Mumps and Chickenpox are natural childhood illnesses that are a rite of passage for our youngsters’ developing immune systems. Complications are rare, even in those with suppressed immunity. However, it is a different matter if an adult catches the illness. The symptoms seem to be much more severe and it can be a very unpleasant experience for adolescents and adults.
As with all childhood diseases, the time to have them is as a child, where although they can be very contagious, they tend to be mild viral infections. Of course, the bonus of having the diseases as a child is that we can build a lifelong immunity to them. The antibodies that we gain from having the disease can then be passed on through a mother’s milk to the next generation.
Today, health authorities use herd immunity as a reason to encourage vaccination of childhood diseases. The reality is that only repeated vaccination can provide that. The vaccine schedule for these diseases has increased over the years until today where children face quite a barrage of injections. Interestingly, most of us from older generations have immunity to these diseases because we had the illnesses as children – not so for our current generation of youngsters.
MUMPS
We currently have an outbreak of mumps in our community (Winter 2017 NZ). Since the MMR vaccine is a live virus vaccine, it can be said that outbreaks of Mumps can be attributed to the shedding process which occurs after vaccination. This shedding of the live virus, can go on for weeks, sometimes years after the original inoculation. It is understood by many, that we excrete the live virus in our tears, saliva, perspiration, urine and stool. Therefore, it can be picked up by those around us and then we can find outbreaks of the disease as a result. This process is a proven phenomena and the vaccine strain causing the problem can be identified in patients.
Mumps in fact has always been a relatively innocuous illness which involves swelling of the salivary glands and may include the other glands such as the mammary glands, testes and in its worst case scenario, can produce a mild encephalitis. Although government health departments warn the public of complications from Mumps, such as sterility in males, this is extremely rare. In fact complete recovery from Mumps and its associated symptoms is more usual.
THE LEADING HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR MUMPS
Pilocarpin: Most cases of Mumps will respond very quickly to this remedy.
Mercurius Solubilis: This remedy is useful if the patient has a very dry mouth in spite of drinking a lot of fluid and in addition there is the production of a lot of saliva.
There are of course, other homeopathic remedies that can be utilized for Mumps, but these two are the ones that tend to work the most often
CHICKENPOX
Chickenpox has returned to NZ shores again (Winter, 2017). It is very unusual in our experience for this virus to appear at this time of the year. Traditionally, this childhood illness has been a summer illness and we cannot help wondering if the rise in the use of the vaccine for chicken pox has changed its natural cycle.
Homeopathy is very helpful in the treatment of symptoms associated with chicken pox. We have witnessed outbreaks of the spots associated with the disease, respond quickly and without complications to the correct homeopathic remedy.
THE LEADING REMEDIES FOR CHICKENPOX
Antimonium Crudum: Useful during outbreaks of Chicken Pox during the summer months
Rhus tox : This remedy works well during winter occurrences of chicken pox
Mercurius Sol: Is really useful should the spots become infected.
