Scabies - There are no natural remedies or complementary therapies that can
cure this condition, but Tea Tree oil added to your bath may help control the
rash.
Head Lice - Contrary to popular belief, you can’t get lice from wearing someone
else’s hat, using their comb or towel, from sitting on train or bus seats or
using the same mat in a school or health centre gym. You only get them by bodily
contact, which is why they can become so rampant among young children working
enthusiastically on a joint school project together, their teachers and the
rest of the family when they come home.
Head lice are nothing to be ashamed of, though. In fact they far prefer short,
clean hair - it gives the little devils easier access to the warm, juicy bits
of the scalp.
Ordinary shampoos won’t get rid of them - you’ll just end up with very clean
lice - but a fine-tooth comb works wonders. Lice cling to several hairs at the
same time and combing through with one of these old-fashioned remedies pulls
off their legs - and a legless louse is a dead one.
There are concerns about the chemicals used in conventional treatments for lice
- not only are they toxic, but the lice are becoming resistant, too. There are
some complementary alternatives available as a solution and shampoo, which are
specially formulated for this problem and are available from most health stores
and chemists. Some people find that adding several drops of Tea Tree oil to
their shampoo and conditioner is also useful.
A popular remedy which seems to be effective is ‘Neem’ oil applied topically
or taken as capsules.
It’s also important to remember that everyone in the family should be treated
at the same time.
Body Lice - The only effective way of getting rid of body lice is to shower
or bath more regularly using Tea Tree bath gel and shampoo and to wash your
clothes at high temperatures to kill the lice and their eggs.
Pubic Lice - Contrary to expectations, pubic lice are more common in attractive
and more affluent young people - because they have more opportunities for sex
and a greater number of partners. Tea Tree shampoo and Tea Tree oil in the bath
may help. If they don’t, you need medical attention or you’ll pass this infestation
on to everyone you sleep with.
Fleas and Ticks - The obvious treatment for these irritating conditions is not to get them in the first place. Pets - particularly cats - can bring these unwanted
visitors into your home, but you can make them less welcome by treating the
pets first.
Add a small clove of crushed Garlic to their food every day. Funnily enough,
cats love it - fleas and ticks don’t. Give 'Tiddles' one tablet of the homeopathic remedy Sulphur every week Make a flea collar from a strip of absorbent fabric
moistened with a mixture of three drops of Tea Tree oil and two drops each of
Eucalyptus and Lemon oils. Renew the oils every three days
If you are unfortunate enough to get attacked by fleas or ticks, rub the area
with an ice cube to remove the irritation, then use Calendula cream or Lavender
or Tea Tree oil on the wound - these oils are perfectly safe to use undiluted.
It’s also worth remembering that although the danger of Lyme disease is now
well known, there’s also a potentially fatal tick-borne type of Encephalitis
which is rampant in some areas of the forests in Austria. Most travel agents
don’t know about this, but if you’re planning a walking or camping holiday,
ask your doctor to refer you to a specialist travel vaccination clinic.
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