Measles is a childhood disease that was once a major killer. It is no longer. But it still continues to cause concern for parents as the conventional medical establishment continues to insist that it is. So, parents have to make a decision about injecting their child with the MMR vaccine when aged about 15 months. This page seeks to provide information for parents regarding that decision.
Conventional Medical Treatment of Measles
Prevention
Conventional prevention of measles is through the MMR vaccine, The NHS Choices webpage describes the vaccine, and when it is given to children; but it does not provide any information about the adverse reactions known to be caused by the MMR vaccine.
Parents do not appear to be told about these adverse reactions by conventional doctors, and therefore, parents have to do their own research in order to decide whether they are being entirely honest about the dangers of this vaccine.
Treatment
The NHS Choices website states that “there is no specific treatment for measles”. Advice is to rest, and to use painkilling drugs, like Paracetamol or Ibruprofen. It also suggests other routine care advice, plus the suggestion to use vitamin A.
Prevention
Many homeopaths feel that contracting measles naturally is better for children who are otherwise healthy. Once, mother's would organise 'measles parties' for their children in order to allow their children to acquire natural immunity in this way. Homeopathy is relaxed about such strategies as it has remedies to treat measles, especially if it persists, or become severe.
Other homeopaths will use the measles nosode, Morbillinum, for prevention.
Treatment
Homeopaths have been treating measles for over 200 years with success. These are the main remedies used for the condition..
Aconite
- Useful in the early stages
- Sudden onset, with apprehension
- Dry croupy barking cough
- Worse, cold dry wind; otherwise chilled
- Catarrh and high fever before rash confirms this remedy
- Shivering, or violent fever
- Hot dry (itching) skin
- Thirsty
- Much sneezing with pain at root of nose
- Runny nose
- Red eyes, dread of light
- Restlessness, restless sleep
- Drenching sweat with hot and cold spells
- Diarrhoea
- Hot heavy head, bursting, throbbing
- Throat feels constricted
- Throws off bedclothes
- Chilliness when uncovered
- Pains unbearable
- Stitching pains in chest
- Worse, in evening, at night; before midnight; for touch; light and noise; from being in cold wind
- Better, for cold water and drink; for fresh, open air; for rest
Belladonna
- Useful in early stages of measles
- Sudden onset of HIGH fever; violence of attack; fury. Child may cry out thinking there are monsters, wild animals
- Excited behaviour or incoherent
- Drowsy, delirious: drugged expression
- Dry, hot, red face with large pupils, staring eyes Inflammation of eyes
- Burning dry hot body, moist sweat on covered parts
- Arms, legs may twitch or jerk
- Icy cold feet and hands, hot head
- Sneezing with runny nose
- Rash bright red.
- Throbbing headache
- Tickling in larynx with dry cough
- Icy cold feet and hands, hot head
- Usually thirstless
- Unable to sleep
- Worse, afternoon, 3pm to midnight; cold; draughts to head; light (sensitive eyes), touch, noise, jarring; lying down
- Better for bed rest, lying propped up; keeping still; warmth
Gelsemium
- Useful in early stages of slow measles
- Slow onset of measles
- Tired, weak, dull and shaky
- Heavy relaxation of body, won’t eat, drink, move eyelids heavy, droopy, looks sleepy
- Red eyes
- Runny nose that burns upper lip, sneezing
- Thirstless
- Harsh croupy cough
- Dusky, red face (also useful during rash-stage of measles, and post-measles fatigue)
- Occipital pain (back of head)
- Cold shivers up and down back with no sweat Feels alternately hot and cold
- Aching, bruised, sore muscular pains
- Weakness, weariness
- Numbness
- Mouth and lips very dry; burning nasal discharge
- Tickling cough better near fire/ heater
- Sore throat
- Worse, anticipation, emotion; change from dry weather to cold, damp weather; lying propped up; for Sun
- Better for urination, sweating; keeping quiet; open air
Euphrasia
- Catarrhal symptoms of eyes and nose predominate
- Profuse bland non-irritating streaming nasal discharge.
