Mumps

Definition:

Mumps is an acute , contagious, viral illness characterized by painful enlargement of the parotid glands, just below and in front of the ear, and at times, the salivary glands under the jaw and sometimes of the pancreas, ovaries, or testes.

Together with the likes of measles and chickenpox , mumps was once considered one of the inevitable infectious diseases of childhood. This disease, mainly affecting children, can be prevented by vaccination.

Mumps is characterized by a painful swelling of both cheeks. In some cases, the swelling may occur in only one cheek, or there may be no swelling at all. The word “mumps” comes from an old English word meaning lumps or bumps in the cheeks.

Causes of mumps:

Mumps is caused by a mumps virus, an RNA virus of the paramyxovirus family of viruses. It spreads from person to person as well as through contact with contaminated items and surfaces.

Once the mumps virus enters the body, it passes into the bloodstream and can spread to many different glands and to the brain.

Mumps occurs most often in children ages two through twelve, although unvaccinated adults are also susceptible.

People with mumps are contagious for about a week before and two weeks after the onset of symptoms, which occurs about two to three weeks after exposure to the mumps virus.

Mumps is mainly caused by a virus. The incubation period is from 16-18 days, ranging from 12-25 days after exposure. The period when someone is most infectious to others is from 1-2 days before and 5 days after the onset of swelling in the glands.

The chances of getting the disease are greater if you have never received the mumps vaccine. Once you have had mumps you will develop an immunity to it and will not get it again.

Mumps is spread through direct contact with saliva, e.g. kissing or sharing objects contaminated with infected saliva (e.g. cups, cutlery). The mumps virus is also present in nasal and throat discharge.

Other common causes of mumps includes:

Droplets from coughs %26amp; sneezes

Lack of immunization

Symptoms of Mumps:

The symptoms and signs of mumps are:

The first symptoms usually appear 16 to 18 days after exposure. It begins with fever and pain upon opening the mouth

About 1/3 of people have no symptoms.

Others can have swollen glands (swollen cheeks), headache, fever, and earache.

Sore muscles

Loss of appetite

Headache

Earache that is aggravated by chewing

In men and adolescent boys, swelling in one or both testes

Aversion to light, lethargy, and a stiff neck

Upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting

Lower abdominal pain in women

Temperature is moderately high, usually lasting for 3-4 days.

Eating or drinking acidic or citric foods causes much discomfort.

Other symptoms may include testicular pain (in males), seizures, stiff neck, and difficulty swallowing.

not feeling well

The mouth may feel dry.

You may feel tired and off your food for a few days.

Home remedies for mumps:

Some important home remedies for mumps includes:

Don’t be tart: Avoid giving your child citrus fruits or juices, or any other food that is high in acid, when he or she is suffering from mumps.

Ginger powder: A paste made with dry ginger powder and water is applied on the visibly swollen parts.

Mullein tea: Apply a cloth soaked in mullein tea to affected areas to help with swelling.

Herbal treatment for mumps:

Here are some important herbal treatment for mumps:

Indian Aloe:

The use of the herb Indian aloe is a wellknown remedy in the indigenous system of medicine for any inflamed and painful part of the body.

Asparagus:

The seeds of asparagus are valuable in mumps. These seeds, combined with an equal proportion of fenugreek (methi) seeds, should be ground together to the consistency of a paste. This paste can be applied over the swellings.

Herbs:

An acute attack can be managed using the mixture of concentrated extracts of the herbs Rosehips, Hypericum, Phytolacca, Fennel and Chamomile with the Bach Flower Rescue Remedy. This is taken at a dose rate of 15 drops three times daily in water and continued for 6 to 8 weeks.

