Ask:

My six year old granddaughter ate at Christmas. She has left her hearing impaired and her glands are still raised. This is normal? She has not been immunized and currently she takes a multivitamin and mineral tablet, omega-3 and oils and occasionally echinacea and belladonna for her glands.

Answer:

A typical bout of measles begins with most of the symptoms of the flu: a runny nose, high fever, extreme fatigue, swollen glands, sore throat and body aches. As the disease progresses, the skin erupts in small red spots all over the body. These symptoms are caused by the virus multiplying rapidly in the body’s tissues.

In traditional Indian medicine, measles was considered a normal contagious disease of childhood. Nothing was prescribed except careful diet, rest, and home remedies. Bed rest was thought to be essential and sheets were changed twice a day because sweating can be intense as viral activity increases and the body raises its temperature to try to contain it. Children with measles seldom have much of an appetite and a sore throat makes it difficult for them to swallow, so they were given barley water with honey and a few drops of lemon, which was easy to digest and provided enough nourishment to keep the body active. You will find more details about the optimal diet for children. Curing disease in the Nutrition Bible book.

Neem leaves were boiled in water and the child was rubbed with this infusion twice a day. Known as the village pharmacy in India, the evergreen neem tree is one of nature’s best antibacterial and antiviral resources and has been used for over 4,000 years. It is now being extensively researched in the United States and India for its potential use as a herbal pesticide or antiviral agent in agriculture.

Using neem externally is beneficial (but don’t take it internally). In addition to using the infusion to puff up, you can apply pure neem oil to the skin during the three days or so of the acute phase.

Her granddaughter suffers from complications after a bout of measles. The virus has left the body, but the sites where it once proliferated are suffering scars. The glands you are referring to in the throat and neck area are actually lymph nodes. These are the defensive tissues that try to prevent the virus from taking over the body. The more virulent the infection, the more enlarged they become. After the infection has subsided, they remain enlarged for a long time. Gently massage with balm peppermint or eucalyptus or tea tree oil (put two drops of either in a teaspoon of a carrier oil such as grapeseed oil). Do this every other night at bedtime for two minutes for two weeks.

His hearing difficulty is due to a blockage of the Eustachian tubes due to the cold during the measles attack. The Eustachian tubes are narrow channels that originate in the upper throat area and end in each middle ear. The middle ear is a balloon-like structure containing tiny bones that magnify sound waves from the outer ear and carry them to the inner ear, where the vibrations are picked up by nerve endings. When the Eustachian tube becomes blocked, the walls of the middle ear collapse because air cannot be pumped out of the throat. This lack of function means that hearing is impaired. The answer is to reduce the cold.

Here are my suggestions:

* Avoid ice cubes, ice cream, carbonated drinks, citrus juices, dairy, and yeast products.

* Drink Winter Tea with honey (manuka if possible) twice daily to help clear congestion.

* Take Bioprash Ayurvedic supplement: one teaspoon mixed with a little honey and water, daily for three months; this will help reduce the cold and increase energy.

* Put two drops of Sinus Oil in each nostril morning and night; the child should lie on his back and smell the oil, then wait a couple of minutes before getting up and covering his ears. To do this, pinch both nostrils with your index finger and thumb, tilt your head forward and try to exhale so that your cheeks puff up and air is pushed into your ears. Do this three or four times, until your ears pop. Persevere for a week or so. Once the air reaches the middle ear, hearing instantly improves.

* Continue with the vitamins and minerals, but stop the other supplements.