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Quotes about Lice from the world's top natural health / natural living authors

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"But the lice themselves are not dangerous?just uncomfortable and annoying. So why are we treating these essentially harmless pests with incredibly concentrated toxins? The most common agents used to treat head lice, pyrethroids, are synthetic insecticides that can cause dizziness, nausea, and headaches. Dr. Phil Landrigan told me that the two leading brands of head-lice treatments contain the "very nasty chemical" hexachlorobenzene. We're talking about agricultural pesticides here—the very last substance we should be rubbing into our children's scalps!" - Deirdre Imus, Growing Up Green: Baby and Child Care: Volume 2 in the Bestselling Green This! Series (Green This!) (Get the book.) "You should use these shampoos all year long, but particularly at the beginning of the school year and following winter break, when lice outbreaks most often occur. If despite these preventative measures your child still comes home with lice, you shouldn't ever in any circumstance resort to toxins. Here's what Dr. Lawrence Rosen recommends you do: "Mix any or all of the essential oils of tea tree, ylang-ylang, anise, rosemary, marjoram, sage, and eucaplyptus—all of which have demonstrated anti-lice properties—in a coconut oil base." - Deirdre Imus, Growing Up Green: Baby and Child Care: Volume 2 in the Bestselling Green This! Series (Green This!) (Get the book.) "When I was in second grade, I came home with lice. My mom went out and bought an anti-lice shampoo, and when I was rinsing it out of my hair, a little bit got in my eye. I started shrieking and screaming at the burning sensation, and even after I finally stumbled out of the shower, I couldn't see out of my left eye. When my mother saw my eye, she drove me straight to the emergency room. The doctors saw me right away and cleaned out my eye, but I didn't regain my full eyesight for another week. At least I got to wear a pirate eye-patch over my left eye for the rest of the month! —Geoff K." - Deirdre Imus, Growing Up Green: Baby and Child Care: Volume 2 in the Bestselling Green This! Series (Green This!) (Get the book.)

"This makes combing out nits after treating the lice much easier, though it will never be pleasant. Vinegar alone does not kill the lice, but it can help get rid of the nits so the infestation does not continue. Last year it seemed every kid in the state contracted lice, and I caught them from my granddaughter. She and I tried every possible shampoo, rinse, and remedy and combed our hair with special combs, all to no avail. It was awful! What finally worked was white vinegar. Wet the hair and towel it partly dry. Pour the white vinegar all over the hair and let it set there awhile." - Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D., Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy (Get the book.)

"The EPA no longer allows its use as a pesticide in agriculture, describing it as one of the most toxic, persistent, bioaccumulative pesticides ever registered, yet the FDA continues to allow its use in lice treatment shampoos for children. What's ludicrous is that this highly toxic chemical cannot be used on plants and pets anymore, yet we permit it on children's heads (where it can readily be absorbed through the skin). Lindane, the active ingredient in many prescription lice treatments, is a neurotoxic chemical in the same family as DDT." - Brenda Watson and Leonard Smith, The Detox Strategy: Vibrant Health in 5 Easy Steps (Get the book.)

"Pediculosis is the medical term for lice, which can affect the head hair or the genital hair. It is transmitted through bedclothes, touch, and genital contact. Over-the-counter topical treatments (Nix, Rid), which use pyrethrin-based ingredients, are generally safe. LINDANE The most commonly used prescribed medication for these problems is lindane (Kwell). Doctors apparently have not yet figured out that it doesn't work and has generated some safety concerns. Over the past few decades the effectiveness of lindane has been decreasing because of the emergence of treatment-resistant lice." - J. Douglas Bremner, Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health (Get the book.)

"If despite these preventative measures your child still comes home with lice, you shouldn't ever in any circumstance resort to toxins. Here's what Dr. Lawrence Rosen recommends you do: "Mix any or all of the essential oils of tea tree, ylang-ylang, anise, rosemary, marjoram, sage, and eucaplyptus—all of which have demonstrated anti-lice properties—in a coconut oil base. You can add a little lavender if you'd like, to improve the scent. Mix with a small amount of shampoo and apply as a rinse to the child's head. Leave on for 15?0 minutes, then wash out. Repeat daily for one week." - Deirdre Imus, Growing Up Green: Baby and Child Care: Volume 2 in the Bestselling Green This! Series (Green This!) (Get the book.)

