Back to school: childhood viral illnesses
Most parents breathe an audible sigh of relief twinged with sadness when their children go back to school in September. There is always a slight worry about them picking up illnesses and bringing them home too!
Here are some common viral illnesses and what to do about them. I’ve covered colds and ‘flu here.
Chickenpox
Chickenpox is a mild childhood illness caused by the herpes zoster virus. This is the same virus which can cause shingles later in life. The child normally has a mild fever followed by an itchy fluid-filled blister rash all over their body about 7-10 days later. These blisters can cause scarring especially if the child scratches! I know I still have a couple of scars from my childhood chickenpox. Calamine lotion applied topically can help to decrease itching but my no.1 homeopathic remedy here is Rhus tox. This helps to decrease the itching and help the blisters to heal faster.
In the 60’s, mums would hold ‘chickenpox parties’ so that all the children in the village could be infected at the same time and get this mild disease over and done with. If you’ve had chickenpox as a child, you then have natural immunity for life. You are then exposed again as a mum and lastly as a grandma. This is true herd immunity. This can help to protect you against shingles later in life.
Hand-foot-mouth
This is a painful but mild condition mainly affects infants and younger children. Small fluid filled blisters appear on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and inside the mouth, generally 7-10 days after a mild fever. This can be sore especially for children who may not understand what’s going on. They may also have a sore throat and mouth ulcers. Again my no.1 homeopathic remedy here is Rhus tox. Merc viv is brilliant for sore throats.
Molloscum contagiosum
Molloscum is a skin condition which presents as little ‘skin tag’ like lesions anywhere on the body. They are not itchy but can be sore depending on the location e.g. waistband or armpit. They are unsightly and some children can be embarrassed by their appearance. Conventional medicine says to leave them alone and they will disappear by themselves after 18months.
Applying apple cider vinegar topically twice a day can help to get rid of them. There are several homeopathic treatments for molloscum. Do get in touch if you’d like to discuss this route of treatment.
Impetigo
Okay, you caught me! Impetigo is a bacterial infection not a viral one but it is very common in children and infants. It presents as a yellow crusty itchy rash on or around the mouth. Sometimes it can spread up over the cheeks, down the neck or on to the nose. It is highly contagious. I’ve treated a severe case of impetigo without antibiotics. See the picture below and read the full case study here.
If you’d like my help with any of these conditions, do please contact me!
