AROMATHERAPY

Mumps

Mumps is a common, air-borne viral disease whose target is the parotid salivary glands. Two or three weeks afte infection the symptoms appear, the most characteristic of these being large, egg-like swellings on either side of the neck just below the ears . Sometimes only one side is affected .Other symptoms are mild fever, earache, pain when eating and headache. Usually mumps is a fairly harmless condition and the symptoms go after a couple of days.

Sometimes, however, the infection can spread to other glands, and in bad cases the testes, ovaries and the pancreas become involved. There is usually no danger unless the child is around puberty or older when the ovaries become painful and the testes swollen and sore, and male sterility can occur. Permanent deafness may occasionally  follow an attach of mumps. Treatment for mumps is therefore advised to make sure that your child doesn't become one of the unfortunate few.

Adult males who haven't had mumps should avoid contact with the child, as the virus is passed through saliva and nasal droplets and through the air. The child should rest in bed and not be given acid drinks such as orange juice. Dryness of the mouth can be helped by using a mouthwash. Use the following oils sprayed in the air with a plant-sprayer (new or clean) so that essential oil molecules are inhaled by the child:

Mumps Synergistic Blend  

Make up a blend of oil using 30 drops of essential oil to 30ml vegetable oil and apply gently around the sore area, the back of the neck and the abdominal area. Use three times a day for ten days. The remaining 10 drops can be used in a room spray - 5 drops to half pint of water.

Reference: The Fragrant Pharmacy: Valerie Ann Worwood

Allergies

Why people develop allergies remains a medical mystery. Allergies are a very complicated subject, and finding a cure often proves difficult. The best line of defence, until we know more about them, is to remove the offending allergic agent. But finding the cause of the trouble may take some time because almost any substance in the world can trigger an allergic reaction, from the air we breather to the water we drink: from the people we love to the clothes we wear. As well as the distressing physical results of an allergy there is the inconvenience of having to change  lifestyle, sometimes drastically.

For children, it is often the common, everyday things that produce a reaction. Cow products, grass, house dust, pets, wheat, colorants, additives and preservatives are often the cause. An allergy can manifest itself as asthma,eczema, hyperactivity, fatigue, itching, runny nose, sneezing, headaches, lumps and bumps. Allergic reactions to essential oils are rare if used correctly. A child with hay fever or eczema may be slightly more at risk. In the case of an allergy to one oil, don't lump similar - seeming oils together and there will be an allergy to them too. Allergy to orange, for example, does not necessarily mean there will be a reaction to lemon essential oil.

Eczema
Eczema is very itchy and here is a remedy for that. Apply to the affected area twice a day:

 Hives

Hives are usually white lumps or weals that look as if the child has been hit. They are very itchy. Use the same treatment for Eczema. Also, put 2 drops of chamomile German into a quarter cup of baking soda and add to bath.

Hay Fever
Hay fever needs to be treated with a special formula. Consult your local aromatherapist.

Bee Stings
Bee stings produce an allergic reaction in a small percentage of children: the body can swell up and breathing becomes laboured . Try to remove the sting and treat with 1 drop of a synergistic blend of equal proportions of lavender and chamomile German. Lavender contains anti-venom properties and often acts as an antidote to the poison, so stopping the reaction.

Migrane

Migrane is covered in full in the following section but as migrane in children is often caused by an allergic reaction to certain foods it is worth considering it in relations to your child's diet. Remove from the diet all foods that are not fresh. as well as all the obvious items  packed with artifical colourants, flavourants, additives and preservatives., cut all tinned and packaged goods no matter what promises of purity are made on the label. It is absolutely crucial to cut out dairy products. The child can have grains, but no wheat, cut out tea and fizzy drinks. No red meat.

You might begin to think that there's nothing left to feed the child! Give him plenty of fish and chicken, fresh vegetables and fruit , mineral waters and natural fruit juices diluted with mineral water. Breakfast can consist or real oats, puffed rice with soya milk or follow the recipe for real muesli. Ice lollies should be made with natural fruit juices . Give herb teas at bedtime - chamomile sweetned with a little honey is good. If the child has has sick migraines, give peppermint herb tea during the day.

This new regime could provoke withdrawal symptoms such as headache or stomach ache in the first few days. These soon go. Grapefruit essential oil is an excellent treatment of this debilitating condition. Use 4 drops in a nice warm bath or soak a compress in 1 pint of water to which you have added 2 drops of grapefruit oil and apply it to the head. also, make a massage oil using 15 drops of grapefruit to 30ml vegetable oil.