"Malathion is highly flammable, so children treated for lice should stay away from fires to keep their heads from catching on fire. Side effects are rare and include scalp irritation and eye inflammation (conjunctivitis). Malathion is not absorbed into the body in significant quantities. Although the product label instructs the user to leave it on for eight hours, this is overkill, and can eventually lead to lice resistance, so these recommendations should not be followed. It should not be used by women who are pregnant or breast-feeding." - J. Douglas Bremner, Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health (Get the book.) "Lindane acts on lice by stimulating their central nervous system similar to DDT. Those with lesions on their head can develop central-nervous-system toxicity if they apply the lotion on the head. This is an obvious concern for the many children who are applying this lotion on top of their head for the elimination of head lice, which they may have to do twice. Side effects include dizziness, headache, tingling, and seizures. There have been three confirmed Lindane-related deaths. Lindane is contraindicated in children with uncontrolled seizure disorders and alcoholics." - J. Douglas Bremner, Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health (Get the book.) "Although the product label instructs the user to leave it on for eight hours, this is overkill, and can eventually lead to lice resistance, so these recommendations should not be followed. It should not be used by women who are pregnant or breast-feeding. Alternative Medicines and Recommendations There are many people who believe that vitamins boost immunity and prevent infections." - J. Douglas Bremner, Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health (Get the book.)

"There are two kinds of parasites: endoparasites (those that live within their hosts), which include fungi (such as ringworm) and protozoa (such as Giardia lamblid); and ectoparasites (those that live on but not within their hosts), which include ticks, fleas, and lice. Viruses and disease-causing fungi and bacteria are all considered parasites, and all have an outer coating of protein. After they have been targeted by the immune system as a foreign agent, the cells of the immune system begin to remove them (see chapter 2)." - Tom Bohager, Everything You Need to Know About Enzymes to Treat Everything from Digestive Problems and Allergies to Migraines and Arthritis (Get the book.)

"Lindane is also used in medicinal shampoos to kill lice, available in every state except California, where lindane-based shampoos are banned. (In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration banned the use of lindane for veterinary purposes for treatment of lice on animals; for people, the agency recommends its use for patients who cannot tolerate or have failed treatment with safer medication."10 For the first time, a developing country—Mexico —was proposing the ban of a chemical that was approved for use in the land of its long-dominant, and far richer, northern neighbor." - Mark Schapiro, Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power (Get the book.)

"For head lice, crablice and their nits. PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS No health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction with the proper administration of designated therapeutic dosages. The pyrethrines possess only limited toxicity in humans (dosages up to 2 g of the drug are non-toxic). OVERDOSAGE Headache, ringing in the ears, nausea, paraesthesias, respiratory disturbances and other neurotoxic symptoms have been observed as signs of poisoning." - Joerg Gruenwald, Ph.D., PDR for Herbal Medicines (Get the book.)

"Few herbal reference books recommend botanical remedies for lice, so I hope herbalists notice this chapter and begin including lice-killing herbs (pediculicides) in their works. Here are a few herbs that can send lice packing. V Neem (Azadiracta indica) and turmeric (Curcuma longa). In one study done in India, researchers treated 814 people complaining of lice with a combination of these two herbal remedies. Neem is a large oaklike tree that's native to India and is now planted around the subtropical world, including Florida and Southern California." - James A. Duke, Ph.D., The Green Pharmacy: New Discoveries in Herbal Remedies for Common Diseases and Conditions from the World's Foremost Authority on Healing Herbs (Get the book.)

"Lindane, the active ingredient in many prescription lice treatments, is a neurotoxic chemical in the same family as DDT. Like DDT, lindane remains in the environment, collects through the food chain, and travels on air and water currents to pollute the farthest reaches of earth. It blocks specific sodium channels, causing overstimulation of the body, and breaks down into several metabolites, one of which is readily stored in body fat. A 2003 study by the CDC determined that 62 percent of Americans have the insecticide in their bodies." - Brenda Watson and Leonard Smith, The Detox Strategy: Vibrant Health in 5 Easy Steps (Get the book.)

