AROMATHERAPY

Bites and Stings - General Action - Your Basic Travel Kit

 Animal bites are not poisonous but they carry the risk of rabies, which is a very serious condition indeed. All animals have the potential to be infected, not only dogs and cats. Ticks feed on blood and spread infection, and the best course of action is to make yourself as unpalatable to them as possible. Only certain areas of the world are infested with ticks and for the majority of readers  care must only be taken during the summer holidays in foreign, sunny climes. In Britain bites from snakes are usually non-fatal but the further south you go the more risk there is of serious danger.

The problem with snake bites is that they may or may not be dangerous and unless you are a snake expert, you just don't know. That's why expert help must be sought immediately. Stings can be given a whole range of living things, from insects to fish, sea creatures and plants, such as the aptly named stinging nettle. Usually the effects are confined to a local area of reaction with swelling, redness, soreness and rash, but in an allergic reaction there can be affects throughout the whole body. In all cases of stings, whether from insects, fish or plants, an antidote needs to be applied.

Infection is a risk with many bites and stings. Sandflies, for example, carry phlebotomus fever. Without  a doubt, prevention is the best line of defense and a few moments spent applying an oil, cream or lotion might just save you a great deal of time and inconvenience, not to mention danger, later on.

Essential oils are well known for their ability to keep you sting-free and are the active ingredient in many brand-name products. When you use the real thing - the natural product unhampered by chemical solvents and the like - you have tremendous flexibility  in their use. The same little bottle can give protection in a room, on the balcony, in a car, or on the body and eve on your clothes.

And then, if you are unfortunate enough to encounter trouble, the essential oils can help you to deal with it. Before looking at a particular situation, let's have a look at the general action to be taken.

In many cases you will need a disinfectant wash, especially if you have a brood of unruly and acident-prone children! The following blends are extremely effective and can either be made up before you go, or on the spot, if required.

Disinfectant Wash - Synergistic Blend 

Synergistic Blend - Tropical Disinfectant Wash

Use 8 drops of either blend in a bowl of water for washing. If you do not have the synergistic blend prepared, use the numbers of drops in brackets to a single bowl of water.

ANIMAL BITES
If the skin is broken you should go to the hospital because you need a tetanus injection. In any event, wash the area with a mild soap and warm water in which you have added either AVI, thyme or lavender essential oils, or, if you have it ready, one of the synergistic blends above. Then cover the wound with a bandage, piece of gauze or plaster to which you have added4 drops of lavender and 3 drops of thyme.

INSECT BITES
If there is a visible sting, remove it but try not to squeeze and break the venom bag which may be attached. Apply 1 drop of neat lavender oil directly to the site of the sting. Continue to apply neat lavender, a drop at a time, every five minute or as soon as the drop can be seen to be absorbed, until a total of 10 drops has been reached.

PLANT STINGS
As soon as you are stung, apply 1 drop of neat lavender or eucalyptus over the area and wash with cold water as soon as you can . Afterwards, apply another drop of essential oil.

FISH BITES
Dry the area and apply 1 drop of neat lavender oil. Continue to apply neat lavender, a drop at a time, every five minutes or as soon as the drop can be seen to be absorbed, until a total of ten drops has been reached.

SWELLING
First apply neat lavender to the area, then neat chamomile. One drop can be rubbed to cover quite a large area - use as many drops as you need. If the swelling is excessive as a result of an allergic reaction it should be seen by a doctor as soon as possible. On your way there apply 1 drop of chamomile to the neck area, every fifteen minutes - to a maximum total of 4 drops.

Reference: The Fragrant Pharmacy: Valerie Ann Worwood 

Little Things That Bite 

Most people travelling from the northern hemisphere to the southern are acutely aware of the discomfort and dangers that can be brought about by the smaller living creatures on this earth - and small creatures seem to make up for what they lack in size by being particularly aggressive.

But travelling  is a hazardous business whichever direction you go in, and those who have spent a holiday trying to avoid the blackfly in northern Canada know that going north can be as uncomfortable as going south.

As you will see from reading this section, dangers are as likely to come from walking in the mountains, or taking forest walks, or swimming in the sea, as from sunning yourself on a beach infested with sand fly or having a drink on the veranda when the mosquitoes are out.

