DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My entire family — two boys, one girl, one dad and one mom — have lice. I am starting a support group for families who have had to experience this awful invasion of their scalps. I have reached the breaking point. Give me a plan for treatment and a timetable for their eradication from our home. — Name Withheld Lest Neighbors Find Out

ANSWER: One of nature’s smallest creatures, the head louse upsets domestic tranquility with more revulsion than most health-endangering illnesses. Head lice bring no disease with them. They are tiny, only 3 millimeters (1/10 inch) in length. They feed on blood and die within a day or two off the scalp. After feeding, lice have a reddish-brown hue.

The mother louse glues louse eggs to hair, and those structures are called nits. They are only 1 millimeter long (4/100 inch) long. The eggs hatch in six to 10 days. If nits are more than a quarter of an inch from the scalp, the baby louse has already hatched, and the nit is no longer a problem. In an average life span of three months, the mother louse can lay up to 300 eggs.

Lice are not an indication of poor hygiene. Most of the time, they’re introduced into a family by a child who caught them at school. They can infest other family members quickly. Transmission comes from direct contact with an infested individual and, less often, from contact with inanimate objects used by that individual, like hats, combs, brushes and bedding. You’re not alone. Six to 12 million Americans (100 million worldwide) come down with head lice yearly.

Almost all people with head lice have intense scalp itching. A few have no symptoms. A number of methods effectively rid you of the problem. The first medicines used are permethrin (Nix) or pyrethrins (Rid), which are cheap and usually effective, although lice are becoming resistant to them in some locations. A second treatment is given seven to 10 days after the first. Ovide (malathion) is used if lice linger after Nix or Rid. And should Ovide not work, the oral medicine Stromectol (ivermectin) is available. A new medicine is Natroba (spinosad) suspension. It is held in reserve as a last resort. This nightmare should be over in two to three weeks.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My mother has Alzheimer’s disease. She appears depressed. She has lost interest in most activities, sleeps too much, has no energy and has thoughts of death. She has been on a statin for several years for high cholesterol. My brother insists that she take Coenzyme Q10 because he believes many of her symptoms are due to the statin she takes. My mother has a limited income, and I’d hate her to spend money on something that is not going to help. Your thoughts are appreciated. — P.C.

ANSWER: Statins, the most powerful cholesterol-lowering drugs, work by decreasing the liver production of cholesterol. They block the synthesis of a substance that is a precursor to cholesterol. That same substance is a precursor to the production of CoQ10, something found in all body cells. So the level of CoQ10 could fall somewhat. It neutralizes the wastes produced by cell chemistry, it stabilizes cell membranes and it contributes to energy production. Because of this, some advocate supplying CoQ10 to those on statins. Many more do not agree. CoQ10 might alleviate the muscle pain that sometimes arises with statins.

Your mother’s symptoms sound like depression to me. For that, there is treatment. If your brother wants to foot the bill for CoQ10, let him. It won’t hurt your mom. I don’t believe it will make her feel differently.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Eight years ago I was in an accident in which my head hit the front window. My head and neck began to hurt later, and have gotten worse. The doctor says I have a syrinx. No doctor wants to help me. What do you suggest? — A.

ANSWER: A syrinx (SIR-inks) is a cavity in the spinal cord. It’s filled with fluid. Some people are born with one. Trauma can lead to its formation in others. You need a neurosurgeon’s opinion. If local doctors are unable to help you, get an appointment with a neurosurgeon at one of the medical schools in your state. You’ll find a doctor there who is experienced in treating this condition.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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