Home Remedies For Fever Blisters

Home Remedies For Fever Blisters

Fever blisters or cold sores are small red blisters that usually appear on the lips and outer edges of the mouth. They often display a clear liquid and form scabs after a few days. They are caused by herpes virus that becomes active when something triggers them. There is no cure for cold sores, but there are remedies that will reduce the severity and frequency. They appear after colds, fever, exposure to sun and stress during menstruation.

Foods that contain chocolate, peanuts and other nuts, grains, peas, seeds, oatmeal and whole-wheat products should be cut out or reduced from the diet. Cold sore is preceded by tingling, burning or itching sensation, fever, and enlargement of lymph nodes close to the sores and a general feeling of malaise.

- When you feel the tingling, burning or itching sensation, rub juice from aloe plant on the affected area. Dab of aloe gel is effective too. Aloe will begin the healing process immediately and not allow the sore to grow.

- Apply cornstarch paste to the affected area.

- Mix a drop or two of grapefruit seed extract either with aloe or olive oil and dab it on the sore.

- Rub ice cube on the sore for 10 minutes every hour at the onset of fever blisters. It will prevent the movement of the virus to the skin.

- Extract of lemon balm reduces the symptoms and speeds up the healing process.

- Combine equal parts of tinctures of echinacea, calendula, oats, burdock, and lomatium. Take ½ tsp four to fives time a day to soothe the inflamed tissue, remove the toxins from the body and kill the viruses and bacteria.

- Topical application of extract of mint will speed the healing of the blister.

- Drink several cups of sage tea with a dash of powdered ginger till the blisters are not cleared up.

- Steep an ordinary tea bag in boiling water, cool it and then apply to the blister. The blister should disappear within few days.

- Vaseline will help to moisturize and soften blisters to prevent them from cracking and bleeding.

- Dab a drop or two of St. John's Wort essential oil. It not only soothes, but reduces the pain and speeds up the healing process.

- Apply Witch Hazel on sores.

- Put some common salt on your moistened index finger and press it on to the sore for a minute twice a day for 2-3 days.

- Apply spirit of camphor on the sore.

The reader of this article should exercise all precautions while following instructions on the recipes from this article. Avoid using if you are allergic to something. The responsibility lies with the reader, not the site, and the writer.

Kevin Pederson

Cruise Ship Virus - Danger At High Sea?

Cruise Ship Virus - Danger At High Sea?

"On the last night/morning, many people were stricken with a gastrointestinal illness that caused diarrhea and vomiting. A great deal of vomit was on the stairs, elevator and other public areas by Friday morning." So a passenger from Canada, on December 30, 2005, sailing on the Zuiderdam in the Holland America Line, reported to the website cruisejunkie.com.

Norovirus is a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus where the potential for someone who is sick to infect others exists from the moment they become sick, to at least 3 days after they get better. Disturbingly, some people remain contagious for up to 2 weeks after recovering. This may be a factor in successive cruises becoming infected. And it remains questionable whether sick passengers and crew are confined to their cabins for 3 days after they get better.

Whilst norovirus outbreaks are by no means confined to cruise ships, the nature of a cruise increases the likelihood of an infection spreading. This is similar to the potential for infections spreading in other closed communities like nursing homes. The 'cruise ship virus' can be spread through contaminated food and drink, which is particularly concerning if the crew members who serve or prepare food become sick.

Passengers can pick up the virus from touching infected surfaces like handrails, walls and mirrors. When a suspected norovirus outbreak occurs on a cruise ship, crew will spray disinfectant on all common surfaces, and sick passengers are confined to their staterooms.

Sick passengers and crew have acute symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Some also have stomach cramps, headaches, a low grade fever, and chills. One 21 year old man actually died two days after disembarking from his ship. The cause of death was cited as being complications from a norovirus infection.

This isn't common however. Norovirus infections are usually not significant health risks, though they are highly unpleasant, both for passengers and cruise ship companies. For passengers, what is meant to be a relaxing holiday turns into a retching and wretched nightmare at sea. For cruise companies with ever increasing ship capacities, it is a public relations nightmare.

Rebecca Prescott

Chickenpox Is An Airborne Disease

Chickenpox Is An Airborne Disease

Chickenpox is one of the 'classic' childhood diseases. Most children will catch it sooner or later.

