Fifth Disease (aka Slapped Cheek Disease)

Fifth disease seems go be going around these days in Ottawa.  The official medical name is erythema infectiosum.  It is a viral infection caused by parvovirus B19 and is called fifth disease because it was the fifth on the list of common childhood rashes - the others being rubella, measles, scarlet fever,

chicken pox and roseola infantum (sixth disease).  It is also known as Slapped-cheek disease because of the characteristic initial symptom of a red cheek (or two).

Fifth disease is usually mild and is spread by coughs or sneezes through respiratory droplets.  It poses little risk to healthy children and adults.  Those who are more at risk of complications are pregnant women and people with certain types of chronic anemia.  (See your doctor if this is your situation.)

Symptoms include:  low-grade fever; chills; headache; body ache;  sore throat; cold-like symptoms; runny nose. There can also be an upset stomach and diarrhea. These aforementioned symptoms usually appear first.  Then the rash appears.  The rash can appear first on the cheeks and then it spreads to the torso, arms and legs. The rash can be itchy.  The rash can last for up to six weeks but generally only lasts for about two weeks.  Adults are less likely to have the rash and more likely to have swollen painful joints.  By the time the rash appears the child is no longer contagious.  The incubation period is usually anywhere between 4-14 days and can on occasion be as long as 21 days in length.

Here is a table of useful homeopathic remedies for fifth disease.

Natural treatment for ear infections

I got an email late last Saturday afternoon from a distraught parent.  He had just been at a walk-in clinic with his daughter who had been found to have not just one, but two ear infections.  The doctor wanted this baby to take a ten-day course of antibiotics to which the father inquired as to the necessity of antibiotics in this case.  The doctor was adamant that the baby needed antibiotics.  Given the father's reluctance to put his daughter on the antibiotics, unless absolutely necessary, he contacted me - hence the email late on a Saturday afternoon.  I had already treated this child in the past so I already had some knowledge of this patient which made treating this child quickly on an acute basis easier.  I took down the details of this baby's particular symptoms and as I have a well-stocked homeopathic pharmacy in-house I could provide the father with the remedy that best fit the unique and specific symptoms this baby had in relation to the ear infections.  I gave the man two other remedies to hold, just in case the first one didn't do the trick.  With homeopathy it can at times take a few tries to get the right remedy so it is good in an acute situation like this to provide a second and perhaps third option to have on hand.  I asked the father to let me know on the Sunday morning how the baby was doing.  I didn't hear back so in the afternoon I emailed to inquire about the baby.  The father said they had been out all day and that the baby seemed fine.  No other remedies were needed. This was a great case of being able to help a patient to heal naturally from an ear infection without having to resort to the use of antibiotics.  I am certainly not against the use of antibiotics when necessary.  However,  I would prefer to try to help a patient using homeopathic remedies as the first form of treatment and to reserve antibiotics as a last resort.   There is, in fact, evidence that the effectiveness of antibiotics for ear infections is very limited - despite this fact, they are far too often prescribed when they are not necessary.  Furthermore, the side-effects of such medications can lead to undesirable issues such as diarrhoea and skin rashes.  Why not avoid these possible side-effects unless absolutely necessary?  I told the father, on I agreeing to take his daughter's acute case, that he would have to observe the child closely and be responsible to administer the antibiotic if the homeopathic remedies weren't helping and if he observed a worsening of the situation.  Fortunately this baby rebounded quickly with the aid of a well-prescribed homeopathic remedy and she could avoid taking an unnecessary course of antibiotics.

A Natural Alternative for ADD and ADHD

I have just finished creating my first "PowToon" to raise awareness that there are natural and effective treatments for ADD and ADHD.

A Swiss pediatrician, Dr. Heiner Frei, conducted a double-blind study to determine the effectiveness of homeopathic treatment for ADHD.

 In the Swiss ADD / ADHD double-blind study, our research team proved under rigorous scientific conditions that homeopathy is effective in hyperactive children [Eur J Pediatr: 164 (2005): 758-767]. Furthermore, the long-term follow-up of the study participants over five years shows that 75% of all patients can be treated adequately with homeopathy alone, and that prolonged homeopathic treatment reduces the symptom intensity by about 50 percent, even after treatment is stopped.  [ http://www.heinerfrei.ch/add-adhd/ ]

I use Dr. Heiner Frei's Polarity Analysis treatment method and have seen great results.

Understanding Homeopathic Treatment

I created this Prezi for my website.  It is useful for anyone who wants to understand more about homeopathic treatment and how to get the most out of it.  I hope you enjoy this.  (You will have to copy and paste the link below to access the Prezi.)

http://prezi.com/thr2jyv980fw/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

Homeopathy and the flu

There really are a huge number of homeopathic remedies that can be helpful for the flu.  And it is important to remember with homeopathy that to treat successfully you must treat the patient and not the disease.  This means you need to closely observe the symptoms and what makes the patient feel better and worse before choosing what to prescribe.  Oscillococcinum and Influenzinum are often used at the very first signs of coming down with a flu, before there are clear symptoms.  Here is a little table of some useful homeopathic remedies for the flu but keep in mind these are just a small handful of many possible remedies.   If what you choose doesn't work please don't assume homeopathy doesn't work.  A successful healing depends on good prescribing - and sometimes this isn't as easy as we wish it could be! This table helps best if you already know a little about these homeopathic remedies and just need help differentiating between a few of them.

Brain injury and homeopathy

There are a number of homeopathic remedies for concussion and other ailments related to brain injuries.  Here is a link to a study that examined the clinical effectiveness of homeopathic treatment for persistent mild traumatic brain injuries.  The results of the study "indicate significant improvement from homeopathic treatment versus the control and translate into clinically significant outcomes".  Even people who had suffered brain injuries years before the study experienced significant improvement.  Furthermore, some who had been unable to work for years were able to return to work.



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10671699

Workshop on Homeopathy for Cold and Flu Season

I am going to be teaching a workshop this coming Sunday in conjunction with Sourcefull.  Please find below their information about the workshop!

No one likes to get sick, so why not find out what you can do to ease the symptoms in a natural and holistic manner.

Homeopathic Workshop for Cold & Flu Season – Sun Oct 25 at 1:30pm – Beyond Yoga (66 Hearst Way, Kanata)

 

Join Maria Reid, Registered Homeopath, as she provides information on how to treat colds, flu symptoms, fevers & sore throats using homeopathic remedies. No previous knowledge of homeopathy is necessary.  

Maria Reid is a registered homeopath with the College of Homeopaths of Ontario; she is also an instructor at the Canadian Homeopathic Institute. 

Cost is $25/person; includes a coupon for $10 off your initial consultation with Maria (should you choose to make an individual appointment); please email me at sourcefull@rogers.com to register or for more information