"Despite innumerable numbers of lice, pests, beetles and locusts, plants have managed to survive and keep the planet green and oxygenated. This is due to their highly advanced "healthcare system." Similar to our bodies, plants have immune systems to ensure their own survival and health. They use prickly thorns, poison as in the case of the deadly nightshades, or they envelop themselves in a wax-covering that is impenetrable for microbes and insects such as lice, beetles, etc." - Andreas Moritz, Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash The Natural Healing Power That Lies Dormant Within You (Get the book.)

"In 15th-century England, women shaved their pubic hair to keep lice at bay. They covered up the bare spots with merkins— pubic wigs. Merkins were also popular among prostitutes for another reason: they covered up the telltale signs of syphilis and other venereal diseases. (Rogaine), the antihypertensive drug, which is also commonly used as a hair loss treatment. Hirsutism can also be a clue to the overuse or abuse of anabolic steroids. Excessive facial and body hair in women are often signs of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)." - Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph. D., and Jacqueline Nardi Egan, Body Signs: From Warning Signs to False Alarms...How to Be Your Own Diagnostic Detective (Get the book.)

"New pesticides were being introduced to boost crop yields, prolong the shelf life of produce, keep lice, fleas, roaches, and termites out of the home, and zap dandelions from the lawn. Ingenious new chemicals were starting to be employed to help manufacture everything Americans demanded to make their lives easier, simpler, and more luxurious—from plastics to hair shampoo, detergents, brake linings, carpet pads, cold creams, dry cleaning fluid, foam cushions, paint strippers, household cleansers and bleaches, and bigger, grander cars." - Donna Jackson Nakazawa, The Autoimmune Epidemic (Get the book.)

"Vinegar alone does not kill the lice, but it can help get rid of the nits so the infestation does not continue. Last year it seemed every kid in the state contracted lice, and I caught them from my granddaughter. She and I tried every possible shampoo, rinse, and remedy and combed our hair with special combs, all to no avail. It was awful! What finally worked was white vinegar. Wet the hair and towel it partly dry. Pour the white vinegar all over the hair and let it set there awhile. That's all we had to do to end the nightmare." - Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D., Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy (Get the book.)

"A number of diverse researchers demonstrated that human intention can affect an enormous variety of living systems: bacteria, yeast, algae, lice, chicks, mice, gerbils, rats, cats, and dogs.12 A number of these experiments have also been carried out with human targets; intention has been shown to affect many biological processes within the receiver, including gross motor movements and those in the heart, the eye, the brain, and the respiratory system. Animals themselves proved capable of acts of effective intention." - Lynne McTaggart, The Intention Experiment: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World (Get the book.)

"A variety of prescription and over-the-counter shampoos are great at killing head lice, according to Dr. Richards. They include: Kwell, which features the ingredient gamma benzene hexachloride, and Nix, which contains perme-thrin. Once the lice have been killed, however, you'll need to remove their eggs by carefully combing the hair with a nit comb, says Dr. Richards. You may have to repeat the treatment several times. Any survivors won't waste time starting a new family of hungry lice." - the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books, Symptoms: Their Causes & Cures : How to Understand and Treat 265 Health Concerns (Get the book.)

"PIPERONYL BUTOXIDE • A-200 Pediculicide Shampoo. lice. Enz Foam. Pronto lice Killing Shampoo. R & C Shampoo. Rid lice Killing Shampoo. A compound derived from petroleum used in combination with pyrethrins to treat skin parasites. For external use only. Should not be inhaled or used on irritated, infected, or broken skin. Should not be used by a person sensitive to ragweed. Harmful if swallowed. PISCUM LECUR • Fish Liver Oil. PISUM SATIVUM • Pea Extract. PISTACH1A VERA • See Pistachio Nut Oil." - Ruth Winter, M.S., A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients (Get the book.)