Chicken Pox- Symptoms

Chicken pox is a disease that affects mainly children. It is contagious and can be spread even through air. The main way of chicken pox transmission is by direct contact with the person infected by chicken pox. Like many other disease, chicken pox also has symptoms. These signs will appear about three weeks after infection with the virus that causes chicken pox. The reason for this is because the chicken pox virus has an incubation period. The proper medical term fro chicken pox is actually varicella, because the name of the virus that causes this children’ s disease is called varicella zoster.Pain is a very common symptom in herpes zoster, often appearing well before the appearance of the rash.Predrome (pain) – being the first symptom to appear in patients, it appears to be located at the very site where the virus will be re-activating, making the pain be sharp, piercing, tearing or even similar to an electric shock. Besides pain, the patient might feel that the area is itching or be unbearably sensitive to touch. Muscles aches and even fever are some of the extreme symptoms of the disease. Although usually lasting only a couple of days before the rash, cases have been known where the pain has lasted more … lot more for weeks or even month.Active shingles – it marks the actual infection. 50% or 60% of cases occur on the trunk, the side of head being the next big area on witch it appears, making a very big risk the fact that the infection could spread to the mouth or eyes. First a rash appears only to become small fluid-filled blisters in about 12 hours witch eventually grow and become pus filled. The healing last as long as in chickenpox: up to 10 days.The next step that will happen in your child’ s chicken pox case is that the rash will start to develop into blisters that are filled with fluid. Eventually, these chicken pox blisters will dry, form scabs and fall off. Children are more fortunate than adults when it come to chicken pox symptoms, as well as chicken pox complications caused by infection. If there is the case of infection in a child that suffers from chicken pox, rest assure that this will be a very mild case, with no side- effect. On the other hand, if an adult suffers from chicken pox, mainly because he/ she did not have this disease when being a child, things can get more complicated.The good thing to know about chicken pox is that if your child does get it in their elementary years, it is likely to be mild. Once a full course of the illness is run in a person’s body, the chances of ever getting it again are low. But, there are some cases, called breakthrough infection cases in which a mild form of the illness reoccurs. If you suspect that you or a child you know may have chicken pox, you will need to see a doctor to confirm that it is chicken pox. In order to keep it from spreading to unexposed adults or others at risk for the serious forms of chicken pox, contact with those individuals needs to be minimal. Proper hand washing and sanitizing may help.

A Look At Herpes Virus

Herpes is a deep blisters groups on a red and inflamed bases. Includes cold sores and fever blisters. A small group of capsid training DNA viruses, sometimes divided into Type I (formation of vesicles and blisters on the mouth, lips, usually above the waist) and type II (usually transmitted physically, with symptoms mostly below the waist). It is an inflammation of the skin or mucous membrane caused by a virus, small blisters or ulcers form. You will see that very often, when cats suffering from respiratory problems, they may have ulcers on their eyelids inside, in their mouth to mouth or on the language. Shingles, also called herpes zoster or zoster, is a painful rash caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV). VZV is the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains in the body. Usually the virus does not cause problems, but the virus can reappear years later, causing shingles. Zona is not caused by the same virus that causes genital herpes, a disease transmitted physically. There are two types of infections - the primary and recurrent. Although most people infected when exposed to the virus, only 10 percent actually develop sores. The wounds of a primary infection is two to twenty days after contact with an infected person and can last from seven to ten days. The wounds of the primary infection and heal completely rarely leave a scar. However, the virus that caused the contamination remains in the body. It moves to nerve cells where it remains in a state of rest. Recurrent infections tend to be mild. They can be defined by a variety of factors, including fever, exposure to sun, a menstrual cycle, trauma (including surgery), or nothing at all. The oldest antiviral drugs for herpes is acyclovir. Acyclovir is available in the form of generic drugs and is also sold under the brand name Zovirax (r). It has been available since 1982 in a form of news (as an ointment) and sold since 1985 tablets. Acyclovir has been demonstrated that the safety of people who used continuous (every day) as long as 10 years. Approximately 50 per cent to 80 per cent of the adult population in the USA has oral herpes (commonly known as cold sores or fever blisters) and that not less than 90% had virus age 50 . The question of whether the symptoms are serious or not, the virus persists in the body. To avoid the immune system, HSV retirement will be the nerve along trails, find refuge in a sanctuary nerve root called a “node.” In cases of genital herpes, HSV pensions ganglion the sacred: hyperlink located at the base of the spine. In “oral” or face herpes (cold sores), HSV finds its path to the trigeminal ganglion: hyperlin k, on top of the spine. In the ganglion, the virus remains inactive ( “latent”) for an indefinite period. Several drugs, acyclovir (Zovirax), valacyclovir (Valtrex) and famciclovir (Famvir), are available to treat herpes. These drugs should be started as soon as possible after the rash appears and will shorten the illness lasts and how serious illness. Pain Medicine May also help with pain caused by herpes. Call your doctor as soon as possible to discuss treatment options. If tingling, burning, itching, or sensitivity occurs in an area of the body where it is a herpes infection, the region must be kept away from other people. In the mouth herpes, it should avoid kissing, sharing cups or lip balms. For people with genital herpes, it means avoiding physical relationship, including oral / genital contact during the period of symptoms or active lesions. Condoms can help prevent transmission of genital herpes among partners and must always be used. However, they do not protect against the virus that May be living on the skin near the genitals, which are not covered by the condom.

