Category: Fever

Typhoid fever is an acute systemic disease caused by salmonella typhi. It is a condition in which there is a typical course of temperature, with marked abdominal symptoms consisting of ulceration of the bowels. The fever is of uncertain duration and liable to frequent relapses.

Typhoid fever is an infectious disease and children contract it from those who have had it, or from carriers. The condition is common in tropical countries with poor sanitation.

Typhoid Fever Symptoms

It takes from 10 days to two weeks for this disease to develop. The child-patient feels chilly, tired and weak. He suffers from headache, and loss of appetite, followed by backache and either diarrhea or constipation. Many- patients also have bronchitis, so that in the early stages of typhoid, “the disease may appear as pneumonia. The temperature rises and remains high for about 10 days to two weeks. It has tendency to rise in the evening and fall in the morning. Skin eruptions tend to appear in the second week and if proper ,care is not taken, inflammation of the bones and ulceration of the bowels may occur. The loss of appetite is more apparent. The tongue becomes dry and is coated with white patches in the central region of its surface. The fever gradually comes down to normal by the end of the fourth week.

Typhoid Fever Causes

Poor sanitation is most often “responsible for this disease. Contaminated water is the usual source of infection. The next common cause is infected mille Other foods may also be responsible for the disease. Sometimes, certain people, known as carriers, may spread the disease. After a patient has recovered from the disease, the bacteria may still survive in the gall-bladder for years, so that the patient becomes a carrier. If such a carrier is employed in preparing or serving food, the infection can spread. In a few cases, flies may bring the germs into the house and contaminate the food. Germs enter the body through the mouth, causing irritation and ulceration of the lower small bowel.

Typhoid fever usually develops in a child who has a great accumulation of toxic waste and other putrefactive material in his intestine, resulting from wrong diet and faulty style of living. The germ of typhoid fever flourishes upon this morbid condition of the intestine. The disease is more common in children who. eat much meat or other flesh foods, as it is the nature of such foods to decompose and putrefy readily within the intestines.

Typhoid Fever Treatment

A complete bed rest and careful nursing is essential for the child-patient. He should be given liquid diet like milk, barley and fruit juices. Orange juice will be especially beneficial. In fact, the exclusive diet of orange juice diluted with warm water can be taken for first few days of the treatment with highly beneficial results. In typhoid fever, the digestive power of the body is seriously hampered, and the patient suffers from blood poisoning called toxaemia. The lack of saliva coats his tongue and often destroys his thirst for water as well as his desire for food. The agreeable flavour of orange juice helps greatly’ in overcoming these drawbacks. It also gives energy, increases urinary output and promotes body resistance against infections, thereby, hastening recovery.If possible, warm-water enema should be given daily during this period to cleanse the bowels.

Cold compresses may be applied to the head in case the temperature rises above l03’F. If this method does not succeed, cold pack may be applied to the whole body. The procedure for this pack has been explained in the appendix.

After the temperature has come down to normal and the tongue has cleared, the child-patient may be given, for further two or three day, fresh fruits and other easily digestible foods. For drinks, unsweetened lemon water or plain water, either hot or cold, may be given. Thereafter, the child-patient may be allowed to gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet according to his age. The emphasis should be on fresh fruits and raw or lightly ­cooked vegetables.

Typhoid Fever Prevention

The disease can be prevented by ensuring a clean water supply, proper disposal of sewage and implementation of anti-fly measures. All drinking water should be either boiled or thoroughly purified. Milk should be pasteurized or boiled. People who handle food should be carefully screened to be sure that they are not carrying the germs of typhoid.

Useful References

• https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001332.htm
• http://www.who.int/immunization/diseases/typhoid/en/
• https://www.cdc.gov/typhoid-fever/index.html

Rheumatic fever of inflammatory rheumatism is a very serious chronic disease. It mainly affects children and adolescents. It is thought to be an allergic condition which affects the joints, heart and nervous system.

Rheumatic Fever Symptoms

Sometimes the onset of rheumatic fever is sudden. In most cases, the child first develops a sore throat. About two weeks later, he may have a fever and stiffness which may be preceded or accompanied by joint swelling. The patient may also suffer from lack of appetite, profuse sweating and perhaps even a rash. The joints involved are usually the ankles, knees and wrists. Nodules can be felt under the skin over the elbows and wrists. The affected joints are swollen and they are painful, tender and warm during the active stages of the disease. The pulse becomes rapid and there are heart murmurs. The electrical activity of the heart, recorded by the electrocardiograph, changes.