The danger may be less likely in terms of frequency, but more likely in terms of degree. So wherever you go take your travel kit with you, or at least the oil or a couple of oils that are most applicable to your environment. They take up so little room that it's foolish not to take them, because by the time you get back to your hotel room it may be too late.

Even in the green and pleasant land of Britain you van get bitten by a snake. A number of harmless-looking plants cause nasty rashes and many more cause allergic reactions in some people.

Fish, jellyfish and sea urchins conspire to make a swim in the ocean, if not a horror movie on the par with jaws, at least enough to ruin a precious holiday. The list of insects that bite is almost endless and includes bees, wasps, fleas, bedbugs, gnats, midgets, sandflies, water-ticks, hornets, and that pernicious spreader of the world's number one killer disease, the mosquito.

All the oils in the travel kit have antiseptic properties  and can be applied direct to the skin if you get bitten by any insect, and the sooner the better, but try to acquaint yourself with the more specific action and remedies recommended in this section so that you are well prepared to deal with those little creatures  that bite and sting.

Prevention
As far as insect bites are concerned, prevention is a fairly straight forward matter and a much better option than cure.  As a general rule use lemongrass or citronella to keep insects at bay, using the airborne methods  - the room method of steam bowls, heat source, paper strips at the windows, or light bulbs, both inside and outside, or on ribbons hung from trees  or any other atmospheric method outlined in this book. To deter insects from landing on your skin, as a general rule, lavender is a better option.

If you have a plant spray with you, new or used only for essential oils), use that to spray lemongrass or citronella diluted in water around the room. If you have your own ensuite bathroom, let the water run steaming hot into the bath and put a couple of drops on that before going out for the evening  and leaving the steam to waft  through the open bathroom door and into your bedroom.

Also put a couple of drops on to the hot tap from the bathroom or, preferably, boiling water from a kettle, put a couple of drops of essential oil on the surface of the water and place them strategically by the windows or other places where unwelcome visitors may enter your room. 

You can also use lavender, thyme or peppermint to do this, or makeup the very effective synergistic blend below:

Insect Deterrent Synergistic Blend

It is worth making quite a bit of this synergistic blend and taking it with you because it can be used in several different ways. Overnight, or during your afternoon siesta, put two drops of essential oil on a cotton-wool ball or tissue and leave it somewhere near your bed.

Mosquitoes are the most aggravating little night raiders and can be dealt with by practically any essential oil, but lavender and red thyme are the best. To discourage insects from disturbing your meal on the balcony, cut up lengths of ribbon or paper - tissue paper will do - and put one drop of essential oil on each piece and hand them around the balcony. Hanging these aromatic strips above a window will make an insect think twice about entering your room.

Used in massage oils in the days before going on holiday, and during it, the essential oils will discourage most insects from dining on you. The synergistic blend above can be used to good effect for that purpose.

Dilute 2 drops in 1 dessertspoon of oil for a body rub or simply add the neat essential oil to any lotion or cream you may have.

You ca make a water based splash by adding five drops of the blend above to 1 tablespoon of  witch-hazel and then diluting it in 4 tablespoons of water. Shake the ingredients well in their container before putting onto your body. Instead of the witch-hazel, you can substitute an alcohol such as vodka, but use a dessertspoonful instead of the tablespoon. Splash the liquid on to your body and smooth it over the surface of the skin.

Before going out in the evening put on some oil-based body rub, and if you are prone to being bitten the simple solution is to prepare in advance an oil 30ml base vegetable oil to which you have added 30 drops of lavender oil and rub a little of that on the parts of the skin that are exposed.

You can do the same before going to bed to protect you during the night. This amount will last you the whole holiday and more. If you are in a rush before leaving home, just throw the lavender oil into your case along with a small plastic bottle and fill it with local vegetable oil when you arrive, following the 1 drop per 1 millilitre base oil rule.

The ankles are a prime target for mosquitoes and certain other little creatures. A walk along the beach, for example, ca be less than romantic when the sandflies are out. Covering the ankles with cotton socks is a simple and effective measure and you can make sure that your legs are left bite-free by putting a neat drop of lavender oil or citronella on the top of your socks.