Children’s Ailments-Home Remedies

In general, children and adults are treated in the same way by the natural therapies, each person’s health being considered individually and treatment given accordingly, and the same approach applies to self-help measures. There is of course the matter of dosage of remedies, and these should be reduced or adapted. There are a number of illnesses that tend to occur in childhood, such as chickenpox, German measles and measles, and children are also more prone to colds, coughs, ear infections and the like. As well as any specific treatment for such conditions, it is worth bearing in mind some general considerations. Children usually react quickly to any illness, showing acute symptoms that can then often subside equally quickly(much to the amazement/relief/annoyance of parents!). Due to their high levels of energy and faster metabolism, children often show signs of illness through a high temperature, and this should be looked at as part of the ailment, not as the whole problem. Because of this, it is easier for children to become dehydrated, and an essential part of treatment is to give plenty of fluids- with vomiting and/or diarrhoea in infants this can be literally life-saving. Conversely, if a child is unwell, he or she can go off food for a while, and provided fluid intake is adequate, this is not normally a major problem in the short term. Here are some comments about each of the therapies in relation to treating children, and some of the most useful remedies. RememberKeep all medicines and essential oils out of the reach of children. Self-help treatment may not always be appropriate for children. If in any doubt, seek medical advice.

Tai Chi Rejuvenates Immunity in Older Adults Against Shingles

According to researches, Tai Chi, a Chinese exercise that uses both mind and body, can aid in preventing the shingles virus by increasing the body’s immunity against the VZV or varicella-zoster virus. Aside from preventing it, Tai Chi can also boost the body’s response to the vaccine for old adults. VZV is the virus that is responsible for diseases like shingles and chickenpox.According to researches, Tai Chi, a Chinese exercise that uses both mind and body, can aid in preventing the shingles virus by increasing the body’s immunity against the VZV or varicella-zoster virus. Aside from preventing it, Tai Chi can also boost the body’s response to the vaccine for old adults. VZV is the virus that is responsible for diseases like shingles and chickenpox. Understanding Shingles Shingles is a kind of viral infection that causes debilitating rashes that are quite painful. It appears as blisters that can be seen at the middle of the person’s back turning to one side of his chest and overwhelming the breastbone. Parts of your body like the scalp, neck and face are also affected. Shingles can be excruciatingly painful. One way to identify the disease is to pinpoint where it all started because shingles usually originates at one side of the body. Shingles is a sort of long term “side-effect” of chickenpox. It is because after having chickenpox, the virus within the body becomes inactive. After years, it gets to be reactivated as shingles. Shingles is not a life-threatening situation but can be severely painful and can lead to a complication in which the skin remains painful and is very sensitive to even to the softest touch. It remains at that state until all blisters are gone. This kind of condition lasts for months or worse, years. Shingles is the common for adults over 50 that is why it is important the old people be protected from the virus or have in them the prescribed tool to fight the virus out of their lives. For those who have not been affected with the virus, but is susceptible to, better be more cautious and maintain the immune system on a healthy level. What the public needs to know Although vaccination can be an effective method to prevent acquiring shingles, it can only last long. But if the vaccination for shingles is combined with Tai Chi, the results are promising. Good news is, out of 5 persons who have undergone chickenpox, only one person will get shingles sometime in their 50s. Shingles will be very dangerous for older people. Researchers and doctors said that, although more studies should be further enhanced, it is proven that Tai Chi combined with immunization was made effective as an intervention to prevent the increase of the painful condition. The positive effects of Tai Chi helped researchers determine that the height of response by the human body is incredible. Study has it that Tai Chi alone can increase the patient’s immunity to the virus same with the outcome of ordinary vaccine. The moment Tai Chi is combined with the vaccine itself, it produced a significant result with a high level of immunity amounting to over 40%. Studies also show that compared to those that only acquired the vaccine, Tai Chi’s effects are doubled in the increase. Aside from the increased level of immunity, Tai Chi also manifested remarkable outcome that include decrease in body pain, improved physical functioning, mental health and vitality. Groups who engaged in Tai Chi showed a decline in the symptoms of the disease’s severity. Therefore, for those who are experiencing or knows someone who is at their golden years, it is better to advise them to engage in Tai Chi.