If the disease affects the nervous system, the patient becomes irritable and excitable, and his movements are clumsy. Spontaneous movements develop mostly in the face and arms. The disease may also involve the valves and various layers of the heart and produce breathlessness.

Rheumatic Fever Causes

Certain streptococcus germs present in the throat are apparently responsible for the onset of rheumatic fever. The organism provokes the formation of antibodies which react not only with the streptococci but with normal constituents of human heart muscle and joint membranes.

Heredity is an important factor and the disease seems to run in families. If both parents have had the disease during childhood, their children are more likely to have rheumatic fever. Overcrowding is another important cause for the outbreak of this disease. There is always the likelihood. of rheumatic fever wherever large numbers of children and young people assemble. Other causes of the disease are malnutrition and dampness.

Rheumatic Fever Treatment

The child-patient should be kept in bed until the swelling of the joints subsides and fever settles. He should be nursed carefully and not allowed to exert himself. He may be given plenty of fruit juices in the beginning of the treatment. Orange juice will be especially beneficial. It can be given diluted with water on 50:50 basis. If possible, the bowels should be cleansed daily with warm­ water anemia.

Hot and cold compresses should be applied several times daily to relieve swellings and pain in the joints. Cold packs should also be applied to the trunk. A cold pack to the throat will also be beneficial.

Home Remedies For the Treatment of Rheumatic Fever

1. Asparagus

A useful remedy for rheumatic fever is the use of asparagus (halyan) seeds, black cumin (kala jeera), fenugreek (methi) and ajwain. All the four herbs should be taken in equal quantity and ground into powder. Three grams of this powder should be swallowed with water every morning. This will control the swelling of rheumatism.

2.  Arsenic

Another useful remedy to relieve the pain of rheumatic fever is to grind finely 1.25 decigrams of white arsenic, one dried grape and four decigrams of pepper and make into 24 pills. One pill should be taken daily after breakfast

3. Castor Root

As for local application, one kilo of root of castor tree should be boiled in eight litres of water. The mixture should be expressed and ‘strained when one-fourth of the liquid is left It should be boiled in half kg. of castor oil till all the water has evaporated. This oil should be rubbed over the affected parts and they should be bandaged with cotton wool.

Useful References

• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rheumatic-fever/symptoms-causes/syc-20354588
• https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nndss/conditions/rheumatic-fever/case-definition/1997/
• https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003940.htm

Meningitis is a severe inflammation of membranes (meninges) or inner lining of the brain and spinal cord. This may result from invasion of bacteria or virus into meninges. The infection usually spreads from the base of the brain up over the surface and down the spinal cord. It appears to reach the inside from the throat and nose via the bloodstream. It is perhaps the most serious of all the acute diseases of childhood.

Epidemic meningitis sometimes occurs in densely populate areas during the cold season. It is also known as spotted fever, as rashes appear in meningo coccas meningitis upon the face and body.

Meningitis Symptoms

In most children who develop meningitis, the source of infection is from throat, nose, ear or lungs. But if they are subjected to damp cold and overcrowded atmosphere, the organism is liable to pass into the blood stream. The incubation period is short, ranging between one and five days, and the onset is sudden. Children with this disease usually have a high fever and they may go. into convulsions. They have severe headache and pain and.stiffness in the neck and back. The child tends to lie in a curled position with the knees drawn up towards the chin and the eyes turned away from light. He becomes drowsy and confused and may become unconscious. There may also be a skin rash and an obstinate constipation. Vomiting is common in meningitis.

Causes of Meningitis

Meningitis usually follows an attack of otitis media (middle ear disease), or mastoiditis (infection of bone projecting behind the ear), or brain abscesses or even tonsillitis. Any skull fracture or penetrating head injury may also result in meningitis. Some times, tuberculosis may spread to the brain and cause the disease. In case of epidemic meningitis, the germs are apparently spread by persons who have a mild sore throat or cold.

