How to Treat Chickenpox at Home
Keep your child home from school., Stay hydrated., Eat soft foods that are easily digestible., Boost the immune system with vitamin C. Because chickenpox is a viral infection, strengthening your child’s immune system can help to fight the infection...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Keep your child home from school.
When your child gets chickenpox, she can very easily pass it on to other children who have not yet had illness and have not gotten vaccinated against it.
Because of this, it is very important to keep your child at home.
It is also important that your child gets plenty of rest so that she can recover more quickly.
Put on your child’s favorite movie and keep her on the couch or in bed if you can.Keep your child at home for at least five days once the first spots form.
You should also monitor the spots–once they dry out, your child can go back to school.
This process might take longer than five days. -
Step 2: Stay hydrated.
It is important to make sure that your child drinks plenty of liquids, particularly if she has a fever or is feeling ill.
Drinking lots of water can flush out her system and help new cells to grow.
Drinking lots of liquids can also help to keep her skin hydrated, which will reduce the amount of itchiness she feels and heal chickenpox scars.
Try to get your child to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day.
If your child does not want to drink plain water, you can give her fruit juices and other cool beverages. , Sadly, chickenpox blisters can also form inside the throat.
If this happens, you child will have a hard time swallowing.
Because of this, you will need to feed your child soft foods that are easy on the throat and on the tummy.
It is also important to feed your child easily-digestible food because digesting complex foods can take up the energy her body needs to heal itself.
Soft foods include:
Soups: classic chicken noodle soup can help soothe the throat, while carrot coriander soup is known to fight infection.
Ice cream, popsicles, and frozen yogurt.
Yogurt, pudding, and cottage cheese.
Soft bread.
Avoid spicy foods, as they can make the blisters feel worse. , Vitamin C will help your child’s body attack the virus and kill it.
Make sure that you child is getting enough vitamin C by giving her foods like:
Citrus like oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines.
Other fruits like kiwis, strawberries, and papaya.
Vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and kale. , Herbal teas can help to soothe any throat blisters that have formed.
They can also help your child to fall asleep despite being in great discomfort, and will help to keep her hydrated.
Make sure to cool the tea down a bit before giving it to your child or else she may burn herself.
You can also add honey, which will give the tea some taste and speed up your child’s recovery.
Good teas to give your child include:
Chamomile tea.
Peppermint tea.
Holy basil tea. , Taking cold showers can help to soothe your child’s itchy skin while also making her more comfortable if she is feeling ill.
You can also run a warm shower or bath for your child if she doesn’t like the cold water.However, do not let your child take hot showers, as exposure to hot water can dry out her skin and make the itchiness caused by chickenpox worse. , While this might sound odd, it is important to cut your child’s nails so that she cannot do damage to the blisters if she scratches them.
While she should be kept from scratching the blisters as much as possible, cutting her nails will ensure that she does not break them open.
When blisters get scratched open, they are much more likely to become infected.If your infant gets chickenpox, put mittens on him or her to keep from scratching at the blisters. , If your child is in serious discomfort, you can rub ice cubes on the itchy blisters to bring her some relief.
The ice helps to numb the area so that the swelling and itchiness subside.
Gently massage the itchy area with ice cube for about 10 minutes. , Calamine lotion is a salve that you can put on your child’s blisters.
It is a good idea to have your child take a bath before putting the lotion on.
The lotion has a cooling effect that can make the blisters much more tolerable and will help your child get to sleep at night.Put a little dollop of the lotion on each of her blisters and rub it in gently. , Acetaminophen is a painkiller and fever reducer.
It can temporary increase relieve your child of the uncomfortable side effects that go along with chickenpox, like fever and lack of appetite.
However, you should always consult your doctor before giving your child any medication.
The oral dose for a child is based on the child's age and weight.
If the child is less that 12 years old the dosing is 10-15 mg/kg every 6-8 hours not to exceed
2.6g/day or 5 doses.If the child is 12 years of age or older the dosing is 40-60mg/kg/day every 6 hours not to exceed
3.75g/day or 5 doses.You can also give your child ibuprofen but never give your child aspirin. , The blisters and rash from chickenpox may cause your child some serious discomfort.
Over-the-counter antihistamines can help to relieve the itching by reducing the swelling in the blisters.
Again, talk to your doctor before giving your child antihistamines.
Some common over-the-counter antihistamines include:
Benadryl.
Allegra.
Claritin.
Zyrtec. , Another medication that can be used to treat chickenpox is acyclovir (brand name Zovirax).
This is an antiviral medication that slows the spread of the virus and lessens the symptoms, like blisters and rash, of chickenpox.
Treatment generally starts within 24 to 48 hours of when the rash appears.
You will need to get a prescription for this medication from your child’s doctor.
Acyclovir is also available as a cream.However, this medication is generally not recommended for healthy children.
For children 2 years of age and older 20 mg/kg/dose orally 4 times a day or 80mg/kg/day for 5 days.
Children over 40 kg should be given the adult dose of 800 mg 4 times a day for 5 days. -
Step 3: Eat soft foods that are easily digestible.
-
Step 4: Boost the immune system with vitamin C. Because chickenpox is a viral infection
-
Step 5: strengthening your child’s immune system can help to fight the infection and speed up recovery.
-
Step 6: Drink soothing herbal tea.
