How and what to treat chickenpox at home?

Chickenpox is a highly contagious and common disease. Most often, such an infection affects children under the age of 10-12 years, because they have an increased susceptibility to the pathogen of chickenpox. As a rule, in children, this disease is quite easy, so she is treated at home. Since virtually all parents are at risk of chickenpox, they should know how to quickly cure a child of this disease.

The causative agent of this infectious disease is the virus Varicella Zoster, which is included in the group of herpes viruses. It is transmitted from ill children to healthy babies who have not previously had chickenpox, because the illness in most cases leaves a lasting immunity.

The Varicella Zoster virus begins to stand out from the body of the sick baby into the environment at the very end incubation period (1 day before the first manifestations of the disease). Also, a child with chickenpox is contagious during the entire period of rashes and another five days after the moment the last vesicles formed on his skin.

From the moment of contact with the virus to the first manifestations of the disease, caused by the release of the pathogen into the bloodstream and skin lesions, it takes from 7 to 21 days (the average time for most children is fourteen days). This period is called incubation. It is worth noting that the virus Varicella Zoster is extremely contagious - if the child was in the same room with sick a person at least 5-10 minutes, he will become infected in 90% of cases.

Some mothers wonder how you can get sick at home, if the baby does not attend preschool institutions. It's all about the high volatility of the pathogen, provoking chicken pox. The virus is able to spread for tens of meters and may even penetrate through ventilation to other apartments in a high-rise building.

On the first day, the disease manifests itself in the same way as other viral infections. The child complains of weakness, sore throat, headaches, refuses food, does not sleep well. Soon the body temperature rises, and a rash appears on the skin, which is very itchy. She is looks like very characteristic that allows you to set the diagnosis of "chicken pox" without virological examination.

First, the skin of the child is covered with small reddish specks. After a few hours, they become convex than resemble mosquito bites. Pretty quickly inside these papules going to clear liquid and the rash becomes bubbly. After some time, a crust forms on the surface of the bubble. And when the skin heals completely, the crust disappears, leaving no traces.

Almost all children with chickenpox are treated at home. Hospitalization is indicated only in severe and atypical forms, as well as in the event of complications.

Parents need to be aware of such basic nuances of home treatment:

1. In the period of high temperature, the sick child should be in bed. To reduce the temperature, it is possible to use antipyretic agents permitted for children - paracetamol, as well as ibuprofen. It is strictly forbidden to use aspirin, because with chickenpox, this medicine can lead to serious complications.
2. Food during the acute period of infection should be given sparing, and drinking should be plentiful and warm, as with any other viral diseases. Prepare your child soups, cereals, steamed fish and meat dishes, vegetables, dairy products, fruits. Any spicy, heavy for digestion and fried foods should be avoided.
3. Bathing a child with chickenpox is not prohibited, except during a high temperature period. In this case, the water in the bathroom should not be too hot, and detergents and washcloths can not be used. In addition, after such a hygienic procedure, the skin should not be wiped with a towel, but rather wetted with a sheet.
4. Antiviral drugs for mild chickenpox do not use. If the child’s infection is more severe, the doctor will prescribe a specific treatment that inhibits virus reproduction, for example, a drug. Acyclovir in pills. The dosage and frequency of administration is determined by the doctor based on the baby’s age, weight, and the presence of other pathologies.
5. It is very important not to scratch the rash, as this increases the risk of infection of the bubbles and damage to the deeper layers of the skin (the result will be marks that can remain on the baby's skin for life). To combat itching and prevent bacteria from getting into the vesicles, they are mainly used in local preparations, for example, preparations with zinc oxide (lotion Calamine, zinc ointment, mash Tsindol), aniline dyes (fukortsin, brilliant green), gel Poxcline based on aloe vera, tea tree oil and other drugs.
6. If itching rash is very strong, you should consult with a pediatrician about the use of antihistamines inside.
7. If a rash appears on the mucous membranes, they are used in their treatment. Miramistin, furatsilina solution, herbal infusions (chamomile, calendula). Also wounds in the mouth and on the genitals can be lubricated with sea buckthorn oil or anesthetic gels (Kamistadom, Calgel).

In the next video you can see how to treat a child for chicken pox at home. But when viewing the plot, remember that no matter how good these recipes seem to you, the child must be shown to the doctor and discussed with him all possible treatment methods.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky on how to treat chicken pox, see the following video.