Treatment For Meningitis

1. The child with meningitis should be placed on complete bed rest and nursed very carefully. He should be given the juice of an orange diluted in a glass of warm water several times daily for the first few days of the treatment. This will provide energy, increase urinary output and promote body resistance against infection, thereby fecilitating recovery. Co-operative children should be given warm-water anema daily during this period to cleanse the bowels. If constipation is present and the child is . reluctant to take the warm-water enema, he should be given glycerine suppo-sitory.
2. Cold compresses may be applied to the head in case the temperature rises above 103’F. If this method does not succeed, cold pack may be applied to the whole body. The procedure is to wring out a sheet or other large- square piece of linen material in cold water, wrap it twice right round the body and legs of the patient This pack should be applied every three hours during the day while temperature is high and kept on for an hour or so each time.
3. The grown-up children should take neutral immersion bath as this bath is very useful in organic diseases of brain and spinal cord, including meningitis. This bath should be taken for 20 to 30 minutes at a water temperature ranging from 26’C to 28’C (92′ to 98’F) before retiring at night A cold wet cloth should be applied to the head and forehead before entering the bath. This bath will equalize the circulation so as to reduce the amount of blood in the brain and spinal cord. Application of hot fomentation to the spine every two hours with spinal ice bag during intervals will also be beneficial in the treatment of meningitis.

Useful References

• https://medlineplus.gov/meningitis.html
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/
• https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/index.html

Alternatives names of Measles :: Rrubeola, German measles

What are measles ?

Measles, also called rubeola, is best known for its typical skin rash. It is, however, primarily a respiratory infection. Measles, a highly infectious disease, is very common in childhood. It is so common at this stage of life that nearly all children everywhere in the world go through this brief period of red spots. The disease appears in epidemic form, often in the winter season.

Measles Symptoms

The first symptoms which appear during 7 to 14 days after exposure to the virus are feverishness, cold, watering of the eyes and dry cough. Rashes appear on the skin in three to five days after the onset of these symptoms. These rashes, which consist of small rounded spots with reddened skin in between, initially appear on the sides of the face and the neck and then gradually spread all over the body, appearing last on the extremities. Initially pink in color, these rashes grow darker as time passes.

Measles is usually accompanied with slight fever and diarrhea. In rare cases of great severity, high fever and delirium may occur. Complication which can arise from this disease include pneumonia, bronchitis, and ear abscess. One serious but rare complication is the inflammation of the brain. Common symptoms of measles inculdes :-

• Red eyes
• Cough
• Skin rash
• High Fever.
• Red spots inside cheeks.
• Conjunctivitis.

Measles Causes

Measles is one of the most contagious diseases, caused by a virus. The measles virus is so infectious that in cities, children catch this disease before they reach the age of five years. Mothers generally pass their antibodies to their children which immunize them passively. This protection, however, does not last beyond the sixth month. Measles is easily transmitted in the early stages through the invisible droplets of moisture which are discharged from a patient’s nose or mouth when he coughs or sneezes.

The real cause of this disease, like other diseases of childhood is however, wrong feeding and unhygienic living conditions. Measles is thus a natural healing crisis aimed at cleansing the infant organism of the toxins and deleterious products resulting from the assimilation of the excesses of starchy and sugary foods consumed by young children today.

Home Remedies for the Measles Treatment

1. Oranges

Oranges are very valuable in measles, as the digestive power of the body is seriously hampered. The patient suffers from intense toxemia, and the lack of saliva coats his tongue and often destroys his thirst for water as well as his desire for food. The agreeable flavor of orange juice helps greatly in overcoming these drawbacks. Orange juice is the ideal liquid food for measles disease.

2. Lemon

The juice of lemon also makes an effective thirst quenching drink in measles. About 15 to 25 ml of lemon juice, diluted with water, should be taken for treating measles.

3. Turmeric

Turmeric is beneficial in the treatment of measles. Raw roots of turmeric should be dried in the sun and ground to a fine powder. Half a teaspoon of this powder, mixed with a few drops of honey and the juice of a few bitter gourd leaves, should be given to patients suffering from measles.

4. Liquorice

Powdered liquorices has been found valuable in relieving the cough, which is typical in measles. The child patient should be given half a teaspoon of powdered liquorices mixed with the same quantity of honey.

