Ebola

You can not have missed all of the press that Ebola virus has been given in the last two weeks. It seems that everywhere you turn there is more fear being spread through the main-stream media. I felt it is important to address some of the issues around Ebola and how homeopathy can help.

Ebola is a virus in the Filoviridae genus of viruses. There are five strains of this virus and four of them are transmittable to humans. These strains were first identified in Africa in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now called the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since then there have been several outbreaks over the years with up to hundreds dying from the disease. This year alone there are over 4,000 known cases and upwards of 8,000 suspected cases. The sudden rise in infection has caught the attention of the world.

The virus is a bundle of DNA that can attach to a cell, breaking the cell wall down, injecting its DNA into the cell to replicate. As the viral load count goes up in humans the health effects become more severe. Ebola causes hemorrhagic fever.  It has an incubation period of between 2 and 21 days, the average being between 8-10 days after exposure before symptoms begin.

As of this time the believed methods of transmission are direct contact with bodily fluids from an infected or deceased person. This has not changed since the virus was first identified. But due to recent cases in the USA it is suspected that exposure to air-born droplets of mucous is enough to contract the virus. Two health care workers have become infected even when wearing protective suits. It appears the virus has mutated and become much more virulent. The mortality rate from the disease is around 60%.

Signs and symptoms of the disease are fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal (stomach) pain and bleeding or bruising.  All of these except bleeding are common symptoms of influenza and develop in a similar way. The severity of the disease is in the final stages when bleeding occurs. This is the deadly complication. As of this time there is no known cure for the disease or any drugs that are applicable. The biggest help in fighting the disease is giving intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration.

There are many stories about a fast-track Ebola vaccine in development but nothing has been verified to be effective. If I were to be offered the vaccine I would refuse not knowing what is in the vaccine. I would take my chances knowing that homeopathy has something to offer.  Right now it requires up to 57 people involved in the care of one person in quarantine with Ebola at the hospital. There are only four locations in the US that are prepared to treat Ebola. The number of beds is less than one hundred. In a severe outbreak there is nothing that can be really done to help a sick person.  I expect that there will be makeshift Ebola camps set up that will quarantine people with Ebola and the health care there would be minimal at best. It appears that these camps would be the final destination for Ebola sufferers.

The best way to prevent yourself from getting the disease is to quarantine yourself. If Ebola breaks out near you it will change the way you think about your health and exposure to disease. Prepare to be home-bound for up to several months as the disease rages around you. You will not want to go to the store or be in a public place. You will need to be able to take care of yourself. The only thing that fights this virus is a health immune system. Stay healthy, be prepared and be self-reliant. Wash your hands after being in a public place. Avoid touching your mouth, nose, or eyes while in public. Wear a mask if you feel it is necessary. Have Clorox bleach on hand to disinfect surfaces. Have remedies that treat influenza and hemorrhagic fever on hand. I will go over a few today.

In essence, BE PREPARED!

The first remedy to have is Occilococcinum 200C. This remedy is effective at helping inspire the vital force when you start feeling ill. If it is taken in the first 2-3 hours of an illness it can help turn the tide and prevent the full onset of influenza. But the thing to remember is that it needs to be taken as soon as you realize, "I'm getting sick." If you wait longer than 3 hours it is usually ineffective at treating flu symptoms. Have the remedy on hand and near you always. It is your best first-line defense. If your immune system kicks into gear soon it may have the ability to stop the disease in its tracks. Remember the virus has an incubation period before the viral load count is enough to cause symptoms. If you can mount an immune response very early on you really enhance your chances for beating the virus.

If you haven't been successful with the Occilococcinum then you must start treating the flu-like symptoms. There are many remedies available to treat the flu. Successful treatment will require paying close attention to the symptoms as they appear and giving the best remedies available. If symptoms are developing fast it may be necessary to give multiple remedies at the same time. This is when having a stock of remedies for flu is very important. I will not go over the common flu symptoms or the indications for remedies in this article. But a partial list of remedies that may be useful in the first stages of Ebola are;

• Aconite
• Arsenicum
• Baptisia
• Eupatrium Perfoliatum
• Gelsemium
• Rhus Toxicodendron
• Sabadilla
• Belladonna
• Bryonia
• Camphora
• Carbolic acid
• Mercurius Vivus
• Nux Vomica
• Phosphorus
• Sangunaria
• Sticta Pulmonaria

