Traditional Chinese Medicine Parenting: Question 13 – What should be done when a child has measles?
Traditional Chinese Medicine Parenting: Question 13 – What should be done when a child has measles?
Traditional Chinese Medicine Parenting: Question 13 – What should be done when a child has measles?
Answer: As previously mentioned, measles, chickenpox, and similar illnesses are natural responses of the human body as it adapts to communal living and environmental changes. These diseases serve as the body's natural "vaccine," helping to develop resistance and prevent future illnesses.
Typically, children between six months and five years of age may experience measles once. The initial symptoms often include mild fever, cough, and possibly conjunctivitis (red, irritated eyes), along with light sensitivity. If these symptoms appear, parents should check for red lines behind the child's ears. If these lines are present and the symptoms persist for three to five days, it is likely that the child is developing measles.
Measles generally begins with rashes appearing behind the ears and then spreading to the face, trunk, limbs, palms, and the tip of the nose. The rashes start as light red spots and gradually darken as they spread. The rashes may merge into larger patches, darken further, and eventually cover the entire body before entering the fading stage, during which the rashes begin to peel off.
When dealing with measles (or chickenpox), parents should remember the saying "measles should fully erupt," meaning that the rashes must be allowed to come out completely and should not be suppressed.
Treatment Methods:
Ensure the child's diet is light.
Keep the child away from wind and cold.
Boil 15 grams of cilantro, 15 grams of duckweed, and 60 milliliters of yellow rice wine, and allow the steam to fill the room. You can also use a towel dipped in the herbal liquid to gently wipe the rash-covered areas of the child's body to help the rashes fully emerge.
Prepare a "Three Bean Drink" by boiling equal parts of soybeans, black beans, and mung beans for over two hours, and give this to the child to drink as tea (do not drink it if it has been left overnight).
Use the herbal formula Sheng Ma Ge Gen Tang (Cimicifuga and Kudzu Decoction): take 3 grams of Cimicifuga (Sheng Ma), 3 grams of White Peony Root (Bai Shao), 3 grams of roasted Licorice (Zhi Gan Cao), 5 grams of Kudzu Root (Ge Gen), and 3 slices of fresh ginger. Boil these in two bowls of water until it reduces to one bowl. Divide it into two doses and have the child drink it.