5. Barley

The use of barley water has proved beneficial for the troublesome cough in measles. This water should be taken frequently, sweetened with the newly-drawn oil of sweet almonds.

6. Eggplant

The seeds of the eggplant are a stimulant. Intake of half to one gram of these seeds daily for three days will help develop immunity against measles for one year.

Prevention tips

The child should be kept in a well ventilated room. As light has a detrimental effect upon the eyes during measles because of the weakened condition of the external eye tissues, the child should have his eyes shaded or the room should have subdued light.

The treatment should aim at bringing down the temperature and eliminating the toxins from the system. This can be achieved by administration of a warm water enema every morning, application of mud packs on the abdomen twice a day in the morning and evening, and repeated application of chest packs. Lukewarm water baths can be given every day to ease itching. Addition of extracts of neem leaves to this water will prove beneficial.

Children having measles should not be allowed to mix with others so as to avoid passing on the infection to them. In fact, they should take complete rest. Hygienic conditions, along with the above-mentioned treatment, will lead to a speedy recovery. Medication should be strictly avoided.

Useful References

• http://www.who.int/immunization/diseases/measles/en/
• https://www.vaccines.gov/diseases/measles/index.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/measles/index.html
• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2015/07/02/measles-death-us/

Malaria is a serious infectious disease. It is one of the intermittent fevers which have a tendency to return again and again to haunt the sufferer. The word malaria comes from the Italian ‘mala + aria’, meaning bad air produced from damp earth and decaying vegetation.

It is one of the most widespread diseases in the world, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. The disease affects both children and adults alike.

Malaria Symptoms

There are four main types of malaria. These are vivax, falciparum, malariae and ovale. They are commonly called benign tertain malaria, quarten malaria, maligant tertain malaria and tertion fever. The most common symptom of all types of malaria is high fever, which may come every day, on alternate days or every fourth day. The fever is accompanied by chills, headache, shivering and pain in the limbs. The temperature comes down after some time with profuse sweating.

The onset of malaria in children is usually gradual. The child becomes dull and restless. He is disinterested in food and often vomits. Other common symptoms are abdominal pain, flatulence and diarrhea. The temperature may rise between 38 and 40°C. The fever may be continuous or may come in intervals. The child may have stiff neck and convulsions in case of high fever.

One of the main effects of malaria is anaemia, which develops more rapidly in children. Other complications of the disease are kidney failure and dysentery.

Malaria Causes

Malaria is caused by a tiny parasite called plasmodium. The parasite grows in the liver of a person for a few days and then enters the bloodstream where it invades the red blood cells. The disease is spread by the female anopheles mosquito. She draws a small quantity of blood containing the parasites, when she bites a person who has malaria. These parasites then pass through several stages of development within the mosquito’s body, and finally find their way to its salivary glands. There they lie in wait for an opportunity to enter the bloodstream of the next person the mosquito bites. The malaria-carrying mosquito breeds in stagnant water.

The secondary cause of malaria. however, as in case of other infectious diseases, is wrong diet and faulty style of living, resulting in the system being clogged with accumulated systemic refuse and morbid matter. It is on this soil that the malaria germs breed. The liberal use of denatured foods of today, such as white sugar, white flour and products made from them, as well as tinned foods, strong tea and coffee, lower the vitality of the system and paves the way for the development of malaria.

Malaria Prevention and Treatment

The child-patient should be kept in bed. He should be given plenty of fluids, especially orange juice diluted in warm water for the first few days of the treatment An ice bag should be applied to his head. Co-operative children can be given warm-water enema daily during this period to cleanse the bowels. After the fever has subsided, the patient may be placed for one or two days on an exclusive diet of fresh juicy fruits such as orange, grapes, grape­fruit, apple, pineapple, mango and papaya. Milk may be added to the fruit-diet after this period and this diet may be continued for further few days. Thereafter, the patient may be allowed gradually to embark upon a well-balanced diet of natural foods, consisting of seeds, nuts and grains, vegetables and fruits, with emphasis on whole grains cereals, fresh fruits and raw or lightly-cooked vegetables.

