"Measles Outbreak!" It's all over the news here in New Mexico, but is there really cause for concern? Here is info about illness severity, nutritional support, safety and risks of MMR vaccines, and homeopathics that have been found to be effective at treating the illness.
DISCLAIMER: This information is not to be construed as medical advice and is intended for educational use only.
Measles Symptoms
According to Physicians for Informed Consent,
*Measles symptoms include a prodromal (initial) phase of cough, runny nose, eye irritation and fever, followed by a generalized rash on days 4–10 of the illness. *Measles is contagious during the prodromal phase and for 3-4 days after rash onset. *Most measles cases are benign and not reported to public health departments.
Measles Mortality
According to Physicians for Informed Consent,
"In the modern era, it is rare to suffer permanent disability or death from measles in the United States. Between 1900 and 1963, the mortality rate of measles dropped from 13.3 per 100,000 to 0.2 per 100,000 in the population, due to advancements in living conditions, nutrition, and health care — a 98% decline..."
Vitamin A Deficiency and Measles
Of those who do get seriously ill with measles, 92% of these cases are in people with Vitamin A deficiency. High dose Vitamin A is one of the main recommendations for those who need treatment.
It's not surprising that Vitamin A deficiency is associated with more severe Measles illness, as Vitamin A deficiency is well-known to to be associated with increased illnesses. It has been "well established that widespread immune alterations, anemia, and increased infectious disease morbidity and mortality occur during vitamin A deficiency."
Nutritional Support for Sufficient Vitamin A
When taken in supplemental form, excess Vitamin A can pose toxicity risks. However, "excess vitamin A only causes problems against a backdrop of vitamin D deficiency." Thus, it is best to consume Vitamin A through foods, in the context of plenty of Vitamin D through foods and sunshine.
Organ meats, especially liver, are excellent food sources for Vitamins A and D. One easy way I have found to make sure my family is regularly eating at least a small amount of organ meats is to add finely chopped liver and heart (from the giblets) to each pot of chicken soup I make. If your family doesn't enjoy eating organ meats, dessicated liver capsules may be a good way to meet this nutrient need. Although not quite as potent as organ meats, clams and salmon are also good sources of Vitamins A and D.
Cod liver oil is a whole-food supplement that is an excellent natural source of both Vitamin A and Vitamin D. However, there are many inferior pseudo cod liver oils on the market. Rosita's Extra-Virgin Cod Liver Oil (EVCLO) is superior because the ancient-Viking harvesting process uses no heat, pressure, or chemicals. This minimal processing means that EVCLO is rich in naturally-occurring Vitamins A and D. We use both liquid and capsules of EVCLO.
MMR Vaccine Safety and Risks
According to Physicians for Informed Consent,
"The manufacturer’s package insert contains information about vaccine ingredients, adverse reactions, and vaccine evaluations. For example, 'M-M-R II vaccine has not been evaluated for carcinogenic or mutagenic potential or impairment of fertility.' Furthermore, the risk of permanent injury and death from the MMR vaccine has not been proven to be less than that of measles."
For more detailed information about MMR vaccine safety and risks, go here: https://physiciansforinformedconsent.org/mmr-vrs/
Top 4 Homeopathics for Measles
When selecting which remedy to use, it works best to focus on the symptoms that ARE present and ignore the others that don't apply. If there's no improvement within two-three doses, it's probably best to try another remedy instead.
Rest is especially important for recovery from measles. Resuming normal activity level too soon may cause a relapse.
Aconitum napellus (also known as Aconite)
Sudden high fever with hot dry skin
Sensation of chilliness
Eye pain, may be red and sensitive to light
Strong thirst
Fearful or panicky feeling
Restlessness
Barking dry cough
According to Dr Dorothy Shepherd, when this remedy matches the symptoms well, "If you give Aconite to such a child the rash will come out the next day, and in two or three days that child will be well."
Rash is slow to appear
Hard dry cough that may be accompanied by pain in head and/or chest
Dry lips
Strong thirst
Prefers stillness as motion makes patient feel worse
Very sleepy
May be irritable
May be slightly delirious
Worse from a warm room
According to Dr Dorothy Shepherd, "It comes on slowly and gradually. The symptoms take three days to develop... wants to be left alone and wants to be kept quiet. He keeps quite still because he is worse from movement."
Eyes are swollen, streaming with burning tears, and very sensitive to light
Eyelids may burn and itch
Profuse, watery, bland runny nose
Cough is dry and hoarse with throbbing headache
Headache may intensify with fever; when rash appears, headache is relieved
Prefers to stay in a darkened room
According to Dr Dorothy Shepherd, with administration of Euphrasia, "temperature will be down in 24-36 hours; the rash will have faded in two or three days. Keep the child indoors for another two or three days in a well-ventilated, airy room, protecting the eyes from too much light.
Rash is slow to develop
Weepy and whiny, wants company and consolation
Thirstless
Symptoms of a cold are prominent
Stuffy nose with thick yellowish mucus and a gagging cough
Ears may feel stopped up or achy
Worse from warmth and stuffy rooms, but improves in open air
Eyes may have sticky discharge
According to Dr Dorothy Shepherd, "child who dislikes being left alone; [wants] a lot of fuss made of him; wants constant attention... Pulsatilla will brighten up this child, reduce the temperature and clear the rash within two or three days."
Other Remedies
The remedies listed above are the most-commonly indicated homeopathic remedies for measles. However, there are other remedies that may be better indicated, including Apis mellifica, Belladonna, Gelsemium, Kali bic, Phosphorus, Rhus tox, and others.
The following resources are recommended for additional information about remedies for measles:
ARTICLE: Peace Health: https://www.peacehealth.org/medical-topics/id/hn-2239004
ARTCLE: Dr Homeo: https://www.drhomeo.com/skin/top-10-homeopathic-medicines-for-measles/
BOOK: Homoeopathy in Epidemic Diseases by Dr Dorothy Shepherd (this is an excellent resource for various types of epidemic diseases)
Potency and Dosing
With all homeopathic remedies, the least number of doses is always the best. Homeopathic remedies work by stimulating the body to heal itself.
Potency
30c is the potency I generally start with for treatment of acute illnesses.
Dosing
Start with 30c dry dose for 1-2 doses, then switch to a wet dose for further doses.
When a dose leads to improvement, wait-and-watch to determine when to give the next dose.
Do NOT take the next dose while improvement is happening. Rather, wait to give the next dose until there is regression of the symptoms, or a plateau (when the improvement levels off and then remains unchanged).
If no improvement is observed within 2-3 doses of taking a remedy, the remedy should be discontinued.
A good starting place is to assess whether another dose is needed every 4-6 hours. Typically, during acute illnesses, 3 doses daily work well for the first few days, then the dosing frequency will tend to become less frequent in the subsequent days until the illness is fully resolved, so that by the end, a dose may be needed only once every 18-48 hours or so.
There is more detailed information about dosing in these two articles:
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor or licensed healthcare professional. I am a homeopathic practitioner whose services are considered complementary and alternative by the state of New Mexico. The uses of homeopathic remedies described herein are provided for educational use only.
Links to Amazon and Rosita are affiliate links. If you use these links, your price remains the same but I may earn a commission. Thanks for supporting this site!
Comments