- Abundant burning acrid tears stream from eyes
- Eyes red, unusually bright, swollen
- Conjunctivitis
- Intense sensitivity to light; constant winking
- Loose daytime cough with much mucous
- Dry and hoarse cough at night
- Throbbing headache: improves once rash appears
- Worse, Evening, Sunlight; from warmth, warm room; lying down (nasal discharge worse)
- Better, open air; lying down; bathing eyes, wiping eyes
Bryonia
- When rash appears late; symptoms appear gradually
- Chest affected, right-side
- Stitches and tearing pains in chest; clutch chest when coughing
- Irritable; want to be left alone; don’t want to be moved; want to go home (when at home)
- Cough hard, dry, painful; little/no expectoration; weeping before cough
- Foul, dry tongue
- Soreness limbs and body
- Twitching muscles in face, eyes and mouth
- Pale twitching face, red eyes, chewing motion of jaw Eyes held still with headache
- Pains stitching, like little needles, bursting aching
- Dry mucous membranes, dry tongue, dry mouth
- Feels dried out, hot and irritable
- Frontal headaches
- Tickling in throat
- Intense thirst
- Stiffness in head, legs, arms and back
- Constipation
- Worse, least movement, like jarring, sneezing or coughing; Right side; excitement; Headache worse cough; becoming hot room, weather; eating; on waking, 9 PM
- Better, thirsty for large amounts of cold fluids at infrequent intervals; pressure, like holding painful part, or lying on it; when quiet and still in their own room; for cold air
Pulsatilla
- Once the rash is out (and fever is down or gone)
- Mild, gentle child, possibly weepy
- Desires sympathy, better for consolation
- Changeable, shifting symptoms
- Skin red, dry and hot alternating with paleness
- Nasal catarrh: bland, thick, yellow or green
- Eyes water profusely and stick together
- Dry mouth, thirstless
- Cough dry at night, loose during day
- Chilliness even in warm room; intolerant of heat
- Eye problems that linger after measles
- Earache (otitis media)
- Changing shifting symptoms
- Nausea, queasiness during diarrhoea
- Worse, warm rooms, warm covering; after lying down, night; twilight and morning; from fats and rich food
- Better, uncovering, cold fresh open air; cold food and drink; cold applications like washing; gentle motion like cradling; after weeping
Kali Bich
- Useful during the later stages of measles
- Affects mucous membranes
- Ropy thick yellow stringy nasal mucous
- Burning copious tears from eyes
- Eyes sensitive to light if crusts torn from nose
- Nasal crusts, scabs hard to detach; cause pain
- Salivary glands very swollen
- Rattling cough
- Pain in small spots
- Sinusitis
- Painful earache
- Stitching pains from ear into head and neck
- Pressure at the root of nose
- Throbbing and burning in nasal cartilage
- Chilly
- Sensation of hair on tongue
- Worse, night; 2-5 a.m. becoming cold; morning, on waking; hot weather
- Better, warmth of bed and warmth in general; warm applications; motion; short sleep
Sulphur
- Skin dusky, purplish
- Rash slow, or does not come out
- Convalescence is slow
- Child weak and prostrate
- Cough and diarrhoea worse in morning
- Offensive secretions (stool, urine, sweat)
- Reddened mucous membranes
- Thirsty
- Will scratch eruptions till bleed, itching worse for scratching
- History of eczema or other eruptions, especially pustular
- Itching anus
- Has many questions, many ideas
- Indifferent about personal appearance
- Untidy
- Stick feet out of bed at night
- Itchy skin
- Pains are burning; discharges burning, excoriating
- Like sweets and hot, spicy food
- Worse, bathing (especially itchy skin), getting heated (clothing, sunshine), early morning, 4-5 a.m. (diarrhoea, coughing), standing, speaking, any effort, high places, milk, scratching
- Better, snacking at 11 a.m.(hungry), open air (warm-blooded children), dry warm weather, movement
Apis Mel
- Rash goes in and brain symptoms appear
- High fever: but no rash
- Delirious, stupor
- High-pitched screaming
- Restless
- Irritable
- Skin swollen, pink, puffy: like bee-sting - oedema
- Inflamed eyes and lips
- Tearful
- Scanty urine
- Stinging, burning pains
- Earache: right-sided
- Thirstless
- Don’t want to be touched
- Worse, for heat, hot drinks or food; hot room, baths, right side; late afternoon; after sleeping
- Better, open cool air, uncovering, cold baths
Arsenicum
- Severe cases of measles
- Extreme weakness and prostration, yet restless
- Anguish; anxiety and distress; fear of death
- Delirium
- Extremely chilly and shivery
- Fastidious: hard to please
- Diarrhoea: offensive and exhausting
- Frequent sneezing
- Nose blocked or dry; alternating with burning, watery discharge
- Teasing cough
- Exhausted
- Want someone in the room with them
- Eyes sensitive to light; burning, red and watery
- Burning pains here and there, relieved by hot applications
- Want to lie in warmth with head propped up (and window open)
- Rash itching and burning
- Worse, after midnight, 1pm to 2pm; changes in temperature; cold (but wants window open)
- Better, being with someone to calm; anxiety, fears; heat and warm applications, warm bed; sips of water, sips of warm drinks.
Young children are vulnerable to the adverse reactions to vaccinations, and having these remedies at hand should ensure that your child is safe against measles.
