Simple Ways To Prevent And Cure Chickenpox
Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral disease found commonly in
children. Chicken
pox, or to give it its medical name,
varicella, is an extremely common skin condition, predominantly
affecting children. Once a child has had chicken pox, they will almost always
develop a lifelong immunity. As a consequence, 90% of all adults are immune to
the virus. Children easily catch chicken pox particularly between March and
May.
Here’s something to
know about catching chickenpox:
- Chicken pox is caused by the extremely infectious
varicella-zoster virus that is spread by droplet from a sneeze or cough or
oozing blisters of an infected person.
- Children are at their most infectious one to two days
before the onset of the rash.
- Symptoms manifest anywhere between 10 and 21 days after the
first exposure. This means, it spreads very easily particularly through
children in school.
- It remain infectious until the blisters have crusted over,
this is usually five to six days after the rash first breaks out.
Easy ways to spot
chicken pox:
Your child will likely first start showing symptoms of the
flu, which are:
-
Feeling
sick.
-
having
a high temperature.
-
suffering
from achy muscles
-
Suffering
from a headache.
-
feeling
unwell.
-
Losing
appetite
After this, the child will breakout in a spotty, blistering
rash. These spots can appear anywhere but are usually found on the face,
chest/tummy, scalp, behind the ears, arms and legs. Throughout the infection,
the spots will blister and become intensely itchy. After a few days, the
blister will scab over. After a week or two the crusted blister will fall off.
New waves can appear during the infection that is to say that the spots will be
at different stages.
Stopping the spread of
the infection:
Keeping your child at home from school or nursery is the best
course of action, whilst they suffer from chickenpox. This will stop the spread
to unaffected children they come in contact with. Try to keep your child away
from public places, as chickenpox can be particularly dangerous for new born
babies, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system.
Easing the discomfort:
While there is no simple cure for chickenpox, your child can
be made as comfortable as possible, while they ride out the infection. Here are
some things you can do:
-
Mild
painkillers such as paracetamol available over the counter in all pharmacy
stores are an ideal relief from the fever.
-
Urge
your child to avoid scratching the spots and blisters. This will avoid future
scarring. Keeping your child’s fingernails clean and short will help with this.
-
Keep
your child well hydrated.
-
Calamine
lotion or cooling gels can ease the irritation (see below for how to use)
-
Ensure
they wear loose fitting, cotton fabric to ease the urge to scratch.
Chickenpox Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention:
Early symptoms of chicken pox include Nausea, Loss of
appetite, Headache, Muscle ache. These symptoms are followed by Rash, Oral
sores, Malaise, Low grade fever.
Here is a summarized life-cycle of the pox:
Rash (10-12hours) – Small bumps – Blisters (intense itching)
– Pustules – Scabs – Appearance of spots lighter in color and disappearing
after few days.
Prevention
Here are some prevention tips that should help:
Vaccination - To help prevent chicken pox, doctors recommend
that kids receive the chickenpox vaccine when they are 12 to 15 months old, and
a booster shot at 4 to 6 years old. No child with eczema or any other skin disorder
should be vaccinated as regards to smallpox and chicken pox vax Even someone in
their family getting it can be deadly to them. No child should be vaccinated if
any member of the family has eczema or other skin disorders. Parents
of children with eczema should be notified at the onset of the disease of the
danger from vaccination contact. If a sibling of a child with atopic eczema is
vaccinated, he must be completely separated from that child for at least 21
days. Vaccination may be recommended at 2 months of age, especially for babies
from strongly allergic families.
Other prevention methods include:
-
Basic
hygiene
-
Quarantine
the infected person, healthy lifestyle for a strong immunity.
-
Keep
the child from scratching the infected areas to avoid infection by bacteria.
Treatment
These treatments will also help:
-
Cutting
and filling fingernails to prevent the child from scratching and causing scars.
-
Wearing
gloves
-
Drinking
more water to reduce dehydration.
-
Paracetamol
to control fever.
-
Measuring
body temperature periodically.
-
Applying
soothing lotion on rashes.
-
If
chicken pox has got your child itching all over, try Antimonuim crudum 6 and
Thuja occidentalis 30. One dose every 3 hours alternately, along with Bryonia
30 every other day. Those itchy red spots will be gone in no time.
