Allerchic for Eczema and Allergy
I’d never heard of molluscum contagiosum before. That was until my eczema & allergy girl came home from school with these strange pearls like spots. She was not sick with the arrival of this nasty virus. No temperatures, tummy or bowel upset that usually heralds the arrival of a school acquired virus. She had them for about 2weeks when we had our regular pediatrician appointment. He took one look & announced, “Oh it’s just molluscum, nothing to worry about, just a bit annoying they should clear by themselves in a month or so.” I later found that people with immune disorders such as eczema & allergies usually take a lot longer to clear the virus.
So 12 months later, showing no signs of going on their merry way I started to do some research.
WHAT IS MOLLUSCUM CONTAGIOSUM OR MOLLUSCUM?
Molluscum Contagiosum is a Virus. That’s right it’s a virus & contagiosum is because it’s highly contagious. The virus enters the body through small cuts or breaks, which makes it easily transferred to someone with eczema. It can be spread from person to person in the same areas or different parts of the body. It can be spread by sharing pools, baths, toys & towels to name a few.
WHAT DOES MOLLUSCUM LOOK LIKE?
At first, the molluscum spots appeared like pimples. They then became round, pearl coloured lumps that have a white waxy core in the centre. They are usually only one to five millimetres in size. But have been recorded as being as big as two centimetres. Usually, they appear on the trunk, arms, legs & face.
OUR PEDIATRICIAN SUGGESTED TRYING LEMON MYRTLE OIL FOR MOLLUSCUM TREATMENT:
But as with any new treatment for my daughter, I was hesitant. My daughter has eczema & anaphylaxis allergies so I am always super cautious before going ahead with any new treatment. Suggested by a Doctor or not. So I did what all eczema & allergy mums do, I researched some more.
THE MOST ENCOURAGING TRIAL IN THE USE OF LEMON MYRTLE OIL FOR MOLLUSCUM WAS
A trial reporting “at the end of 21 days, there was greater than 90% reduction in the number of lesions in 9/16 children treated with lemon myrtle oil. While 0/16 children met the same criteria for improvement in the vehicle group (P < 0.05). No adverse events were reported”.
While still a small study & with the encouragement of our pediatrician I decided we really had nothing to lose.
HOW WE USED LEMON MYRTLE OIL FOR MOLLUSCUM CONTAGIOSUM TREATMENT:
After reading a study published in the May 2004 “biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy” journal which showed a topical application with 10 per cent solution of lemon myrtle essential oils reduced by 90 per cent the number of lesions of molluscum contagiosum in children studied. With my daughter’s eczema, I decided to mix a solution of 5% lemon myrtle essential oil with 95% Epaderm ointment as our carrier. You can, of course, use coconut oil, olive oil or whichever oil works well for your skin.
Even though baths are not recommended for people with Molluscum contagiosum, I decided to bath my daughter with 2% lemon myrtle oil & 98% water soluble bath oil. Please note she did bathe alone. I bathed other children first (who did & have remained molluscum free) then bathed my infected daughter.
I washed her towel and pyjamas every day, her sheets once a week. I also put Lemon Myrtle oil in the rinse cycle of the wash. She wore her Eczemawear Mittened T at night to stop her scratching them in her sleep & spreading the infection. She also had to keep her spots covered while at school, visiting family & friends.
DID IT WORK?
Well yes, it did!
For us, it was very slow, but we did get results. They were reducing but as my daughter was becoming increasingly agitated with them I decided to stop her treatment up. We also contacted a Naturopath who had success with Lemon Myrtle oil & neem oil for molluscum. Using these treatments and after a year of battling this awful virus.
WE ARE MOLLUSCUM FREE!
As you can see they have left their mark. Some of them had two “cores” which I have been told is rare. Our pediatrician did advise that she may be left with “chicken pox like” scars, but once the cores were expelled (See picture above) the wounds have started to heal. I am confident she will be left with no scar.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE USING LEMON MYRTLE OIL FOR MOLLUSCUM TREATMENT:
Always consult your healthcare professional, especially if you have eczema or allergies. Although I have not read of any adverse reactions to Lemon Myrtle oil, I highly recommend patch testing before adding it to your daily routine. I mixed up the Lemon Myrtle oil with Epaderm, tested on a patch of my daughter’s skin & left for 24hrs before proceeding. As she had no reaction I progressed.
Keep out of reach of children, store away from direct sunlight, store below 30 degrees.
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