Migraine
Essential oil massages over a period of time often alleviate migraine. Most aromatherapists are trained how to deal with this problem but you can also help your child at home. Set time when you can both be relaxed and take the phone off the hook, - you are acting as therapist. Get the child to lie-face-down on the bed and massage specific areas according to instructions. Do this for at least fifteen minutes once a week, more if under stress. Use the following oils either singly or in combination.

Children's Migraine Essential Oils
Grapefruit - Lavender - Chamomile Roman- Neroli - Peppermint - Rosemary

Children's Migraine Formula

The essential oils can be a great help to children who suffer migraine and many cases which casme to me for treatment have been cleared up by the parent following the directions above. You Might also follow the diet outlined in the allergy section above. Common causes of migraine in children are insufficient breakfast and lunch, stress allergies and television. Sleep is one of the best remedies.

Reference: The Fragrant Pharmacy: Valerie A. Worwood.

Problems in Pregnancy - 2 

Haemorrhoids and Varicose Veins
The worst thing about constipation is that it makes you strain which in turn may cause haemorrhoids. Varicose veins and haemorrhoids are both dilated veins and their care and treatment are the same. Keep your legs yp as often as possible, and for at least ten minutes a day lie with a pillow in the small of your back and another at the nape of yopur neck - not under the head.

You may as well take advantage of the time of enforced inactivity to mediate on the well-being of your baby. Send loving, affirmative thoughts to the baby, for positive thinking makes positive things happen. Such thought-projection is the oldest of treatments and one whose value is again being recognised.

To make an oil that will both prevent and alleviate both varicose veins and haemorrhoids use the following.

Stroke the legs very gently, working upwards from ankle to thigh. The geranium will encourage the circulation of blood and cypress has an astringent effect upon the whole venous system. The oil will also help to balance the mind and alleviate doubts and anxieties. Remember that every thing you inhale will reach your baby to - so breather deeply now. ( And by the same token, if a vehicle emitting particularly noxious fumes passes as you walk along the street , hold your breath until the worst of it has passed.)

The extra pressure caused on the legs caused by pregnancy makes varicose veins a common problem at this time. As well as keeping your legs up as often as possible  try to exercise a little - even if only on the spot. Stroke your legs gently upwards while in a bath that contains 2 drops each of geranium and cypress.. you'll obviously find this easier in month five than in month nine, but do the best you can. Lavender oil makes an excellent addition to this remedy, so add 2 drops if you have any handy. Foot baths also help, especially if you place a dozen or so round pebbles in the bottom of the bowl of water and rub your feet gently back and forth over them. Add 2 drops each of geranium and cypress oils to the bowl of water.

If you already have the problem of haemorrhoids, make yourself a cream by adding 15 drops of geranium and 5 drops of cypress essential oils to the contents of a small tube of KY jelly . Simply squeeze the jelly into a small jar, add the essential oils, mix very well and rub around the anal area when required. The treatment will not only alleviate the symptoms but prevent haemorrhoids occurring in the first place.

Flatulence

Flatulence is embarrassing at the best of times and is one of the conditions exacerbated by pregnancy. Wind in the stomach feels very uncomfortable - especially with so much pressure on all the internal organs - and can cause shortness of breath and palpitations. When the stomach expands this extra pressure can cause angina type of pain which can be strong enough in some cases to be mistaken for a hear attack.

When wind is expelled rather noisly this may be indigestion or may sometimes, indicate something more serious , such as gall-bladder problems, or even gall, But usually flatulence is functional - that is to say, unrelated to any disease of the air during the day. Organs - and in pregnancy the most common cause is swallowing air while eating to quickly or gulping large quantities of air during the day. 

If you are eating foods which have previously upset your digestive system, such upset will only exacerbated by your present condition. Carbohydrate foods fermenting in the large colon often cause flatulence and it can be helpful to avoid foods which contain a large proportion of starch and cellouse  - peas, potatoes, pulses, carrots, and onions. Try not to swallow air and breathe through the nose if you can. If you feel like belching, do, because you dont want the extra pressure at this time, but be careful not to take in another gulp of air afterwards.

There are three essential oils which are helpful in combatting flatulence and which can be taken during pregnancy  - dill, fennel and spearmint. You can use any of these individually to make an oil for the abdomen or mix to of the three. Dilute a total of 30 drops of your chose or combination of oils in 30ml vegetable oil and rub over the abdomen several times a day. Alternatively, spearmint oil can be taken internally - but only in very small quantities once a day. Dissolve 3 drops in a tablespoon of honey and keep this mixture to use when needed. Once a day, take half a teaspoon of this honey and spearmint oil mixture in a small glass of boiled, warm water, being careful to sip slowly and to avoid taking in yet more air. 

