Chicken Pox : Causes, Treatment and Home Remedies

Chickenpox or chicken pox as in Wikipedia,is a highly contagious illness caused by primary infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV). It usually starts with vesicular skin rash mainly on the body and head rather than at the periphery and becomes itchy, raw pockmarks, which mostly heal without scarring.

Chickenpox is an airborne disease spread easily through coughing or sneezing of ill individuals or through direct contact with secretions from the rash. A person with chickenpox is infectious from one to five days before the rash appears. The contagious period continues for 4 to 5 days after the appearance of the rash, or until all lesions have crusted over. Immunocompromised patients are probably contagious during the entire period new lesions keep appearing. Crusted lesions are not contagious.It takes from 10 to 21 days after contact with an infected person for someone to develop chickenpox.

Treatment for chicken pox is directed primarily at providing relief from the symptoms, rather than actually curing the condition. Chicken pox remedies are therefore extremely popular and constitute the first line of treatment for the condition in most parts of the world.

. 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.

. 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.

. 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.

. 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.

. 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.

. 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.

. 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.

. Lukewarm water baths can be given every day to relieve itching. For better results, margosa leaves can be added to this water.

. Drink plenty of fluids to keep the body hydrated and sponge with tepid water if the fever is high.

. Application of Aloe Vera gel soothes itching on the skin and also promotes healing of the blisters.

. Boil a lot of sage leaves in a big pot and give the patient a bath in it everyday. It heals the skin quickly.


~Source:home-remedies-for-you.com~