1. The child-patient should avoid tea. coffee, refined and processed foods, fried foods. condiments, pickles, white sugar, white flour and all products made from them. He should also avoid flesh foods.
2. The best way to reduce temperature naturally, during the course of the fever, is by means of the cold pack, which can be applied to the whole body.
3. The best herbal treatment for malaria is tea made with 12 grams of dried holy basil leaves and 3 grams of black pepper powder, taken thrice a day. Honey, palm candy or sugar are optional which can be added for taste.

Useful References

• http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/
• https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/index.html
• https://medlineplus.gov/malaria.html

Influenza, also known as flu, is the clinical condition that results from infection by influenza viruses.The main effects of the influenza viruses are on the upper respiratory tract, the nose and throat, with possible spread and involvement of the lungs.

The disease is highly contagious and it has potential to cause widespread epidemics affecting sizeable portion of a population at any time. Although it is more common during the cold months, it may strike at any time. It affects children and adults alike.

Influenza Symptoms

Influenza strikes suddenly. It usually begins with chills, fever, headache and severe muscular pains. The patient feels miserable and weak. There is an inflammation in the nose and-throat, which may spread down the windpipe to the lungs, resulting in a sore throat, cough, running of the nose and eyes.

In milder cases, the temperature rises to I02’F and lasts for two or three days. In severe cases, it may go up to I04’F and last for four .or five days. The consequent weakness and fatigue may continue for several weeks. This may be followed by a deadliest cough due to irritation in the windpipe.

Influenza Causes

Influenza is what is known as germ disease. It is, however, not caused primarily by the action of germs as is generally believed, but develops due to a toxic and run-down condition of the system of the affected person. This condition is brought about by dietetic errors and a faulty style of living such as worrY, over work, lack of proper exercise, living in stuffy rooms and keeping late hours. No disease germs can find lodgment and become active in the system of a person who is perfectly healthy in the true sense of the term. Influenza is passed on with ease from the affected person to many others who are also in an equally low vital state. This gives rise to an epidemic.

Treatment For Influenza

Influenza, like all other acute diseases, is a natural attempt at self-cleansing and if rightly treated in a natural way, immense good can ensure so far as the future health of the patient is concerned.

In acute stage of influenza, the patient should abstain from all solid foods and take only liquid foods for two or three days. Vegetable and fruit juices will be especially beneficial. These juices can be diluted with water on 50:50 basis. The liquid diet should be continued till the temperature comes down to normal. The child-patient should be encouraged to take warm-water enema daily during this period to cleanse his bowels. Hot fomentations may be applied to the spine or back and chest Simultaneously, cold compresses should be applied on the head. One or two glasses of hot water intake. daily during this period will be beneficial.

Home Remedies For Influenza

1. Long Pepper

The most important of these is the use of long pepper (pipli). A quarter teaspoon of long pepper powder mixed with a teaspoon of honey and a quarter teaspoon of juice of ginger should be given to the child-patient thrice daily. This will help greatly if taken in the initial stages of the disease. It is especially useful in avoiding complication which follows the onset of the disease, namely, the involvement of the larynx and the bronchial tube.

2. Garlic

Garlic (lahasson) is an excellent remedy for influenza. It is useful as a general antiseptic and should be given as much as the patient can bear. The juice of this vegetable may also be inhaled by the patient.

3. Turmeric

Turmeric (haldi) is valuable in curing influenza. Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder should be mixed in half a cup of warm milk and should be given to the child three times daily. It will prevent complications arising from influenza and also activate the liver which becomes slugglish during the attack.

4. Onion

Onion (piyaz) is also an effective remedy for influenza. Equal amounts of onion juice and honey should be mixed and two or three teaspoons of this mixture should be taken daily in the treatment of this disease.

5. Ginger

Ginger (adrak) is an excellent remedy for influenza. Half a teaspoon of fresh ginger juice, mixed with half a cup of fenugreek (methi) decoction and honey to taste may be given to the child patient. It is an excellent diaphoretic mixture which increases’ sweating to reduce fever in this disease.

6. Basil

Another effective remedy for this disease is the green leaves of basil (tulsi) plant. About half gram of these leaves should be boiled along with some ginger in quarter litre of water till about half the water is left. This decoction should be taken as tea. It gives immediate relief.

