Chicken Pox - Causes, Symptions, Remedies and Preventions

Chickenpox may start out seeming like a cold: You might have a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, and a cough. But 1 to 2 days later, the rash begins, often in bunches of spots on the chest and face. From there it can spread out quickly over the entire body - sometimes the rash is even in a person's ears and mouth. The number of pox is different for everyone. Some people get just a few bumps; others are covered from head to toe.

At first, the rash looks like pinkish dots that quickly develop a small blister on top (a blister is a bump on your skin that fills up with fluid). After about 24 to 48 hours, the fluid in the blisters gets cloudy and the blisters begin to crust over.

Chickenpox blisters show up in waves, so after some begin to crust over, a new group of spots may appear. New chickenpox usually stop appearing by the seventh day, though they may stop as early as the third day. After about a week, all the blisters should get scabs on them and start to heal. Besides the rash, someone with chickenpox might also have a stomachache, a fever, and may just not feel well.

Mix ½ tspn of Baking soda in 1 glass of water. Sponge the person with this. When soda dries on the skin it controls the itchiness and irritation.

Pure honey smeared on the scabs helps in clearing up scars.

Application of Vitamin E oil helps and has a healing effect. The scars fade away very quickly.

Chicken Pox treatment using Brown Vinegar
The use of brown vinegar is one of the most important among the several home remedies found beneficial in the treatment of chicken pox. Half a cup of this vinegar should be added to a bath of warm water. This will relieve the irritation of the skin.

Chicken Pox treatment using Oatmeal
A bath of oatmeal is considered a natural remedy for relieving the itch due to chicken pox. This bath is prepared by cooking two cups of oatmeal in two liters of water for fifteen minutes. This mixture is then put into a cloth bag, preferably cotton, and a string is tied tightly around the top. This bag is allowed to float in a tub of warm water, and swished around until the water becomes turbid. Precaution should be taken to ensure that the bag is not torn. The child with chicken pox can splash and play in the water, making sure that water goes over all the scalds, while the pouch of oatmeal can remain in the tub .

Chicken Pox treatment using Pea Water
Green pea water is another effective remedy for relieving irritation of the skin. The water in which fresh peas have been cooked can be used for this purpose.

Chicken Pox treatment using Baking Soda
Baking soda is a popular remedy to control the itching in chicken pox. Some baking soda should be put in a glass of water. The child should be sponged with this water, so that the soda dries on the skin. This will keep the child away from scratching the eruptions.

Chicken Pox treatment using Vitamin E Oil
The use of vitamin E oil is valuable in chicken pox. This oil should be rubbed on the skin. It will have a healing effect. The marks left by chicken pox will fade away by this application.

Chicken Pox treatment using Honey
The use of honey as an external application has also proved valuable in chicken pox. The skin should be smeared with honey. It will help in the healing of the disease within three days.

Chicken Pox treatment using Carrot and Coriander
A soup prepared from carrots and coriander has been found beneficial in the treatment of chicken pox. About 100 gm of carrots and 60 gm of fresh coriander should be cut into small pieces and boiled for a while. The residue should be discarded. This soup should be taken once a day

Chicken Pox treatment using Herbal Tea
A mild sedative herbal tea can also prove beneficial in the treatment of chicken pox. This tea can be prepared from any of the herbs like chamomile (babunah), basil (tulsi), marigold (zergul) and lemon balm (billilotan). A little cinnamon (dalchini), honey, and lemon may be added to this tea. 1t should be sipped slowly several times a day.

The varicella-zoster virus is spread through direct contact with a person that is infected and through the air with fluid from the rash or respiratory secretions.  An infected person can spread the virus from 5 days before the rash develops until all lesions have crusted.

Currently, the best way to prevent illness is by vaccine, which is 85% effective.

People with chicken pox should remain at home until no new lesions are forming and all present lesions have crusted. This is generally a period of four to five days for persons with a healthy immune system.

Infected persons with compromised immune systems may continue to form new lesions and remain infectious for a longer period of time.

People with shingles should cover their rash before leaving the house. Care should be taken to wash hands after touching chickenpox or shingles rashes.