Chicken Pox- Symptoms

Chicken pox is a disease that affects mainly children. It is contagious and can be spread even through air. The main way of chicken pox transmission is by direct contact with the person infected by chicken pox. Like many other disease, chicken pox also has symptoms. These signs will appear about three weeks after infection with the virus that causes chicken pox. The reason for this is because the chicken pox virus has an incubation period. The proper medical term fro chicken pox is actually varicella, because the name of the virus that causes this children’ s disease is called varicella zoster.Pain is a very common symptom in herpes zoster, often appearing well before the appearance of the rash.Predrome (pain) – being the first symptom to appear in patients, it appears to be located at the very site where the virus will be re-activating, making the pain be sharp, piercing, tearing or even similar to an electric shock. Besides pain, the patient might feel that the area is itching or be unbearably sensitive to touch. Muscles aches and even fever are some of the extreme symptoms of the disease. Although usually lasting only a couple of days before the rash, cases have been known where the pain has lasted more … lot more for weeks or even month.Active shingles – it marks the actual infection. 50% or 60% of cases occur on the trunk, the side of head being the next big area on witch it appears, making a very big risk the fact that the infection could spread to the mouth or eyes. First a rash appears only to become small fluid-filled blisters in about 12 hours witch eventually grow and become pus filled. The healing last as long as in chickenpox: up to 10 days.The next step that will happen in your child’ s chicken pox case is that the rash will start to develop into blisters that are filled with fluid. Eventually, these chicken pox blisters will dry, form scabs and fall off. Children are more fortunate than adults when it come to chicken pox symptoms, as well as chicken pox complications caused by infection. If there is the case of infection in a child that suffers from chicken pox, rest assure that this will be a very mild case, with no side- effect. On the other hand, if an adult suffers from chicken pox, mainly because he/ she did not have this disease when being a child, things can get more complicated.The good thing to know about chicken pox is that if your child does get it in their elementary years, it is likely to be mild. Once a full course of the illness is run in a person’s body, the chances of ever getting it again are low. But, there are some cases, called breakthrough infection cases in which a mild form of the illness reoccurs. If you suspect that you or a child you know may have chicken pox, you will need to see a doctor to confirm that it is chicken pox. In order to keep it from spreading to unexposed adults or others at risk for the serious forms of chicken pox, contact with those individuals needs to be minimal. Proper hand washing and sanitizing may help.