The main complications of Ebola happen in the later stages when the viral load count is high and hemorrhage occurs. This can come in the form of bruising, bleeding from mucous membranes, internal hemorrhage, from the eyes, ears and other bodily orifices as well as blood filled blisters on the skin. Bleeding and hemorrhagic remedies are indicated. Here is a list of rubrics and remedies from the Complete 2013 Repertory that may be useful;

• skin; ERUPTIONS; boils, furuncles; blue (5) : alco., 3Anthr., bufo, crot-h., lach.
• skin; ECCHYMOSES; fever, during (8) : 3Arn., 3Ars., bry., carb-v., ham., mur-ac., ph-ac., zinc.
• skin; ECCHYMOSES (160) : abr., 3Acet-ac., 3Acon., aeth., agar., agav-a., 2agki-p., 3Ail., 4ALLOX., alum-p., am-m., anemps., anthr., apis, 3Apoc., arg-n., arge-p., 3Arist-m., 4ARN., 4ARS., ars-s-f., aur-m., 4BAD., 3Bapt., 3Bar-c., bar-m., 3Bell., bell-p., benz-n., berb., biti-a., bor., both-a., both-l., 4BRY., calc., 4CALEN., 3Camph., canth., caps., caras., 3Carb-v., carbn-s., carc., cench., 2cham., 3Chel., 3Chin., chin-s., chir-f., chlf., chlol., 4CHLOR., chloram., chol., cic., 2coca, coll., 3Con., conch., cop., cosm., crot-c., 3Crot-h., cub., 2cupr., cupr-s., cur., 3Dulc., dys-co., 3Erig., eup-per., 2euphr., fago., 3Ferr., foll., form., frag., 3Ham., 3Hep., 3Hyos., 3Hyper., iod., iodof., 2ion-rad., kali-chl., kali-i., 3Kreos., 3Lach., lat-h., laur., 4LED., 2leon., 3Loxo-r., lsd, 3Mag-m., 3Maland., meli., merc., merc-c., mill., morg., 4MUR-AC., 2nat-m., nit-ac., nitro-benz., 3Nux-v., par., paro-i., perla, 3Petr., 4PH-AC., phel., 4PHOS., phys., plb., 3Polygo-o., ptel., 3Puls., 3Pyrog., rheum, 4RHUS-T., rhus-v., 3Ruta, sabad., sal-ac., sals-t., 4SEC., sedi., 3Sel., 2sica-a., sica-t., 2sil., 3Sin-n., solid., squil., staph., stram., 4SUL-AC., sul-i., 3Sulph., supren., symph., tab., tam., 3Tarent., tax., 3Ter., thal., thal-s., 3Thlaspi, turm-w., 2turq., uran-n., 3Vario., verbe-h., 2vip., ytte-p., zinc., zinc-m.
• skin; PURPURA; haemorrhagica (77) : abr., acet-ac., alch-v., alet., aln-g., am-m., 3Arn., ars., ars-i., ars-s-f., 2asc-ac., bell., bell-p., berb., both-l., bov., bry., 2calen., 3Carb-v., carc., cary., chin., chin-s., chlol., 3Cimic., coc-c., cor-r., croc., 3Crot-h., 3Cupr., erb., erig., ferr., ferr-pic., gast., 4HAM., hyos., iod., ion-rad., ip., kali-chl., 3Kali-i., 4LACH., 4LED., meli., merc., merc-c., mill., mur-ac., naja, nat-n., nit-ac., nux-v., 3Ph-ac., 4PHOS., ptel., pyrog., 3Rhus-t., rhus-v., ruta, sabin., sal-ac., 4SEC., sil., squil., stram., 4SUL-AC., sulfon., sulph., tam., 3Tax., 4TER., thlaspi, tub., ust., vib., vip.
• fever, heat; CONTINUED fever, typhoid; hemorrhagic (27) : alum., 3Alumn., 3Ars., 3Bapt., 4CARB-V., chin., 3Crot-c., 4CROT-H., 3Elaps, 3Ham., hydrin-s., ip., kreos., 3Lach., 3Mill., 3Mur-ac., 3Nit-ac., nux-m., 3Ph-ac., 4PHOS., rhus-t., sec., sica-a., sica-t., 3Sul-ac., 3Ter., trach.
• fever, heat; CONTINUED fever, typhoid; hemorrhagic; oozing of dark thin blood from capillaries (2) : crot-h., 3Sul-ac.
• blood; PASSIVE, oozing (73) : acet-ac., 4ACON., adam., ail., aln., aloe, am-c., anthr., 3Arn., 3Ars., ars-h., 3Bapt., 3Bell., 3Bov., bufo, cadm., calc-sil., 3Canth., caps., 3Carb-v., 3Carbn-s., 3Chel., 3Chim., 3Chin., 3Chin-ar., 3Crot-c., 3Crot-h., cur., dros., erech., 3Erig., 3Ferr., 3Ferr-p., formal., 3Gall-ac., guare., 4HAM., 3Hell., 3Ip., 3Iris, kali-bi., kreos., lac-c., 3Lach., laur., 3Led., loxo-r., lycps., 3M-aust., 3Mangi., 3Merc., merc-c., merc-cy., 3Mill., ph-ac., 3Phos., phyt., 3Puls., rat., rhus-a., 3Rhus-t., 3Sang., 3Sec., sep., sol-t-ae., stram., 3Sul-ac., tarent., 3Ter., thlaspi, 3Tril., 3Ust., x-ray
• blood; HEMORRHAGE; fever, during (46) : 2acet-ac., acon., alum., 3Alumn., 3Arg-n., 4ARN., 3Ars., 4BAPT., bell., 3Bry., cact., 4CARB-V., chin., 3Chin-s., 3Crot-c., 4CROT-H., 3Elaps, erig., ferr., ferr-m., 3Ferr-p., gels., 3Ham., hoch., hydrin-s., ip., 3Kali-c., kali-p., kreos., 4LACH., meli., meli-a., 3Mill., 3Mur-ac., 3Nit-ac., nux-m., 3Ph-ac., 4PHOS., pyrog., 3Rhus-t., sec., sica-a., sica-t., 3Sul-ac., 3Ter., trach.