Alternatively, put the drops of essential oil on the bottom of your trouser leg or on the cotton of your spadrilles.

Reference: The Fragrant Pharmacy: Valerie Ann Worwood 

Your Basic Travel Kit - Tummy Troubles

I asked an intrepid traveller who never has tummy trouble -even up the Sepik in Papua, New Guinea, not known for its four star hotels - what the secret is 'Only drink bottled water, even if that means taking a crate of your own, never have ice in drinks, avoid all uncooked food and take a Swiss army knife'. That apparently is so that you can cut the skin off fruits.

It might seem a bit much to was your teeth in Avian water but it's a lot less embarrassing than having diarrhoea and spending your holiday sight-seeing the toilet-roll holder on the back of the bathroom door! It is amazing the number of people who get tummy trouble when staying at a deluxe hotels, and this may be due to the attractive but hazardous lunchtime buffet - a veritable breeding ground for bacteria and an interesting landing- stage for flies. The simple fact of having new foods can cause diarrhoea, as can heat.

DIARRHOEA, in its mild form only usually lasts for forty -eight hours. The main danger of it is dehydration and you should drink extra fluids, including fruit juices. (Women should also remember that diarrhoea reduces the body's ability to absorb the birth control pill.) lemon essential oil will help to purify the water in which you should wash all fruit and vegetables. After each bowel movement drink the dehydration blend. Don't think about cutting out the sugar., it is there to promote the absorption of salt.

DEHYDRATION BLEND

A warm bath with four drops each of geranium and ginger essential oils often helps to alleviate diarrhoea, and at the very least it will make you feel better.
FOOD POISIONING, usually shows up within forty-eight hours of having eaten the offending meal. It may be caused by bacteria, carried by humans or flies., or rotten food. Nausea, vomiting, pain and diarrhoea are the most likely effects, and fever and illness can develop.

It is important to rest in bed and drink plenty of fluuids - make up the dehydration blend above. Massage the whole body with the following.

To stop the circulatory shock that results from vomiting and purging, take baths with geranium and ginger - 2 drops of each. Also, apply ginger to the whole of the abdomen - 5 drops per teaspoon of vegetable oil. Castor oil is one of the best cures for food poisoning. It doesn't have the loveliest taste but this can be disguised by dissolving it in a glass of water and lemon juice.

You need one to two tablespoons of it and you can also take it by mixing it with peppermint oil - one drop per tablespoon.

BACILLARY DYSENTERY is carried in contaminated water and food and spread by flies and other carriers, and also by human contacts. It is infectious. It must be treated by a doctor, as saline injections may need to be given. The sufferer must be isolated and the room sprayed with thyme and lavender. Add the following oils to the bath ( the doses are high but these are necessary):

If muscle pains occur use the three oils above in a massage oil, in equal parts. Lavender may ease the headache and high temperature but if it doesn't, use peppermint oils instead - put one drop on your fingers and rub along the base of your skull and around your temples. 

Reference: The Fragrant Pharmacy: Valerie A Worwood.

Your Basic Travel Kit - Fevers 

A fever is a rise in normal body temperature and anything above 37C (98.4F)falls into this category. Fevers developed on holiday are usually the result of viral bacterial infection. Typhoid, malaria, tic fever and even lassa fever are quite common in tropical climates  and are usually passed by insect bites or  parasites.

But even on the Costa Brava you can get sandfly fever and fevers from the micro-bugs in contaminated water supplies. Hepatitis can be caught by contact with someone with the disease. With fever, it is very important to get the correct diagnosis. 

A body that is feverish can go through many changes from shivering and coldness to heat, sweating and delirium . General toxaemia can arise in typhoid, for example. The feverish person must be kept in bed - rest is generally the best cure. You can help to bring the fever down  by keeping the body cool with sponging.

Add the essential oils of eucalyptus, peppermint or lavender in the water you use to sponge the body down.

Give the patient plenty of liquids, including fruit juices, and make sure he has plenty of fresh air. Spray the room with thyme and use it yourself if you are nursing someone - 4 drops in a bath.

Reference: The Fragrant Pharmacy : V A Worwood