:: Bali for Kids - Dengue Fever and Holistic Healing

Dengue fever has now become THE major mosquito-borne disease in Bali and in fact Indonesia. It is a virus carried by a particular breed of mosquito, the Aedesaegypti mosquito, which is active mostly during the day, and is distinguished by its dark black body and white-striped legs.

As a practitioner of holistic medicine I have seen increasing numbers of cases over this last year, and have even experienced the illness for myself. I will be starting research for the University of New England this year into homeopathic treatment regimes for dengue fever, as this has been my main mode for treating the disease and helping people to recover faster and with fewer complications. There is still a lot we don’t know, so much is learnt about dengue from first hand experience ‘in the field’, and this article is based mainly on my experience in treating dengue and learning the character of this disease.

When looking at disease, I don’t use the words ‘fight’, ‘battle’, or ‘eradicate’, which are words that these days seem to go hand-in-hand with how the medical profession addresses disease from cancer to malaria these days. When I look at disease the words ‘healthy respect’ come to mind – the same words that come up when I think about nature. Diseases are, after all, a product of nature. They arise from how we interact with and treat our environment, the types of animal and vegetation that grows, the climate, etc. So it would seem that the cures to diseases also lie in the environments from which they emerge.

The dengue equation is very simple: a high density of hosts (us), a high number of vectors (mosquitoes), and places for the mosquitoes to breed. Some of the reasons for the spread of dengue is the increasing population density of Bali, and the conversion of rice paddies into land for development, which become stagnant swamps as developers wait for building to start.
Dengue is an extremely dynamic and variable disease with a wide spectrum of symptoms and severity. It can be as mild as a slight flu, or can result in haemorrhage and death in a small number of cases. Many factors have been linked to the severity of dengue experienced by different people, most recently theories of genetic predisposition, however from my experience one factor stands out, which is the level of immune function of the individual. People who’s systems are run down, particularly due to stress, seem to be the people who come down with dengue the hardest in many cases. Most cases I see involve a period of physical, mental, or emotional stress preceding the onset. There is no specific medical treatment for dengue, nor any vaccine, so the most important thing we can do is to take care of ourselves, and boost our immune systems by eating and drinking in a healthy way, maintaining healthy lifestyle choices, keeping centered, and avoiding stress. This is the ideal situation, but not always realistic all of the time. For children, it is particularly important to provide them with a nurturing, calm, and stable home and learning environment as well as a healthy nutritious diet.These are the fundamentals, now for a more specific look at dengue fever treatment and prevention. This is where holistic health care has much to offer.

Children and adults alike are susceptible to dengue. Those in higher-risk groups for dengue complications are infants and the elderly. As with any disease, prevention is better than cure.
Dengue fever usually presents with these symptoms:

A rapid onset high fever with chills. The person will appear pale and listless with no energy and just want to lie down.
Aching in the muscles, joints, and/or bones.
A headache with aching behind the eyes and pain in the back of the head.
Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea are often seen.
There is usually a loss of appetite and increased thirst, although in some cases everything consumed is vomited, including water – these cases need urgent medical attention and intravenous fluids.
The fever can pass quickly, or be maintained for several days.
After the fever passes the headache usually remains or increases, along with the lethargy.
A rash with itching of the hands, arms, and feet is often seen after the main symptoms have passed. This signals an ending of the disease.
If the platelets drop, bleeding can occur from the nose, gums, and may be seen in the urine or stool. If this occurs, hospital supervision is recommended.

As you can see the symptoms can be, and often are, similar to influenza, typhoid, and chikungunya (another disease which is spreading around Bali). A blood test is recommended to check the platelets (thrombocytes) which are lowered to varying degrees in all cases, and to test specifically for dengue fever antibodies. The dengue fever virus attacks the thrombocytes in the blood which help blood to clot if an injury occurs. Dengue fever becomes a concern when haemorrhaging starts to occur, a condition known as dengue haemorrhagic fever.

Holistic treatment is aimed at supporting the body’s immune system to take care of the disease, reducing headaches, nausea, and vomiting, encouraging platelet regeneration, and stabilizing the fever rather than suppressing it, as the fever is a necessary immune reaction. I personally advise against paracetamol or other fever suppressants if the fever is below 39.5 degrees Celsius in children. Supporting the liver and kidneys is also important as these two organs tend to be most affected in dengue.

The first step is to minimize mosquitoes in our environment. For this I opt for natural remedies to cleanse the energy in our living environment and to make it less attractive to mosquitoes. A spray can be make from boiling lemongrass in water like a tea, then adding essential oils including cinnamon, clove, vetiver, and patchouli. Buy a water spray can and spray this around the perimeter of your house, concentrating on areas with vegetation, then spray each room. Do this 3 times daily. To complement this burn mosquito incense such as neem or citronella in areas around the perimeter of your house, and inside after you spray. A body spray can be made from a similar mixture, but with a higher concentration of essential oils compared to water. Planting lemongrass and patchouli around the house also makes it a less desirable environment for mosquitoes.
Regarding prevention there have been studies in Brazil that have shown a homeopathic remedy made from the dengue fever virus – dengue fever nosode - to be effective in reducing the incidence of dengue in certain towns when administered to the whole town.

It is important to stress the need for supporting our immune systems and general energy. There is no guarantee for preventing a mosquito bite or contracting a disease. Our general health and immunity is in our own hands though, and supporting the body so it can deal with the disease in a better way is essential in times where a disease is widespread. Providing this for our children is also an essential practice and our obligation as parents.

Holistic dengue treatments focus on homeopathic medicine, herbs, nutrition, and energetic healing. Traditionally in Indonesia the guava tree (jambubiji or sotong) has been a source of medicine for dengue. The leaves and/or fruits are crushed and blended with water taken 3 times daily. Papaya leaves have also been shown to help speed up healing when crushed and blended, then the juice is strained and taken orally. These two remedies can be quite bitter, showing they are having a simultaneous action on the liver. Another folk remedy is red rice tea made by steeping organic Balinese red rice in hot water and drinking the liquid regularly.

Homeopathic treatment in dengue varies according to the symptom picture presented by each person. I have found remedies like Bryonia, Rhustox, China (Cinchona), Eupatorium perf., and Aconite effective for the main symptoms of dengue.

Maintaining vitamins is also an important part of treatment, especially vitamin C and zinc. Keeping hydrated with young coconut water, as well as plenty of fresh water, is important. A little liquid mineral supplement added to water can help to rehydrate and replenish minerals lost during the fever and if diarrhoea is part of the picture.

Energetic healing such as Reiki has a positive effect on the immune system. Good intention and care paid to someone suffering dengue is also an important part of the healing process, as is keeping a peaceful, caring environment.

Although most of the tools we need to help someone through dengue are around us, it is important to consult a medical professional if symptoms become severe, or you are unsure about what to do.

TjokGdeKerthyasa is a practitioner of homeopathic medicine and holistic health consultant based in Bali. He trained in Australia and is currently undertaking a postgraduate research project into the natural treatment of dengue fever. Any information or experiences you have had with dengue will help with this research will help, so please contact TjokGde by email: tjokmahatma@hotmail.com, or call 0815 580 66997