Here is a list of the best home remedies for chickenpox:
-
Honey
-
Aloe vera
-
Ginger
-
Green pea
-
Oatmeal
-
Calendula
Help relieve the
child’s itchiness, fever and discomfort by:
-
Adding two cups of oatmeal to a lukewarm
bath
-
Patting (not rubbing) the body dry.
-
Putting calamine lotion on the itchy
areas (avoiding the face, especially near the eyes and the genitals).
-
Using diphenhydramine for severe
itching.
-
Giving the cold acetaminophen as needed
to help relieve pain from the sores on the skin or in the mouth (do not give
aspirin or thuprofen)
Seek medical care if
the child:
-
Has a severe cough or trouble breathing
-
Has an area of the rash that seems to be
infected: red, warm to the touch or leaking pus.
-
Is unusually drowsy or confused.
-
Seems very weak or ill.
-
Is unable to keep fluids down.
Still on the
treatment, you can use Young Living essential oils to relieve the discomfort
from chicken pox you can also add Lavender, Lemon Melaleuca & Thieves. A
solve using calamine lotion with Lavender and Melaleuca added may be applied
topically as well. Use 3 drops of each oil for each ounce of calamine. Using
Thieves products around someone with chicken pox can reduce the danger of
passing it on to others. Consider diffusing and using hand wipes. For flu-like
symptoms, a tea using 2-3 drops of lemon oil and honey in a cup of warm water
will provide calming relief. Baking soda/Lavender bath is another remedy. Add 1
cup of baking soda and 2 drops of Lavender to a warm bath tub of water. Mix
well and a small child can soak/play in it while getting relief.
Here are 9 natural home remedies for chicken pox that will help to fight symptoms and get your child back on his feet fast:
-
Use
of neem leaves is a good remedy.
-
Sunshine
helps in treating chickenpox.
-
Epsom
salt reduces itchiness and inflammation.
-
Honey
helps to reduce inflammation and irritation.
-
Use
of baking soda mixed with water is a lso a good remedy.
-
Coriander
and carrot soup aids in treating chickenpox too.
-
Jasmine
flowers and leaves provide relief from itching.
-
Oatmeal
bath reduce irritation and speeds the healing process.
-
Sandalwood
essential oil improves the skin and protects against infections.
Here are some essential oil remedies for chicken pox for infants, toddlers, and
children:
-
Lavender
-
Melaleuca
-
Chamomile
Usage:
-
Add
5-10 drops each of German Chamomile, Melaleuca and Lavender to 1oz Calamine
lotion. Mix well and apply twice daily over affected areas.
-
Diffuse
antiviral oil periodically throughout the day.
-
Bathing
relieves the itching. Add 2 drops of Lavender with 1 cup of baking soda.
-
Thieves oil, add 20 drops of Thieves oil to
2tbsp calamine lotion and dab on spots.
You can also use essential oil. Here are the Steps on how to use essential
oil blend:
¼ cup distilled witch hazel lotion - astringent
¼ cup of aloe vera gel – anti inflammatory
7 drops of lemon essential oil – anti bacterial, astringent,
anti-inflammatory.
20 drops of lavender essential oils – anti microbial, anti
bacterial
7 drops of bergamot essential oils – anti-puritie,
antibacterial, anti-inflammatry.
3 drops of perpermint essential oil – anti-infllamory,
antiviral, astringent, antibacterial.
1tbsp of honey – antibacterial, anti-inflammatory.
Mix the essential oils with the honey in a lass bowl, add the
aloe vera gel. Add the witch hazel and make sure it is all mixed properly. Pour
into a spray bottle with a relatively fine nozzle. You don’t need to use all
the essential oils listed in the above spray. It can be overwhelming when you
see a recipe with lots of essential oils. Follow the dilution guide to make
sure that you use essential oils and dilutions that are suitable for your
child’s age.
You can also soothe
and heal chickenpox, naturally, with witch hazel, jojoba oil & Aloe Vera.