Video

Useful References

• https://medlineplus.gov/flu.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm
• http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs211/en/

The human body has a normal core temperature of 37.0 degrees centigrade or 98.6 degrees fahrenheit. Any variation in this core figure implies that something is amiss. Fever is a protective mechanism of the body-the body’s response to tissue injury.

Causes and Symptoms of Fever

Fever may be caused by infections, mechanical trauma, anemia, heart attack, stroke, hemorrhage, certain metabolic ic disorders, arthritic conditions, drug reaction, immune dysfunction or cancer. In fact, anything wrong with the body will trigger this reaction, initiated in a centre located in the hypothalamic region of the brain, called the thermo- regulatory centre. Essentially, fever is a protective mechanism of the body and is actually the beginning of the healing process, carried out by the body’s defence mechanisms, rather than a symptom. It helps mobilise the white blood cells of the blood, to actually destroy the invader, and either engulf and ingest it or carry away the debris of destruction, for removal by the kidney. White blood cells or WBC’s also form a protective screen by the release of antibodies to counter a subsequent attack.

Usually fever, or pyrexia as it is known in medical terms, is a manifestation of a disordered state in the body, yet there are some normal physiological periods in the body’s rhythm when a variation in core body temperature may occur. These are periods following vigorous exercise, the latter half of the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. The normal temperature also varies at different times of the day. It is slightly higher during times of physical activity, and lowest during sleep. Just before the menstrual flow begins, the temperature falls a little, and still further, by as much as a degree, 24-36 hours before ovulation occurs, Le., between two menstrual flow cycles. After ovulation has occurred, it goes up a little and maintains the same level till the beginning of the next flow. The normal body temperature may also rise a little on an exceptionally hot day.

Rise in temperature indicates bodily dysfunction or disorder. Most viral fevers are self-limiting and rarely last more than 3-4 days, e. g., influenza and common cold. Fevers lasting more than a week are caused by less common infections and are likely to be bacterial in nature, e. g., a fever of a duration of more than five days, which rises and falls daily, but never reaches baseline, is likely to be typhoid or paratyphoid. A fever persistently hovering above normal, but never really high enough to need a doctor, may be of tubercular origin, or due to an undiagnosed neo plastic growth. Very high swings in temperature, accompanied by chills and rigors, with the fever abruptly falling, with sweating, may point towards malaria. Febrile states alternating with febrile or no-fever states, the intervals being 1-2 days, may also be due to lesser-known infections of the Borrelia species.

Most fevers caused by seasonal, mild viral infections can be safely handled at home. However, there are some mild, undiagnosed, low-grade fevers which occur in young women, which do respond to home remedies, but recur again and again. These do not have a disturbing general state accompanying them. Watch out for them, as they may well be the sporadic sub-clinical signs of underlying urinary-tract infection. High fevers cause dehydration-the excessive sweating causes loss of salt, water and vital electrolytes. Fevers higher than 40 degrees centigrade may cause mental confusion, twitching, tremors, delirium and convulsions.

Types of Fever

• Influenza.
• Malaria.
• Typhoid Fever.
• Measles.
• Chicken Pox.
• Rheumatic Fever.
• Meningitis.

Home Remedies to Cure the Fever

1. Bed Rest

Rest a fever is an oft-forgotten piece of advice from grandmother. In a fever, the body’s defence mechanisms come into play and need a helping hand.

2. Cold Compress

Fever should be suppressed only if it goes above 39 degrees centigrade or 101 degrees fahrenheit. If the fever is high, apply cold compresses on the forehead, and sponge the whole body with tepid water. You can add a few drops of eu de cologne, lavender leaves, or a gentle soothing perfume to the water used. This takes away the sour smell of fever. Do not bring down the temperature rapidly, as this confuses the body’s temperature regulating centre, causing the body to go into shock. This can be dangerous.

3. Turmeric

Fevers caused by gastro-intestinal problems and respiratory infections respond well to a teaspoonful of turmeric powder added to a glass of hot milk with sugar to taste. If there is also constipation, add a teaspoon of hot ghee (clarified butter), stir it well, and while it is still quite hot, drink it in one go. Turmeric has a tendency to settle down in the tumbler, so if you want to sip this drink, keep stirring it. The medicament in the turmeric should get into your system and not remain as dregs at the bottom of the cup!

