Measles is a contagious eruptive fever and a highly infectious disease. This condition usually attacks people in childhood; children between 6 months and 5 years are the most vulnerable to it, though it may rarely occur in adulthood. 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. A virus causes the disease and it appears in epidemic form, often in the winter season.
Symptoms of Measles:
The eruptive stage is followed by stage during which bran-like scurf is gradually thrown off the skin. Improper treatment and suppression of the eruptions of measles can lead to many complications like pneumonia, bronchitis, and inflammation of the middle ear, encephalitis and asthma. The first symptoms, which appear during 7-14 days and a child, can infect others through sneezing and coughing during the fourth day before and upto 5 days after the appearance of the rash. After the exposure to the virus the initial symptoms of the disease are profuse watery flow from the nose and the eyes along with feverishness, cold and dry cough.
Rashes appear on the skin in three to five days after the onset of these symptoms. The appearance of the rashes is in the form of small rounded pink spots, with reddened skin in between initially appear on the sides of the face and on the forehead, behind the ears and the neck and then gradually spreads on other parts of the body appearing last on the extremities. Initially pink in colour, these rashes grow darker as time passes. Measles is usually accompanied with slight fever and diarrhoea. In rare cases of great severity, high fever and delirium may occur. Complications, which can arise from this disease, include pneumonia, bronchitis, and ear abscess. One serious but rare complication is the inflammation of the brain.
Causes of Measles:
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases, caused by a virus so powerful, that in cities, children catch this disease before they reach the age of five years. 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.
The Cure of Measles by Nature Cure:
Diet:
In the beginning of the treatment, the patient should be given juices of fresh fruits like orange and lemon frequently. When the digestive power of the body is seriously tampered, the patient suffers from intense toxaemia and 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. Orange juice is the most ideal liquid food in this disease. The juice of lemon is another remedy. It also makes an effective thirst-quenching drink in measles. About 15 to 25 ml. of lemon juice should be taken diluted with water for this purpose. This is sufficient as the child suffers from lack of appetite during this period. As the condition improves, the child can be placed on an all fruit diet for a further few days. Thereafter he may be allowed to gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet.
Water Treatments:
The treatment should aim at bringing down the temperature and eliminating the toxins from the system. This can be achieved by administration of warm water enema every morning, application of mudpacks on the abdomen twice a day in the morning and evening and repeated application of chest packs. Lukewarm water bath can be given every day to ease itching. Addition of extracts of Neem leaves to this water will prove beneficial.
Home Remedies:
Certain home remedies have been found beneficial in- the treatment of measles. He 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. Turmeric is beneficial in the treatment of measles. Raw roots of turmeric should be dried in the sun and ground to a fine powder. This powder, mixed with a few drops of honey and the juice of a few bitter gourd leaves, should be given to the patient suffering from measles.
Powdered liquorice has been found valuable in relieving the cough, typical of measles. The child patient should be given this powdered liquorice mixed with honey. The use of barley water has proved beneficial in case of troublesome cough in measles. This water should be taken frequently, sweetened with the newly drawn oil of sweet almonds. Children having measles should not be allowed to come in contact with others. They should be given complete rest. Hygienic conditions along with the above-mentioned treatment will lead to speedy recovery. Medications should be strictly avoided.
Treatment of Measles by Magnetic Therapy:
When the disease fully uncovers with appearance of its typical symptoms, North Pole magnetized water should be taken during all stages four times daily. In addition, the magnets should be applied to the palms of hands for 15 minutes twice daily. The application of the magnets and the intake of magnetized water will help in throwing out the eruptions. As a precautionary measure, mixed magnetized water should be taken thrice daily.