Chickenpox

Chickenpox is a contagious disease caused by the Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV), also known as Human Herpes Virus 3 (HHV-3). It is usually more severe in adults and young infants (aged 5 to 9) than children. Children suffered once are unlikely to suffer again due to natural immunity that raised against the illness. Winter and spring are the most common time of the year to transmit. Chickenpox causes itching, skin irritation; scratches at the blisters can aggravate to seriousness and cause severe condition due to blisters breakage. Scratched or burst blisters can cause lifelong scars. The main concern for any individual is to minimize the itching, irritation and to resist the urge to scratch the blisters. Some most common similar viral exanthems are Measles (Rubeola), German Measles (Rubella), Fifth Disease (parvovirus B19), Mumps Virus, and Roseola (Human Herpesvirus 6).

Chickenpox virus can be spread easily and promptly from an infected person coughs, food shares, drinks, sneeze etc. One can also be infected from the fluid of a chicken pox blister. A person suffering from chickenpox can spread the virus even before they see any symptoms. Chickenpox can be easily spread from 2 to 3 days before the rashes appear until all the blisters have crusted over. People accommodating Chickenpox patients, never having suffered from it and never having had vaccine are in higher risk of getting chickenpox.

Symptoms

• Mild fever. The fever varies between 101º F to 105º F and returns to normal after the blisters disappear.
• Backache
• Headache
• Sore throat
• A rash (red spots)
• Blisters filled with fluid

Popular treatments and recommendations

• Drink plenty of liquids such as water, juice or soup, particularly during fever.
• To bring the fever down, Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be consumed but please consult your General Physician before taking it.
• Apply calamine lotion to the skin to relieve itching, keep the skin cool with compresses and lukewarm, and take oatmeal baths. Consult your General Physician before using it.
• Fill a thin cloth bag with oats, calendula flowers and baking soda and put those into the bath.  Kids may spread oat milk onto their skin and even rub the bags over the irritated areas.  Those baths will relieve the itching and calm the children.
• Rhus tox - helps especially the body ache symptoms. Sulphur, Urtica Urens, or Ledum may also be indicated depending on the symptoms.
• Boneset relieves the body ache and assists in lowering fevers.
• Burdock helps break fevers and reduces skin damage from the spots.
• Nettle strengthening tonics are exceptional skin healer.

Prevention

• Regular exercise.
• Scheduled hygiene diets.
• Children should be vaccinated, optimally at age 12 to 18 months or anytime by age 12.
• Adolescents 13 years and older who have no history of chickenpox, should receive two doses of vaccine four to eight weeks apart.
•  Re-vaccination with a booster dose to sustain immunity through adulthood is recommended because duration of immunity after vaccination is unknown.

References

• http://www.medicinenet.com/chickenpox_varicella/article.htm#2whatare
• http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/remedy/Chicken-Pox.html
• http://www.webmd.com/vaccines/chickenpox-varicella-topic-overview
• http://www.mamashealth.com/chicken.asp
• http://www.whereincity.com/medical/topic/child-health/diseases/chicken-pox-48.htm
• http://www.mullumherbals.com/childhood_diseases/chicken_pox.html
• http://www.nativeremedies.com/ailment/natural-treatments-for-chickenpox-rashes.html
• http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/229/main.html#PreventionofChickenPox(Varicella)