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Diphtheria - Causes, Symptoms And Home Remedies

With improved immunization programmers, one rarely hears of diphtheria in the developed world. But under developed world. But under developed or third world countries still battle with the disease, which usually occurs in the pre winter or late autumn months.

Diphtheria is an acute bacterial disease that usually affects the tonsils, throat, nose and/or skin. It is passed from person to person by droplet transmission, usually by breathing in diphtheria bacteria after an infected person has coughed, sneezed or even laughed.It can also be spread by handling used tissues or by drinking from a glass used by an infected person. Diphtheria can lead to breathing problems, heart failure, paralysis and sometimes death.

Information on the causes and symptoms of the diphtheria.

Diphtheria is a serious infectious disease, caused by bacteria spread through droplet infection, i.e., from the nasal discharge or skin lesions of patients suffering from it. The points of entry are the nose, mouth, eyes, skin or genital mucous. It often lodges itself in the throat or in the upper respiratory tract, but causes generalized or localized symptoms because of a toxin it produces, which spreads through the bloodstream.

When diphtheria affects the nose or throat, it causes a blockage in the respiratory inflow. There is fever, loss of appetite, headache, and a sore throat, that rapidly turns into a breathing problem. The person begins breathing through the mouth, and gets more and more restless as time passes. Then the face puffs up and sometimes there is vomiting. There is also difficulty in swallowing. The diagnosis is confirmed by the presence of a membrane on the tonsils or throat surface, or nasal mucosa where the infection is lodged. The best course of action is to rush to a hospital. The toxin can be neutralized with anti-toxin, along with antibiotics and other symptomatic relief measures. Common symptoms of diphtheria includes:

• Sore throat.
• Fever.
• Enlarged lymph nodes (swollen glands) located in the neck.

Home remedies for the diphtheria

• Crush 2-3 cloves of garlic and give a spoonful of the juice to the patient to drink. It should be rolled in the throat and then swallowed. If a child is unable to do this, add warm water to the juice and let him sip it slowly. Repeat this every 3-4 hours. It will disintegrate the pseudo­membrane, clear the respiratory passage, and also neutralize the circulating toxins.
  The essential oils in garlic contain active sulphur compounds, allyl propyl disulphide and di-allyl disulphide. These have an efficient anti microbial effect.
• Take a common tobacco pipe, place a live coal within the bowl, drop a little tar upon the coal, and let the patient draw smoke into the mouth and discharge it through the nostrils. The remedy is safe and simple, and should be tried whenever occasion may require.
• Make a paste of 4-5 small fresh castor leaves, a handful of drumstick leaves and 3-4 cloves of garlic. Use this to make an infusion, let the patient take inhalations, and also gargle with this water.

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