Use this quantity:
Tea tree oil-10 drops
Bergamot-10 drops
chamomile-10 drops
lavender-10 drops
sandalwood-10 drops
geranium-5 drops
clove-5 drops
witch hazel-2tbspn
jojoba/olive oil/other oil-1/2g
aloe vere-1/4g
So, here’s how you can get rid of Chickenpox using
nature’s gift:
Honey: contains many antibacterial
substances that play an important role in the treatment of chicken pox. It is
also a very popular ingredient for every household so you may not have difficulties
finding honey. Honey will reduce the itchiness caused by chickenpox and
eliminate blisters at the same time. You can use raw honey directly on the skin
area which chickenpox affects several times on a daily basis. Honey is always
an excellent remedy against diseases caused by virus such as chickenpox and
allergies.
Epsom salt: with anti-inflammatory property,
epsom salt is one of the best home remedies for chickenpox. The amount of
magnesium and sulfate which are present in Epsom salt is very helpful to
support you in getting rid of the itchiness and irritation triggered by
chickenpox. In addition, it prevents the growth of the virus inside the body
and you will get rid of chickenpox naturally after a short time.
- prepare two cups of Epsom salt.
Pour them into warm water; put your body inside the mixture
in 15-20 minutes. Or take a shower with it, then use a soft and clean towel to
you’re your body dry. Remember not to use the towel too hard on the skin.
Epsom salt is extremely effective for diseases with rash
symptoms such as shingles.
Baking soda: you can actually speed up the
treatment of chickenpox with the help of baking soda. It is available in almost
every kitchen and you do not need to spend much time on preparing this home
remedy for chickenpox.
You should use only half a spoon of baking soda. It should be
mixed with a cup of water. A cotton ball can be soaked in the mixture if
possible to get the best results.
Brown vinegar: The health benefits of brown
vinegar are even known long before its cooking advantages. The acetic acid of
brown vinegar can stop the development of virus and eliminate it quickly.
Besides, it will eradicate the blisters and prevent the appearance of scars
after the treatment of chickenpox.
Mix brown vinegar and warm water with the ration 1:2. The
mixture should be mixed with your bath water.
Sandalwood oil: natural oil whose properties are
similar to those of tea tree oil is sandalwood oil. It has many antiviral and antibacterial
substances that are needed in the treatment of chickenpox. If applied directly
on the skin, sandalwood oil can prevent inflammation as well. But to maximize
the benefits, you should use sandalwood oil with turmeric powder.
Mix 3-5 drops of sandalwood oil with a spoon of turmeric
powder. The mixture should be applied over the skin carefully. Remember not to
touch the blisters too hard.
Green pea: is one of the excellent home
remedies for chicke pox because it can help sufferers overcome the most severe
symptoms of this disease. The itchiness triggered by chickenpox can be wiped
out easily after several times of applying green peas.
200g of green peas should be mixed with water. Boil the
mixture after that. When the pea become softer, the mixtures should be drained.
After the mixture is cool, have the body soaked in this mixture in order to
alleviate all the irritations you have to suffer from.
Here’s a powerful anti-scar remedy. This prevents scars from forming & may even reduce the appearance of old scars. It is especially effective if you’re suffering from chicken pox or shingles.
Here is what you
need to make it:
¼ cup of warm
coconut oil - Coconut oil is super soothing and its medium chain fatty acids
make it a powerful, natural antiviral.
1tbspn castor
oil - Castor oil has been used for millennia to heal scars and prevent the
formation of scar tissue.
500mg vitamin E
oil - Vitamin E helps prevent
the formation of scar tissue.
How to apply:
a) First, warm
the coconut oil until it’s a liquid.
b) Mix 1 Tbsp of
500mg Vitamin E Oil, Castor Oil & 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil in a
small container.
c) Mix together
and apply generously to the affected areas 2 to 3 times per day.
Trust
me, if you diligently follow these steps, you will have no issues with
chickenpox and your kids!
thanks for this! I have a daughter with chickenpox and I really hope this helps!!
ReplyDeleteVery helpful I must say!!
ReplyDeleteMy little bro had chickenpox when he was little and Epsom salt has really been helpful!!
ReplyDeletePlease, I need a post on how to permanently get rid of chickenpox from the family.. All my kids have had chickenpox at one point or the other, I'm scared cause I dunno where they inherited it from, my husband and I never had it.
ReplyDeleteMy next baby is almost due and I don't want it to have chickenpox too... I can't go through the experience one more time.
Thanks!