4. Bael Sherbet

Patients with diarrhea, dysentery, and fever, especially those occurring in summer, should be given bael sherbet, alternating it with the holy basil fever potion. This is prepared by mixing the pulp of three ripe bael fruits in two glasses of water. Add sugar to taste. Adult dose: four tablespoonful 3-4 times a day. Give the patient plenty of water to drink, spaced out in between these periods.

5. Mint

Take a handful of crushed fresh mint leaves, 2-3 black peppercorns, 2-3 long peppers, a one-fourth-inch piece of ginger, ground to a fine paste. Boil it in two cups of water. Once it comes to the boil, simmer it for 12-15 minutes. The cooled, filtered mixture, divided into three doses and sipped as a herbal tea, gives relief in fevers associated with” gastro-intestinal disorders.

6. Fenugreek Tea

Half a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, boiled with a cupful of water, cooled, and flavored with a teaspoon of lemon juice with honey/sugar added to taste, removes the foul sour taste in the mouth and the unpleasant body odour associated with some fevers.

7. Lemon Grass Tea

Lemon-grass tea, with honey to taste, is a refreshing remedy for fever.

8. Sandalwood Paste

In high fever, the application of cool sandalwood paste on the forehead brings the temperature down, just like a cold compress does.

Useful References

• https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/fevers-causes-symptoms-treatments#1
• https://medlineplus.gov/fever.html
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4786079/

Dengue fever is a type of arbovirus, which is short for arthropod-borne virus. The virus that causes dengue fever is carried by Aedes egypti mosquitoes, and is transmitted to humans through their bite. An organism that carries a disease, without actually developing the disease, is called a vector.

Dengue fever is an infectious disease carried by mosquitoes and caused by any of four related dengue viruses. It is generally a disease of the tropics and is common in Africa, South East Asia, the Pacific Islands, the Caribbean and the Americas.

Symptoms of Dengue Fever

Symptoms of typical dengue usually start with fever and includes:

• High fever, up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Severe headache.
• Retro-orbital (behind the eye) pain.
• Severe joint and muscle pain.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Rash – The rash may appear over most of your body 3 to 4 days after the fever begins. You may get a second rash later in the disease. Symptoms of dengue hemorrhagic fever include all of the symptoms of classic dengue.
• Marked damage to blood and lymph vessels.
• Bleeding from the nose, gums or under the skin, causing purplish bruises.

Causes of Dengue Fever

Dengue fever can be caused by any one of four types of dengue virus: DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4. You can be infected by at least two, if not all four types at different times during your lifetime, but only once by the same type.

How is dengue fever diagnosed?

Your health care provider can diagnose dengue fever by doing two blood tests, 2 to 3 week apart. The tests can show whether a sample of your blood contains antibodies to the virus. In epidemics, a health care provider often can diagnose dengue by typical signs and symptoms

Home Treatment of Dengue Fever

There is no specific treatment for classic dengue fever, and like most people you will recover completely within 2 weeks. To help with recovery, health care experts recommend:

1. Getting plenty of bed rest.
2. Drinking lots of fluids.
3. Chewing of basil leaves is immune-boosting technique.
4. Taking medicine to reduce fever.
5. Juice of Papaya leaves might help for immune system.

How can dengue fever be prevented?

The best way to prevent dengue fever is to take special precautions to avoid contact with mosquitoes. Several dengue vaccines are being developed, but none is likely to be licensed for human use in the next few years. When outdoors in an area where dengue fever has been found:

• Use a mosquito repellant containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
• Dress in protective clothing-long sleeved shirts, long pants, socks, and shoes.
• Stay in well screened or air conditioned areas.
• Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day. Therefore, be sure to use precautions especially during early morning hours before daybreak and in the late afternoon before dark.

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvM0cMSxnS4

Useful References

• http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs117/en/
• https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001374.htm
• https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/index.html
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4154521/

Chicken pox is a common infectious and highly contagious disease of children. It occurs more frequently in cooler weather. Children between the ages of five and nine are most commonly affected and account for 50 per cent of all cases. Other cases occur between the ages of one to four and 10 to 14. Infants under six months seem to have some immunity against this disease. In most cases, the older the child, the more severe the attack.