Chickenpox is an airborne disease and is very contagious. The symptoms are:

• general mild flu like symptoms (headache, fever, tummy ache, and loss of appetite)
• followed a day or two later by hundreds of itchy, fluid filled blisters

Once you have had chickenpox the virus is with you for life but kept in check by your immune system. However, the virus can flare up later in life in the form of shingles, especially if you undergo a period of stress.

Most cases occur in children younger than 10 and the disease is usually mild. Older children and adults often develop a more severe case of chickenpox.

Chickenpox can cause serious complications:

• a secondary infection of the blisters may occur if these are scratched and this can cause scarring
• newborns are at risk of severe infection if the mother is not immune (i.e. she has not previously had the disease)
• other, rare, complications include encephalitis; Reye's syndrome; and cerebellar ataxia

Treatment:

As it is a virus, chickenpox can not be treated by antibiotics. In most cases a chickenpox infection can be left to run its course, however, it is advisable to treat the blisters to reduce the likelihood of them being scratched. To this end, it is advisable to trim the nails of young children and place scratch-mitts on babies to minimise scratching and reduce the chance of scarring.

Calamine lotion will help to ease the itching as will baking soda (bicarbonate of soda). When our toddlers caught chickenpox a friend suggested adding a little water to baking powder to make a paste and applying that to the blisters. As our son passed his chickenpox on to me I can verify that the baking soda does work! It was more effective than calamine lotion at reducing the itching.

Antiviral medicines have been developed and can help the fight against chickenpox if the medicine is started within the first 24 hours of the rash developing. For most healthy children antiviral medicine is not required, but teenagers and adults who are likely to experience a more severe dose, may benefit.

Others who could benefit from antiviral medicine are kids with eczema, lung conditions such as asthma, and those who have been prescribed steroids.
Article Source: Health Guidance

Tony Luck

Shingles Natural Treatment

Shingles Natural Treatment

In the past ten years recent studies and research with alternative treatments for shingles has shown it is possible to recover in less than one week and to reduce outbreaks of lesions and pain in three days.

Shingles is a serious health condition and it is important to follow your doctor's recommendations. Traditionally, most doctors prescribe painkillers for the temporary symptomatic relief of the pain and an antiviral drug to suppress the virus. This form of treatment with drugs reduces the severity and frequency of outbreaks but does not eliminate it from the body. This course of treatment can take six weeks or more and does very little for the patient. The pain associated with shingles can continue long after the initial outbreak.

Some doctors prescribe steroids or itch-relieving creams that contains steroids. Recent studies question the effectiveness of steroids in relieving shingles and suggest avoiding any treatment with steroids. Monitoring by your doctor is recommended, if steroids have been prescribed. It is best to find alternative treatments with your doctor and to seek out natural remedies.

The virus herpes zoster causes shingles and is the same virus that causes chicken pox. Shingles is an infection of the central nervous system and may affect the elderly, those with a compromised immune system, anyone under severe stress or those who have been exposed to the chickenpox virus again. Symptoms may include burning, itching, or pain in one part of the body. A few days later, blisters and a rash appear. The infection may run along a nerve path and look like a branch of a tree. Shingles usually appear on the trunk area and the chest but can also be found on the face. Shingles can cause blindness if it affects the eyes. If an outbreak occurs on the face the patient should get immediate medical care.

Natural Remedies For Shingles

A good starting point for treating shingles is a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables. A good diet and reducing daily stress will help boost your immune system.

A simple remedy for lesions is to apply a cool or cold wet washcloth or towel to the affected area. A wet towel can be put into the freezer for a while after wetting it to make it colder.

Eliminate sugar from your diet and add these important nutrients to your daily diet - vitamin E, vitamin B12 and vitamin C.

• Vitamin C is suggested with an initial diagnosis of shingles. You may start with 1,000 mg.
• Vitamin E taken daily before meals may reduce the pain of shingles (Study published in the Archives of Dermatology).
• Vitamin B12 injections may reduce the pain of shingles (Study published in the Journal Geriatrics).
• It is recommended that you consult with your doctor before starting any vitamin program.
• E capsules can be squeezed directly onto lesions.
• Avoid heat as well as tight clothes and itchy fabrics like wool.
• Calamine lotion may relieve the pain and help dry the lesions.

Shingles is a serious illness and before starting any treatment program you should consult with your doctor. Shingles is the same virus as chicken pox. You cannot catch shingles from someone else unless you've never had chicken pox. If you have shingles you should use caution being around pregnant women who have not had chicken pox - you could infect both the woman and her unborn baby.

Wayne McDonald