-
Step 7: Have your child take cold showers.
-
Step 8: Keep your child’s nails short to avoid breaking the skin.
-
Step 9: Rub ice cubes on the itchy spots.
-
Step 10: Rub calamine lotion on the skin.
-
Step 11: Take acetaminophen to ease the pain of chicken pox.
-
Step 12: Try taking antihistamines to relieve itchiness.
-
Step 13: Use medicated Acyclovir cream.
Detailed Guide
When your child gets chickenpox, she can very easily pass it on to other children who have not yet had illness and have not gotten vaccinated against it.
Because of this, it is very important to keep your child at home.
It is also important that your child gets plenty of rest so that she can recover more quickly.
Put on your child’s favorite movie and keep her on the couch or in bed if you can.Keep your child at home for at least five days once the first spots form.
You should also monitor the spots–once they dry out, your child can go back to school.
This process might take longer than five days.
It is important to make sure that your child drinks plenty of liquids, particularly if she has a fever or is feeling ill.
Drinking lots of water can flush out her system and help new cells to grow.
Drinking lots of liquids can also help to keep her skin hydrated, which will reduce the amount of itchiness she feels and heal chickenpox scars.
Try to get your child to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day.
If your child does not want to drink plain water, you can give her fruit juices and other cool beverages. , Sadly, chickenpox blisters can also form inside the throat.
If this happens, you child will have a hard time swallowing.
Because of this, you will need to feed your child soft foods that are easy on the throat and on the tummy.
It is also important to feed your child easily-digestible food because digesting complex foods can take up the energy her body needs to heal itself.
Soft foods include:
Soups: classic chicken noodle soup can help soothe the throat, while carrot coriander soup is known to fight infection.
Ice cream, popsicles, and frozen yogurt.
Yogurt, pudding, and cottage cheese.
Soft bread.
Avoid spicy foods, as they can make the blisters feel worse. , Vitamin C will help your child’s body attack the virus and kill it.
Make sure that you child is getting enough vitamin C by giving her foods like:
Citrus like oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines.
Other fruits like kiwis, strawberries, and papaya.
Vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and kale. , Herbal teas can help to soothe any throat blisters that have formed.
They can also help your child to fall asleep despite being in great discomfort, and will help to keep her hydrated.
Make sure to cool the tea down a bit before giving it to your child or else she may burn herself.
You can also add honey, which will give the tea some taste and speed up your child’s recovery.
Good teas to give your child include:
Chamomile tea.
Peppermint tea.
Holy basil tea. , Taking cold showers can help to soothe your child’s itchy skin while also making her more comfortable if she is feeling ill.
You can also run a warm shower or bath for your child if she doesn’t like the cold water.However, do not let your child take hot showers, as exposure to hot water can dry out her skin and make the itchiness caused by chickenpox worse. , While this might sound odd, it is important to cut your child’s nails so that she cannot do damage to the blisters if she scratches them.
While she should be kept from scratching the blisters as much as possible, cutting her nails will ensure that she does not break them open.
When blisters get scratched open, they are much more likely to become infected.If your infant gets chickenpox, put mittens on him or her to keep from scratching at the blisters. , If your child is in serious discomfort, you can rub ice cubes on the itchy blisters to bring her some relief.
The ice helps to numb the area so that the swelling and itchiness subside.
Gently massage the itchy area with ice cube for about 10 minutes. , Calamine lotion is a salve that you can put on your child’s blisters.
It is a good idea to have your child take a bath before putting the lotion on.
The lotion has a cooling effect that can make the blisters much more tolerable and will help your child get to sleep at night.Put a little dollop of the lotion on each of her blisters and rub it in gently. , Acetaminophen is a painkiller and fever reducer.
It can temporary increase relieve your child of the uncomfortable side effects that go along with chickenpox, like fever and lack of appetite.
However, you should always consult your doctor before giving your child any medication.
The oral dose for a child is based on the child's age and weight.
If the child is less that 12 years old the dosing is 10-15 mg/kg every 6-8 hours not to exceed
2.6g/day or 5 doses.If the child is 12 years of age or older the dosing is 40-60mg/kg/day every 6 hours not to exceed
3.75g/day or 5 doses.You can also give your child ibuprofen but never give your child aspirin. , The blisters and rash from chickenpox may cause your child some serious discomfort.
Over-the-counter antihistamines can help to relieve the itching by reducing the swelling in the blisters.
Again, talk to your doctor before giving your child antihistamines.
Some common over-the-counter antihistamines include:
Benadryl.
Allegra.
Claritin.
Zyrtec. , Another medication that can be used to treat chickenpox is acyclovir (brand name Zovirax).
This is an antiviral medication that slows the spread of the virus and lessens the symptoms, like blisters and rash, of chickenpox.
Treatment generally starts within 24 to 48 hours of when the rash appears.
You will need to get a prescription for this medication from your child’s doctor.
Acyclovir is also available as a cream.However, this medication is generally not recommended for healthy children.
For children 2 years of age and older 20 mg/kg/dose orally 4 times a day or 80mg/kg/day for 5 days.
Children over 40 kg should be given the adult dose of 800 mg 4 times a day for 5 days.
About the Author
Elizabeth Long
Brings years of experience writing about lifestyle and related subjects.
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