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Mosquitoes and malaria in India
I am travelling to Northern India this month and am worried about mosquitoes, which seem to love me. I shall, of course, be taking all the prescribed malaria precautions, but wondered if there are any natural ways to avoid being bitten in the first place?
You can use a dilute solution of essential oils to deter insect bites. These should never be applied straight on to the skin, but should be diluted first in almond oil. Use citronella, eucalyptus or lavender oils and dissolve 10-20 drops into an eggcup full of the base oil. This also enables you to mix different oil combinations. Neal’s Yard sells a calico Travel Roll, which has eight natural travel remedies - including lavender, citronella, and arnica. It costs £32.50 plus £3.25 p&p. Call 0161-831 7875 for mail order or local stockists.
I always travel with a tube of echinacea cream - which accelerates wound healing, is excellent for sun burn, and will help the puncture heal if you do get bitten. Bioforce (01294-277344) sells an echinacea cream, which also contains wild pansy to nourish damaged and traumatised skin. A 35g tube costs £3.95.
Whenever I have taken malarial tablets, I always take a homeopathic remedy to help the system cope with the onslaught. Homeopathy actually has its roots in anti-malarial treatment. The father of modern homeopathy was Samuel Christian Hahnemann, a German doctor who could not understand why herbalists prescribed quinine, an astringent substance from the bark of the cinchona tree for malaria. He could not fathom why this particular astringent seemed to work where other, more powerful ones, did not and so decided to investigate by dosing himself with quinine which, he found, produced all the symptoms of malaria.
To keep healthy during your travels, I would suggest you have a consultation before you go with a qualified homeopath, who will make what is called a constitutional diagnosis and prescribe a constitutional remedy. Mine, for instance, is Gelsemium, which I take whether I am taking malaria tablets or having dental treatment. Your remedy will further support your whole system while you are taking malaria tablets.