Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Natural Remedies: Chicken Pox

Chicken Pox

Symptoms
§  Red, itchy rash
§  Small, liquid-filled blisters that break open and crust over
§  Fever
§  Stomach ache & loss of appetite
§  Headache
§  Dry Cough

Home Preparations & Body Cleanliness
§  STOP WEARING CONTACTS: These irritate the eyes, and may spread symptoms
§  DISINFECT ALL HOUSEHOLD ITEMS: This will help minimize the spread of the virus.

Home Remedies
§  ALOE VERA: Applied to rashes & blisters, it can soothe and promote healing.
§  LAVENDAR OIL: Relieves itching, prevents infection, cools the “burn,” and heals the skin.
§  OATMEAL BATHS & COMPRESSES: Applying oatmeal water in these forms relieves itching and helps heal the skin.
§  TEA TREE OIL: Provides nearly instant relief from itching.
§  VITAMIN E OIL: Provides relief from itching, as well as promotes healing.  This also helps drastically reduce scarring.
§  BAKING SODA: Apply baking soda & water paste on rash & blisters to sooth the itching and prevent a child to scratch at the sores.
§  HONEY: Smearing the skin with honey often speeds up the healing process bringing marked results within 3 days.
§  ECHINACEA TEA: Provides soothing relief for the patient.  Is also a great preventative tea.
§  GARGLE: Gargle with salt water to kill infection, as well as to sooth mouth blisters.

 Diet
§  AVOID: citrus & acidic foods as they can aggravate or initiate mouth blisters.
§  EAT: Soft foods that are easy to digest and won’t aggravate mouth blisters.
§  PROMOTE: lots of fluids.  Juice popsicles are a popular way to sooth mouth blisters and promote fluid intake.

Other
§  REST as much as possible.
§  DON’T TOUCH: Do not touch the infected eyes or anything that could be contaminated with bare hands.  Make sure to touch it with a disinfected cloth, tissues, or something to protect yourself.
§  WARMTH: keep your body warm, as this will help keep your energy up (instead of your body having to fight to keep you warm!).
§  SHADE YOUR EYES: The eyes are at a very weak state when experiencing chicken pox.  If exposed to 
bright light or sun, shade your eyes so as to avoid damage.
§  AVOID THE SUN: The sun can cause blisters and worse infections.
§  MEDICATION: If it is a bacterial infection, a doctor will need to prescribe medicine to clear the infection.  If it is a viral infection, it will take 2-3 weeks and must run its course.
§  SEE A DOCTOR IF: The rash hits the eyes; the rash gets very red, warm, and tender; the infection is accompanied with extreme dizziness, disorientation, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, tremors, loss of coordination, vomiting, stiff neck, or a fever over 103 degrees; if anyone is immune deficient or a child under 6 months contracts disease.


PLEASE NOTE: These are only natural home remedies that no professional has reviewed or written.  This is not to take the place of professional medical advice, it is merely to aid you at home.  If you are concerned, it is best to call your doctor and follow instructions given by him/her.

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