Chicken Pox Symptoms

Chicken pox usually begins with a low grade fever, a mild headache, loss of appetite and a feeling of weakness. Then rashes appear on the skin, first as tiny red spots, mostly on the upper back or chest. In more severe cases, rashes may also appear on the face and lower extremities. The spots turn into blisters which finally become pustules and form scabs, which fall off.

Lesions come in successive crops, so that some are drying whilst others are beginning to form. The extent of the rash varies from child to child. Some children have only a few spots, while others are covered in them in the mouth, ears and nose, as well as over most of the body limbs. The skin is cleared after a few days and the child feels well again. The duration of this disease ranges from 10 to 21 days,. but is usually between 14 to 17 days.

Chicken Pox Causes

Chicken pox is caused by a virus and there is no immunization available against the disease at present In children,it is a comparatively mild illness, so it is good to succumb to the infection in the early years. An attack of this disease in an adult can be quite severe.

Chicken pox spreads by contact with persons suffering from this disease. It can also spread by inhalation of dust contaminated by dried scabs. The real cause of the disease, as in most cases of childhood fevers, however, is persistent wrong diet followed by children, leading to a natural health crisis.

Chicken Pox Treatment

The child-patient should be kept in bed in a well-ventilated room in isolation until all the scabs fall off. The nails should be cut short to prevent frequent scratching, as scratching can introduce infection and the spots thus infected will take longer time to heal, and may leave permanent scars. Wearing cotton gloves at night will avoid the risk of scratching while the child is a sleep. Itching can be reduced by the application of talcum powder.

The child-patient should be given plenty of fruit and vegetable juices in the beginning of the treatment. Lemon juice will be especially beneficial. Co-operative children can be given a small warm-water enema daily during this period to cleanse the bowels. In the alternative, glycerine suppository may be applied in case of constipation.

Application of mud packs on the abdomen twice a day in the morning and evening and repeated application of chest packs will be beneficial. The procedure for these packs has been explained in the Appendix. Lukewarm water baths can be given every day to relieve itching. For better results, neem leaves can be added to this water.

As the condition improves, the patient can be placed on an all fruit diet for further two or three days. There after he may be allowed to gradually adopt a well-balance diet, with emphasis on fresh fruits and raw vegetables.

Certain home remedies have been found beneficial in the treatment of Chicken Pox

1. Cider Vinegar

The use of cider vinegar is one such remedy. Half a cup of cider vinegar,should be added to a bath of warm water. This will relieve irritation of the skin.

2. Oatmeal

A bath of oatmeal is considered a natural remedy for relieving the itch due to chicken pox. This bath is prepared by cooking two cups of oat meal in two liters of water for 15 minutes. This mixture is then put into a cloth bag, preferably cotton, and a string is tied tightly at the top. This bag is allowed to float in a tub of warm water, swishing it around, until the water becomes milky. It should, however, be ensured that the bag is not broken. The child can splash and play in the water. The water should go over all the scalds. The child should, however, not be allowed to catch cold.

3. Green Pea

Green pea water is another effective remedy for relieving irritation of the skin. The water in which the fresh peas have been cooked can be used for this purpose.

4. Baking Soda

Baking soda is also a popular remedy to control the itching in chicken pox. Some baking soda should be put in a glass of water. The child should be sponged with this water, so the soda dries on the body. This will keep the child from scratching the eruptions.

5. Carrots and Coriander

A soup prepared from carrots and coriander has been found valuable in chicken pox. About 100 grams of carrot and 60 grams of fresh coriander leaves should. be cut into small pieces and boiled for a while. The residue. should be discarded and the soup should be taken once a day.

6. Vitamin E 

The use of vitamins E oil is also useful in treating chicken pox. This oil should be rubbed into the body. It will have a healing effect. The marks of chicken pox will fade away by this application.

7. Herbal Tea

A mild sedative herbal tea can also prove beneficial in the treatment of this disease. This tea can be prepared from any of the herbs like camomile, basil, marigold and lemon balm. A little cinnamon honey and lemon may be added to this tea. It should be sipped slowly several times a day.

Useful References

• https://www.cdc.gov/chickenpox/about/index.html
• https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/handle/1807/9231
• http://pedsinreview.aappublications.org/content/29/1/5.short?sso=1&sso_redirect_count=1&nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token
• https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1288/00005537-197706000-00004