Chickenpox-Herbal Medicines

This is a highly infectious disease, not just restricted to childhood in fact, which is due to the same virus, herpes zoster, that gives adults shingles. It can be transmitted from an adult suffering from shingles, and in turn a child with chickenpox can give an adult shingles. The first signs may simply be a raised temperature and general feeling of malaise, and then a day later the spots appear, quickly developing into blisters containing a clear fluid. This is the most infectious stage, as the fluid contains the virus; after a few days the blisters dry up and form scabs which slowly drop off. AromapathyThere are a few essential oils that are excellent for treating chickenpox, speeding up the drying and healing process and soothing the irritation. One of the best is Tea Tree oil. This can be made into a lotion to dab on to the spots- add 10 drops to 100 ml(4 fl oz/½ cup) water, or better still Rosewater, and shake. Since oils do not mix with water, you will need to shake before use each time. Add the oil to 50 ml(2 fl oz/¼ cup) distilled Witch Hazel for extra astringency and mix with 50 ml(2 fl oz/¼ cup) of Rosewater. To soothe the itching skin, add 5 drops of Chamomile oil as well, or else use 10 drops of Lavender oil with the Tea Tree to give the best healing results. Other essential oils that are effective anti-viral agents are Bergamot and Eucalyptus: use 5 drops of each. HerbalismIf the child is a bit feverish, give teas of Chamomile(Chamomilla recutita), Yarrow(Achillea millefolium) or Lime Blossom(Tilia europaea)- or all 3 mixed- in 5 ml(1 tsp) doses (15 ml(1 tbsp) for over 3-year-olds) every 2 or 3 hours. Give plenty of fluids generally, and sponge with tepid water if the temperature is too high. To soothe itching on the skin, apply a little Aloe vera gel, which will also promote healing of the blisters. Chamomile tea is a soothing drink for children.

Naturopathy-Ayurvedic Medicines

Probably the most significant time for having a healthy diet is in the first seven years of our lives, when we are most actively developing our body, and our whole system. This is unfortunately not the easiest time to get healthy food into children. The need for energy-giving foods is high, and the metabolic rate burns calories up very fast, so snacks of fruit, fresh or dried, can be given ad lib. Intake of vegetables by children is mostly too low; encouragement and a varied diet can help, and in winter, soups and stews can be a way of disguising vegetables. In acute, febrile illnesses such as chickenpox or influenza it is often helpful to allow a virtual fast for up to 48 hours(preferably check with your doctor first), but give plenty of fluids, especially fresh fruit juices. This stimulates a higher white blood cell count, improving the child’s resistance to infection. Do not feed heavy stodgy foods in these illness; the appetite will nearly always come back with a vengeance after the acute stage has passed. As for supplements, a multi-vitamin and mineral tablet can be useful, especially in winter. If the child is prone to colds, then Vitamin C is most important dietary intake can be topped up with a supplement of 100 mg(1-3 times a day, depending on age and need). As girls move into puberty and menstruation starts a multi-supplement containing a little iron can be a useful boost to the system. The use of water applications, footbaths and so on, can be used quite effectively on children. For reducing fevers, sponge the face and upper body with water that is tepid, not cold, and allow to dry off naturally for a cooling effect. For dehydration, try a home-made rehydration preparation: dissolve 5 ml(1 tsp) of salt and 15 ml(1 tbsp) of sugar in 600 ml(1 pt/2½cup) of freshly boiled water, leave to cool and keep in the refrigerator in a screw-topped bottle. Give 5 ml(1 tsp), up to 5 times a day if needed. On the following pages are some suggestions for a few of the ailments that occur in childhood. Using the above information about the use of the natural therapies for children, and the other sections of the site, should help you treat most other common complaints. If in doubt get professional advice or treatment. When a child is running a temperature, cool compresses can help calm and soothe the child and reduce body heat. A well-balanced, sensible diet is the best start in life you can give to your child. Healthy eating habits, begun now, will reap rewards in later adult life.Although children love to eat sticky, chocolatey things, make sure their diet contains plenty of fresh fruit.

