gloucester,
shared another nontoxic alternative that facilitates nit removal.
She recommended: cover the hair and scalp liberally with olive oil,
apply a shower cap and leave in place for six to eight hours, use
a fine tooth comb to comb out the nits, wash the head using a clarifying
shampoo and finally repeat this process every four days for a 21
day-cycle. Most important, according to Juncker, is manual removal
of the nits from the hair shaft with fingernails.
No matter what
you do...
Be
Sure To Provide a
Non-Chemical Choice For
Children, Families, and Yourself!
Why? Because children
of any age or size are vulnerable to the harmful effects
of pesticides. They also often have pregnant or nursing
mothers who should never be exposed to chemical treatments
either by applying them to themselves or to others.
Why? Because too many people unfortunately
overuse chemical agents out of fear and frustration
without adequate warning of the risks to themselves
and the environment.
Why? Because each of us has unique
vulnerabilities. Pesticide products can accumulate in
the human body and they are not necessarily washed away
at the end of the treatment, as people would like to
think.
Why? Because the overuse of lice products
can predispose a person to adverse reactions with even
one additional chemical exposure.
Why? Because it's not worth taking
unnecessary risks when the bottom line will always be
the manual removal of lice and nits.
Why? Because none of the available
chemical treatments are 100% effective and too many
people are told to seek prescriptions after other treatments
fail. Prescriptions become the most potentially harmful
treatment of them all!
Why? Because pesticides pose a risk
to all children, and none are more at risk than the
growing number treated for illnesses and/or on medication.
Why? Because everyone needs a non-chemical
way to screen and detect head lice early and remove
them safely and effectively.
Why? "Cuz if you don't get 'em
out, you've still got 'em!™" "Because it's
not about lice, it's about kids.™"
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