"S bedbwjs, wasps, sllverfish, gnats, beetle*, fleas, lice, etc PESTROY 10% DOT ACTIVATED POWDER Special chemicals in PESTROY DDT powder drive bugs from hiding places to certain DDT death. Handy Press-cap container whisks PESTROY into cracks, crevices, under carpet*, etc. Sherwin-Williams Sherwin-Williams Paint Company was one of the original marketers of Paris green, the arsenic pesticide. After World War II, Sherwin Williams found it profitable to sell DDT. Pestroy DDT was painted on screens and walls and retained its killing power for months. From the California Cultivator. 1946." - Will Allen, The War on Bugs (Get the book.)

"Quassia is also used for fever (Costa Rica and Surinam), malaria, dysentery, gonorrhea (Brazil), lice and worm infestations, as an antiseptic wound treatment, for diarrhea (Costa Rica and Brazil), for snake bites (Guyana), for liver disease, edema, and menstrual complaints. Homeopathic Uses: Uses in homeopathy include poor digestion and liver disease. contraindications Not to be used during pregnancy. precautions and adverse reactions No health hazards are known in conjunction with the proper administration of designated therapeutic dosages." - Thomson Healthcare, Inc., PDR for Herbal Medicines, Fourth Edition (Get the book.)

"They use prickly thorns, poison as in the case of the deadly nightshades, or they envelop themselves in a wax-covering that is impenetrable for microbes and insects such as lice, beetles, etc. If any of these predatoros somehow manage to enter the plant's interior, inborn defense mechanisms attempt to destroy the invaders, not dissimilar to our own defense responses. Most destructive microbes that are present in the air, food and water never reach the inside of our bodies. They are promptly neutralized by enzymes located in our noses, lungs, saliva and stomach juices." - Andreas Moritz, Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash The Natural Healing Power That Lies Dormant Within You (Get the book.)

"Rheumatoid arthritis is a twentieth-century disease, peaking in incidence and severity in midcentury. Despite the fact that the pharmaceuticals in use at the time did little if anything to modify its course, rheumatoid arthritis has been on the wane ever since. Even tuberculosis was on the wane in the early twentieth century, long before streptomycin, the first effective antibiotic for its treatment, was discovered. Heart attacks and strokes are twentieth-century diseases. Since peaking near midcentury, their incidence has been diminishing in all age groups." - Nortin M. Hadler MD, Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America (Get the book.)

"The drug was previously used for skin tumors, condyloma, psoriasis, necrotic vasculitis, tendovaginitis, inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, Behcet's disease, liver cirrhosis, acute and chronic leukemia; also for lice, asthma, dropsy, and rheumatism. Homeopathic Uses: In addition to acute and chronic gout, Colchicum is also used for inflammation of the kidney and gastrointestinal tract, bodily secretions, tendovaginitis, and acute joint rheumatism. Efficacy has not been proved. precautions and adverse reactions General: The drugs are severely poisonous." - Thomson Healthcare, Inc., PDR for Herbal Medicines, Fourth Edition (Get the book.)

"On the other hand, lice carry some of the worst diseases that have decimated humankind. Some scientists think it wiser to kill the lice and take the low risk from the pesticide in order to avoid any chance of some awful disease. Also, there is a new lindane-free shampoo put out by Lifekind called "Lice Out." • Know and be able to detect lead poisoning symptoms: 1." - D. Lindsey Berkson, Hormone Deception (Get the book.)

"Externally, an ointment from the seeds is used for body lice. ANGELICA LEAVES Unproven Uses: Preparations from the leaves have been used as a diuretic and diaphoretic. precautions and adverse reactions ANGELICA FRUIT AND HERB General: No health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction with the proper administration of designated therapeutic dosages. Photodermatosis is possible following contact with the plant juice. Pregnancy: Preparations are not to be used during pregnancy." - Thomson Healthcare, Inc., PDR for Herbal Medicines, Fourth Edition (Get the book.)

"One child born to a mother who was exposed to malathion in a lice shampoo when she was three months pregnant developed serious muscle and birth defects.19 (One cannot conclude much from one report of one child but it does suggest we must be more aware of all kinds of possible effects from chemical exposures that occur during pregnancy. We must ask, how safe are lice shampoos that contain malathion? Safe shampoos are available.)7'" ancer Studies in Humans In one report, seven children developed leukemia and aplastic anemia after exposures to malathion and other pesticides." - Doris J. Rapp, M.D., Our Toxic World: A Wake Up Call (Get the book.)

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