Measles , Small
Pox & Chicken Pox

Measles , Small Pox & Chicken Pox

MEASLES  : This is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. It can cause severe disease, complications, and even death. Measles can affect anyone but is most common in children.  Measles infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body.

Symptoms include a high fever, cough, running nose and a rash all over the body. Symptoms of measles usually begin 10–14 days after exposure to the virus. A prominent rash is the most visible symptom. Early symptoms usually last 4–7 days. They include: running nose, cough, red and watery eyes, small white spots inside the cheeks. The rash begins about 7–18 days after exposure, usually on the face and upper neck. It spreads over in about 3 days, eventually to the hands and feet. It usually lasts 5–6 days before fading.

Most deaths from measles are from complications related to the disease. complications can include: blindness, encephalitis severe diarrhoea and related dehydration, ear infections, severe breathing problems including pneumonia. If a woman catches measles during pregnancy, this can be dangerous for the mother and can result in her baby being born prematurely with a low birth weight.

SMALL POX : Till 1980 it was a serious contagious disease caused by Variola Virus. It caused a severe rash that often left disfiguring scars. There are two variant of variola – variola major and variola minor. Variola major caused most cases of small pox and death in 30% cases while variola minor caused similar but less severe symptoms and just 1% death.

Symptoms of small pox come in stages and include high  fever, Severe headache, Backache, Stomach pain, Extreme fatigue and weakness,  Vomiting, Rash starts in mouth and spreads to face, then to the rest of the body, Sores, then hard pustules that form from the rash. Symptoms like fever, headache and fatigue appear first, they last for two to four days. Though the fever may continue or come back after the rash appears, the then goes through stages that each last several days.

Small pox spread through close, face to face contact, coughing, or talking or even through infected items like bedsheets , cloths etc.

CHICKEN POX :  Chickenpox is A highly contagious disease caused by a virus called varicella-zoster resulting in  itchy, blister-like skin rash.  It  spreads when a person with the virus gives it to another person either through bodily fluid (coughing, sneezing, etc.) or bodily contact (touching the rash). Children are the most susceptible to getting chickenpox, although  adult can also get it. Chickenpox can cause more serious symptoms in adults over 18 than in children.

There are three stages of Chickenpox that refers to the way the rash looks :

Stage 1 : is a red and bumpy rash. This can last a few days.

Stage 2: is a fluid-filled blistered rash. The blisters break open after about one to two days.

Stage 3: is when the blisters scab over. This stage also lasts a few days. Even though the rash goes through three stages, one could have all types of bumps at the same time. This means some bumps can be forming while others are already breaking open. The entire rash can last up to about 10 days. Chickenpox usually start getting  on  face and trunk  From there, it spreads to the rest of the body all the way to the fingers and toes.

Chickenpox is not as common as it was once. Symptoms of chickenpox usually happen in an order of : Low-grade fever, Feeling tired, Headache, stomach pain, A skin rash that is very itchy and looks like many small blisters, Bumps filled with a liquid that looks like milky water Scabs after the blisters break, Skin that looks blotchy, Crusty spots that fade away.

Complications from chickenpox are unlikely but possible. They may include: Bacterial infections of the skin, blood and soft tissues, Encephalitis , swelling in brain and liver, Pneumonia. Dehydration, Liver problems  etc.

TREATMENT:  Being viral diseases, these will complete their cycle to be completely cured.  Treatment during their course, is aimed to get symptomatic relief from itching, pain, etc.

General measures :

  1. Stop any type of grain (normal food) , Tea, Coffee, any kind of stimulant, Alcohol, cold drinks, tobacco , smoking etc.
  2. Keep the patient in isolation with separate bed, cloths , towels etc.
  3. Keep the patient mainly on fresh fruit juice mainly citrus, Coconut water and other seasonal fruits except banana, water menon, jack fruit . Fresh  Lemon juice with Raw honey is a must – can be taken either in water or can be licked .  cow milk in moderate quantity can be given only when fever in not more than 100 .  Herbal tea can also be taken.
  4. Keep the patient well hydrated . drink sufficient amount of water.
  5. Keep a heavy bunch of NEEM on the bed of the patient, It will give him relief from severe itch. Sponge from Neem water can also be given with very soft cloth – Boil moderate quantity of Neem Leaves with water.  Let the water cool down in its natural way before giving sponge.  Thin paste of Sandal wood can also be applied with wet soft cotton. Fumigate Pure Camphor (Bhimseni kapoor)  with the help of a good  quality Bakhoor Burner.
  6. Prevent the patient from scratching . If the patient is a child and need be, tie some soft cloth in his hands.
  7. Avoid frying any thing in the house . Totally avoid use of red chilli and strong spices, in the house.

Medicines :  

  1. In case of Small Pox – Variolinum 30 – 4 to 5 times a day. Additionally must be given twice daily to all members of the family (morning and evening) .
  2. In case of Measles – Morbillinum 30 –  4 to 5 times a day. Also, to all other family members (except Patient) – Aconite 30 (once in the morning)   and Pulsatilla 30 (once in the evening after dinner) .
  3. In case of Chicken Pox – any one medicine to the patient from the followings :

    1.   Aconite 30 –     At the commencement, catarrhal symptoms with restlessness, thirst at  night, cough is a very distressing feature, constant and irritating cough.

    2.    Belladonna 30 – Sore throat, swollen face, headache, dry cough.

      iii         Pulsatilla 30 – Digestive problems, diarrhoea, no two stools alike, symptoms always changing.

    1. Camphora 30  – should the eruption recede or fail to reappear.
    2. Euphrasia 30   – if the coryza is very distressing, profuse acrid  watery discharge from nose . profuse watery discharge from eyes.
    3. Bryonia 30    –  Nausea and faintness on rising up Dryness of the mouth, tongue and throat, with excessive thirst – drinks full glass of water at a time, Dry cough  must sit up, worst after eating or drinking.
                       
       vii.       Antimonium Tart 30 – Rattling of mucus with little expectoration, Drowsiness, debility Nausea, retching and vomiting, specially after food with deathly faintness and prostration, Thirst for cold water, little and often, Desire for Apple, fruits and acids.