Infestation

SCABIES

There are no natural remedies or complementary therapies that can cure this condition, but Tea Tree oil added to the 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 useful.

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 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, a big problem with some teenagers today. Tea Tree shampoo and Tea Tree oil in the bath may help. If they don’t, young people need medical attention or they’ll pass this infestation on to everyone they 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 your kids 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 in this area, ask your doctor to refer you to a specialist travel vaccination clinic.