Alternative Medicines For Infectious Diseases

An infectious disease is a disease or sickness that happens when an organism (a living thing such as a plant or animal) is attacked by a pathogen. Pathogens (such as bacteria, viruses, and other germs) are too small to see. Some infectious diseases are contagious, which means that the sick plant, animal, or person can get other things sick. The pathogen can get from one organism to another through air, food, water, blood, or physical touch. Usually, the sick organism heals. Then, the organism’s body learns how to fight the pathogen. If the pathogen attacks again, the immune system knows how to fight it.Infectious disease is a large cause of pain and death. Infectious diseases cause about 25% of all deaths. These three pathogens cause the most deaths such as, HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that infects the human immune system. It causes AIDS. Vitamins, supplements and herbs have long been used by people with HIV to help manage the side effects of their therapies or improve their general health. Sore Throat is also A virus or bacterium infectious diseases. There are many alternative medicines are treat sore throat. Whooping Cough (Pertussis) Caused by a bacterium, whooping cough attacks the mucous membranes that line the airways. The illness may last up to four months and can be extremely serious. Whooping cough symptoms include a “whoop”, or noisy intake of breath, at the end of a cough, accompanied by a mild fever, runny nose, and loss of appetite. Tuberculosis is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Its symptoms include a long-lasting bad cough, pain in the chest, coughing up blood or sputum. Chickenpox highly infectious disease is caused by the herpe, zoster virus. German Measles (Rubella) is an acute viral disease whose symptoms include a slight pink rash of tiny spots, starting behind the ears or on the face and spreading down the body, and possibly watery eyes and swollen glands. A cool infusion of lavender, sponged onto the skin, should help relieve any itching. Malaria in travelers typically manifests weeks after patients leave the endemic area. Symptoms include a rash of very itchy spots, usually on the body, which then spreads to the limbs, face, and head. Try to avoid scratching, which spreads the infection. Wear long pants and shirts with long sleeves.

These Are Some Of The Symptoms Of Herpes Simplex Cold Sores

Herpes simplex or cold sores is an infection caused by a virus that attacks the skin along with the nervous system of the body. These viruses produce small, painful fluid filled blisters that appear around the area of lips, mouth, and nose. Sometimes these blisters may appear on fingers or genital organs. This infection is also called as Orofacial infection and there are chances of this infection appearing three to four times within one year. Herpes simplex cold sores are caused because of the herpes viruses. Through mouth these viruses enters the body and then attacks the nerve tissues. By attacking nerve cells, viruses start traveling from nervous system to ganglia. In the ganglia viruses lies dormant in epidermal cells and when get trigger becomes activate. This reactivation of the viruses may be triggers due to long exposure to sunlight, physical or emotional stress, fever, hormonal changes during pregnancy or menstruation period and some times due to certain food and drugs. Some times the reactivation period may be of 24 hours or it may take up to 3 to 5 days. Common symptoms of infection are tingling, itching, and burning, sensation around lip or nose edges. Small-reddened area develops following formation of small blisters filled with fluid. Blisters may occur immediately after the prevalence of the symptoms. Many of the times, these small blisters may merge to form a longer one, as these enlarges ruptures, and leaks golden and sticky fluid that forms crusts. Often in uncomplicated cases these blisters out breaks and runs until it completes the course of three weeks. Blisters rarely leave any mark. Seldom herpes zoster causes single blisters that give rise to facial lesions. Herpes zosters are chickenpox viruses. If person never had cold sores before or lesions occur on new position then it is mandatory to diagnose the viruses. If the viruses are herpes zoster then there, blisters near eye area can cause damage to cornea of eye. Therefore, diagnosis of the viruses is particularly important. As initial and subsequent blisters of herpes simplex are filled with, the viruses and therefore these blisters are highly contagious until they get cures. These viruses can spread by touching the blisters or cold sores and other place of the body on the other hand in absence of lesions viral flaking can occurs. Therefore to prevent the spreading of viruses, person with orofacial lesions should wash there hands frequently especially after contact with sores. One should avoid kissing and have oral sex with person infected with orofacial lesions. To prevent babies and young children from infection person with orofacial lesions try to avoid kissing them.Though these viruses need attention, they do not present any serious risk to general health. However, there is a danger involved in spreading infection to the eye as it may damage eye cornea. There are very few cases of brain or other parts of central nervous system infections due to the herpes simplex cold sores viruses. Therefore, though blister comes they are not much dangerous.