Effective Herbal Remedies For Chikungunya

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted by Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. While there is no definitive cure in modern medicine for Chikungunya, pain killers and anti-fever drugs are generally being used to treat this disease.

Caution is needed

Transmitted by the bite of a mosquito as a viral infection in our body, Chikungunya is one disease that has no found no sure-shot medication for its treatment or even a vaccination for its prevention, till date. It is for this reason some extra precaution is needed for saving from the ailment of Chikungunya.

Holistic Recovery is the Aim!

The same species of mosquitoes carrying this particular disease are also known to transmit dengue and yellow fever, and therefore it is always recommended to be vigilant and to stay protected from the possible mosquito bites, especially during the rainy season or for those living in coastal areas. However, once inflicted with its symptoms, there’s not much one can really do but try to make sure the symptoms do not aggravate. Let’s have a look at some of the effective home remedies to ward of the symptoms and experience a speedy, holistic recovery.

Effective Herbal Remedies for Chikungunya

Herbal remedies are most sought after in combating this disease. Some helpful ones are given below:

• Wrap made of garlic paste or clove oil on painful joints for pain relief could be of help. You could make a fine paste of garlic and pepper and apply the ointment on the knees to ease out the pain. Garlic in general has some great medicinal properties, and as such also should be used in our daily diet. In this particular paste, however, some clove oil may also be used in place of garlic. Moreover the Stew Peppers, rich in capsaicin, an anti-inflammatory agent, helps in treating chikungunya.
• Mix some Neem leaves and Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) in lukewarm and this water may be used for bathing water daily. Taking a nice long bath using Epsom salt in some lukewarm water along with some neem leaves really helps wash down and ease out the pain resulting from this disease.
• Seedless, dry grapes taken with cow’s milk give relief from the severe symptoms.
• Raw carrots help increase the immunity of Chikungunya patients and protect them from complications like joint pains. Inflicted or not, we should try and consume as much raw carrots as possible. This helps in boosting our immune systems and helps to prevent any further increase in the symptoms of Chikungunya, if any, in our body.
• Tulsi leaves given to chikungunya patients help considerably to reduce fever and as well increase the immunity.
• Consumption of fresh coconut water also helps in a speedy recovery of the patients inflicted with the symptoms of this disease. This is mainly because as the coconut water detoxifies the liver where the chikungunya virus reproduces and thus aids in early rescue from the distressing signs and symptoms of the malady.
• Turmeric, the ultimate healing herb, also has some amazing benefits to offer when it comes to relieving the symptoms of Chikungunya. Add some turmeric to your diet and see the wonders it does. The presence of Curcumin in turmeric acts as a strong antioxidant and helps drain out all the adverse effects of this virus from our body, and makes it most immune from inside. It also definitely acts against the inflammation. Turmeric milk is a good remedy as turmeric contains curcumin, an antioxidant, which displays anti-inflammatory attributes.
• Ginger also helps relieve inflammation as it duplicates the action of the common Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) minus the harmful effects. This is because the Ginger herb is an excellent anti-inflammatory herb that helps curb the swelling of our joint resulting from Chikungunya virus. It is also a great pain killer and aids in subsiding the pain element from our joints.

Do These Herbal Remedies Help?

All of these suggestions of Herbal remedies help address the major health concerns revolving around the Chikungunya virus.  Remember – prevention is definitely better than cure. But in this case there is no guaranteed cure. Observe the symptoms and prevent them from growing any further and causing serious harm to your body. The symptoms might appear ten to twelve days after the bite, but once they do, it is easy to spot them and to start working towards eliminating the same.

Watch Video: 8 Best Ayurveda Health Benefits of Turmeric for Health & Beauty

About the Author:

Dr Sonica Krishan is Author and Speaker in the areas of Healthy and Joyous Living through Ayurveda, Meditation, Yoga and other Contemplative practices. She is a leading Ayurveda Professional in India. She is also Health Writer, Columnist, Editor, Ayurveda Consultant and Holistic Healing Coach. Dr Sonica is open for National as well as International Collaborations with interested people / institutions in fields of Ayurveda, Meditation and Yoga.