Remedies that cover the most symptoms and are best indicated to treat Ebola in its last stages are;

• Crotalus Horridus - This is probably the very best remedy for the most common hemorrhages. Crotalus disorganizes the blood and produces profound deathly illness. Nervous shock, trembling and prostration. Hemorrhages from every part of the body. Slow, oozing of dark, thin blood. Malignant conditions. Dark or bluish parts. Thoughts dwell on death. Irritable and can not express himself correctly. Suspicious. Mumbles and stammers his words. Loquacity with a desire to escape.
• Terebinthina - Has an affinity for the mucous membranes. Oozing from blood from any mucous membrane. Black, passive. Disturbed equilibrium. Concentration difficult. Coma. Blood in urine. Urine smells like violets. Cough with bloody sputum.
• Secale - Decomposes the blood producing hemorrhage which is thin, watery, fetid and oozing continuously. A tight feeling throughout the body. Contracts muscular fibres. Spasms with consciousness. restlessness with extreme debility and weakness. Better from cold. Extreme thirst and appetite. Loss of power of voluntary motion.
• Pyrogenium - Septic states when blood is disorganized. Offensive discharges. Restlessness extreme. Feels as if crowded with arms and legs. Can not tell whether asleep or awake. Thinks and talks faster than ever. Bed too hard. Delusions one person on one side of the bed and another on the other side of the bed.
• Hamamelis - Venous congestion and hemorrhage. Bruised soreness. Internal soreness. Pain out of proportion to the blood loss. Feels unappreciated. Bleeding from any orifice.
• Anthracinum - Malignant and septic states. Boils. Black and blue blisters. Burning pains with great prostration. Hemorrhages are thick, black tar-like from any orifice.  Feels death approaching. Cyanosis, asphyxia, most extreme collapse. Coma. Excessive thirst but can hardly swallow.
• Sulphuric Acid - Weakness and debility as with all acid remedies. Hemorrhage of violent, thin, black blood from all orifices. Black and blue spots from hemorrhage in the skin.Hot flushes. Everything must be done in a hurry. Pains increase gradually and end abruptly. Difficulty in answering questions. Says yes or no with difficulty.

This is only a partial list of end stage remedies for Ebola. Read your Materia Medica and get to know these remedies. They may make the difference between surviving this deady disease and not. Always look to the individual to find the peculiarities and what remedy they need. Remember the remedy is always for the person and not the disease. It is best to wear protective clothing and not linger at the bedside. If you can observe from afar it seems best. The higher the viral load count of the person the more symptoms and sicker they will be. It seems the virus becomes more contagious as the person reaches the end stages.