Reference : The Fragrant Pharmacy: Valerie A Worwood  

Problems In Pregnancy

For many women pregnancy may entail a plethora of minor problems such as backache, swollen legs, heartburn, indigestion, and insomnia, or general aggravation in not being able to accomplish one's daily tasks with the usual efficiency. If this is so, you need spoiling! Here is a marvelous remedy which can be massaged into your back by a partner or friend on a regular basis and which will alleviate physical problems at the same time uplifting your spirit. Use whichever rose essential oil you have handy or can afford: Geranium would be a good substitute.

Pregnancy Pick-up Back Rub

I remember well the heaviness of pregnancy. Perhaps only women who have experienced it can know how the iredness seems to permeate every part of the body. Everything seems weighed down - the torso, of course and the arms and legs, head and even, it seemed to me, the eyelashes. If being pregnant is the ultimate 'high', it is also the original heavy experience. But the uplifting qualities of the essential oils are a great help after a tiring day when the legs are swollen and the back aches. Pregnant women should use only 2-4 drops of essential oil in a bath. Choose your favourites  or try the very relaxing combination of one drop each of chamomile roman and lavender oils.

Morning Sickness
For morning sickness, a bowl of boiling water with 4-6 drops of spearmint oil added, placed on the floor by your bed overnight, will help keep the stomach calm. The aroma molecules will disperse upwards and gently do their work as you sleep, and after using this method for three consecutive nights, the morning sickness should be gone. Alternatively put one drop on your pillow.

Stretch Marks
I have treated many women with essential oils during pregnancy and not one of them had stretch marks. And they all had wonderful babies. For the tummy-rub treatment the base oil is as important as the essential oils themselves, and here is a formula which has proved very successful.

Massage Base Oil

 As the base oil comes to 45 mls (plus the 15 drops ), looking at the minimum-maximum chart you will see that you need to add 12 drops of essential oils  (for 30ml base)  and 6 drops (for 15ml), giving a total minimum number of 18 drops of essential oil to 45 ml base oil.

Massage wherever stretch marks might occur - the lower and upper abdomen, thighs and buttocks. Use the oils regularly to prevent stretch marks. Here is an excellent synergestic blend  you may like to try:

Pregnancy Tummy- Rub Synergistic Blend

Constipation
Every pregnant woman knows the importance of eating correctly during her nine months and while breast-feeding. But doing so is by no means as straight forward as it used to be  in this age of chemical growing processes and irrigation an apple can no longer be guaranteed t be rich in vitamin C and B, and while liver was once recommended for its high iron content, animal livers now also contain high concentrations of the toxins fed to the animals during its life time.

The unnaturalness of our food, together with hormonal changes, reduced exercise and the sheer pressure on our digestive system during pregnancy, all conspire to make constipation a common complaint. It is important to avoid, however, because the toxins can seep back into the system. This is not the time to use chemical laxatives, instead stick to natural remedies which are, in any case, the basis of the chemical copies. Also, drink lots of mineral water and eat as many raw vegetables as you can.

Good natural laxatives are dried fruits such as prunes and figs, and greens such as broccoli and cabbage. The bran content of your diet is essential now but avoid bran breakfast cereals because they are eaten with milk and sugar . Try instead the original muesli recipe  devised by the Bircher Benner clinic in Zurich, Switzerland. Eat this for a couple of mornings and you will find that your system has returned to normal. The oats clean the blood, take mucus from the bowel and generally provide one of the most cleansing treatments you can take.

Another excellent way of clearing the bowel is to take a glas   of water and add a quarter teaspoon of green clay, which is available in health care shops . as it passes through the intestinal the clay absorbs toxins  and shows them the door! Yet another method involves psycillium husks, which are pure fibre and can be bought raw or in capsule form. Any of these methods will clean out all the rubbish lurking in the bowels.

Patchouli is an excellent intestinal cleansing oil and if you are prone to constipation it will be worth making yoursef up a bottle of oil to use during pregnancy. Simply add so drops of patchouli to a bottle containing 30 ml vegetable oil. To get everything going, rub the oil all over the abdomen  in a clockwise direction. Start at the lower right hand-side, by the groin, and rub up to beneath the breasts , across and down the other side, down to the hair-line again. Cover the whole belly in slow, gentle clockwise movements.

Problems in Pregnancy 2

Reference : The Fragrant Pharmacy: Valerie A. Worwood