Chickenpox

Chickenpox is considered to be one of most dreaded viruses. It is highly contagious in nature and usually affects children of three to four years of age. It is not a life threatening disease if treated properly. Chickenpox generally begins with a light fever accompanied by a cold or headache. The rashes usually start 2-3 days after the person is affected by common cold or mild fever. Person affected by chickenpox at an early stage is unlikely to get the disease again in future because of the natural immunity that is developed against the disease.



Symptoms of Chickenpox

The prominent symptom of chickenpox is rash of spots that look like blisters appear all over the body.
The rashes are usually itchy in nature.
The size of the rash varies from person to person. It often varies from a size of a pencil eraser to a size of a dime.
Myalgia, nausea, fever, headache, sore throat, pain in the ears, pressure in head and swollen face are some of the other symptoms of chicken pox.
Causes of Chickenpox

Chickenpox is caused by a virus named Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV), which spreads rashes of spots all over the body.
These rashes cause skin irritation and itchiness.
Scratching at the rashes aggravates the problem and breakage of the blisters spreads more blisters and can be even more problematic.
Since it is an airborne disease, it easily spreads through coughing or sneezing of ill individuals or direct skin to skin contact with the affected person.
Though chickenpox is considered to be one of the dreaded viral infections, sometimes it resolves by itself in a week or so by taking few home remedies. Some of the home remedies are:

Personal hygiene is very important. Daily cleaning of skin with warm water helps to prevent any secondary bacterial infection.
Avoid scratching the skin because scratching can cause spreading of the rashes.
It is advisable to cut the nails short and wear gloves to avoid scratching the skin.
Neem leaves are of great help in curing the rashes. They have medicinal value in nature and gives cooling effect on the body. Soak neem leaves in water and gently rub on the affected skin.
Staying in a cold environment can help in easing the itching as heat and sweat makes it worse.
Applying anti-itching creams can protect the skin from irritation. These lotions need to be applied only on the body and not on the face.
Buttermilk and tender coconut gives a cooling effect to the body. So drinking butter milk and tender coconut at least thrice a day helps to cure the rashes.
Lying on a water bed instead of normal bed also helps to cure the rashes.
The above are some of the home remedies to cure chickenpox. To get complete cure from the chickenpox rashes, it will take a minimum of 10-14 days or even a month for some people. Prevention is better than cure. The disease can be easily prevented by a simple vaccination. Nowadays chickenpox vaccination is usually given to children when they are 1 or 2 years old. If not given in childhood, it is necessary to get the shot as soon as possible.  Get the shot and prevent chickenpox for lifetime.

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