Chickenpox is an exanthematous infectious disease that mainly affects children. Let's get to know it more closely by shedding light on everything there is to know about contagion and incubation but above all let's discover the most effective remedies to relieve the discomfort of the typical bubbles that it causes.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous
La chickenpox is a infectious disease which mainly affects children. Let's get to know it more closely by shedding light on everything there is to know about contagion and incubation but above all let's discover the most effective remedies to relieve discomfort of the typical bubbles it makes appear.
Index
WHAT IS THE VARICELLA
Chickenpox is a very contagious infectious disease caused by the Varicella zoster virus (VZV) which is part of the Herpesvirus family. THE children aged 5 to 10 are most frequently affected but it is obviously not excluded that the virus can be contracted sooner or later and even in adulthood.
VARICELLA SYMPTOMS
The most characteristic symptoms of chickenpox are the blisters that appear mainly on the head, face and trunk, often accompanied by fever (usually low), headache and generally feeling unwell.
Le red, itchy blisters within a day or two become watery vesicles and pustules and then, after about a week, they tend to crust drying up and falling.
The amount of bubbles varies from person to person, there can be many scattered throughout the body as only some localized in certain areas.
In summary, attention to:
• Skin rash that turns into watery blisters and pustules
• Vesicles that they tend to get annoyed
• Severe itching
• Temperature
• Headache
• Feeling generally unwell
It will be the pediatrician or the doctor to diagnose chickenpox, which is quite simple given the characteristics watery bubbles that distinguish it from other exanthematous diseases.
CONTAGION
Il contagion of chickenpox usually happens in the time frame that it goes from 5 days before to about 5 days after the appearance of the bubbles. It is therefore evident that, in particular in the first hypothesis, it is a difficult condition to avoid given that the presence of the disease has not yet emerged.
Transmission takes place by air for example if a person with chickenpox coughs or sneezes but also through direct contact with bubbles or vesicles.
As it regards instead incubation, speaking specifically of this chickenpox lasts 2 to 3 weeks.
Once the presence of chickenpox is diagnosed the affected person should stay isolated for at least 5 days from the moment the skin rash appeared.
DURATION
In the case of children the disease resolves on its own after about a week or 10 days but the course is generally longer and heavier in the case of adults.
VARICELLA IN PREGNANCY
If you have had chickenpox before pregnancy, you can rest easy as the baby will also be covered for its first few months thanks to the passage of antibodies that occurs through the placenta and then the mother's milk.
If, on the other hand, the woman has not contracted chickenpox, she should be careful to prevent the virus from passing to the fetus and may develop some problems or have complications. However, this is an event that in most cases is resolved positively.
Much also depends on when the virus appears, if before 28 weeks there is no risk of an abortion but of possible complications, albeit limited, in the development of the fetus. In the following weeks and up to the 36th week there are no complications for the future newborn except the possibility of herpes zoster developing in the first years of life. If, on the other hand, chickenpox is contracted shortly before birth or in the following days it will develop as varicella neonatale.
REMEDIES
There is no real treatment for chickenpox, but you can act with it some natural remedies for itching.
Oat bath
This technique has been known since ancient times and makes use of soothing and emollient qualities of oats on the skin, also perfect for relieving the itchiness in case of chickenpox. You need 3/4 -1a cup of oat flakes or grains of this cereal, a food processor, and a cotton bag (a cloth handkerchief to tie with a knot or using a rubber band is also fine).
Chop the oats well using a blender and then put them in the bag, making sure to close it tightly to avoid spilling. Meanwhile fill the bathtub with lukewarm water (About 35 °) and then insert the bag. It is important to squeeze it a little so as to let out a kind of milk that will spread inside the tub and that you can use simply by soaking yourself or to carry out a delicate massage on the parts that itch the most.
An oatmeal bath should last at least 15 minutes to take effect, if you do not have a bathtub you can also use the bag in the shower by spreading oat milk on the skin instead of the shower gel that you commonly use.
Read also: OAT BATH: NATURAL REMEDY FOR ITCHES, NETTLE AND PSORIASIS
Sodium bicarbonate
Baking soda it can be used diluted with water to take a bath or to perform sponging on the areas most affected by chickenpox.
Rice starch
Rice starch can also relieve itching. You can use it to make gods soothing baths with warm water or preparing a sort of "baby food" to put on the bubbles that itch the most.
Read also: RICE STARCH: PROPERTIES, USES AND WHERE TO FIND IT
Calendula
On the bubbles you can apply some marigold oil, del talc with calendula, calendula ointment or mother tincture diluted 50% with water. This plant has anti-inflammatory and soothing qualities.
Read also: CALENDULA: PROPERTIES, USES AND CONTRAINDICATIONS
Sweet almond oil
Against the irritations caused by chickenpox, emollient action offered by sweet almond oil can give relief to children who suffer from severe itching during the course of the disease.
Read also: SWEET ALMOND OIL: USES, PROPERTIES AND WHERE TO FIND IT
Vitamin C:
Increasing your vitamin C intake during chickenpox can be important for support the immune system in the fight against the virus and therefore to facilitate healing. Green light therefore to all foods that contain more.
OTHER USEFUL TIPS
Useful tips in case of chickenpox to keep in mind are:
• Keep your nails short to avoid making the situation worse by scratching
• Use neutral and delicate detergents with good inci
• To wear light and breathable clothing preferably white cotton
• To wear to go to sleep cotton gloves to avoid unpleasant worsening due to nocturnal itching
• Once the bubbles appear, it is better not to expose yourself to the sun
THE VARICELLA SPREADS LESS WITH THE SUN
Research a few years ago found out how sunlight would slow down the virus' reproduction responsible for the disease, thus limiting the onset of annoying bubbles. This was revealed by some British researchers, according to which exposure to sunlight can help hinder the spread of the virus responsible for chickenpox. A novelty that appears surprising considering that until now all experts have always held that it is necessary to stay away from the sun's rays during the illness and in the time immediately following recovery. In fact, research has highlighted how the virus, Herpes zoster, in contact with the sun is able to be transmitted with less vigor. It is no coincidence that the infectious disease that mainly affects children is much less widespread in tropical countries, where the presence of UV rays is greater than elsewhere.
Probably the sun avoids the spread when the disease is still incubating but once the bubbles appear, the advice to avoid exposure remains valid.
Read also: VARICELLA: DECREASES WITH THE SUN
VARICELLA AND FIRE OF SANT'ANTONIO
Chickenpox and Shingles are two closely related diseases. Shingles or herpes zoster is in fact caused by the childhood chickenpox virus (varicella-zoster virus). It is basically a reactivation of latent chickenpox virus infection, and this means that shingles can only occur in individuals who have already had chickenpox. The immune system is able to eliminate the virus in most places in the body, but it remains dormant in the ganglion adjacent to the spinal cord (dorsal ganglion) or in Gasser's ganglion at the base of the skull.
Read also: FIRE OF SANT'ANTONIO: WHAT IT IS, CAUSES AND REMEDIES TO GIVE RELIEF
Shingles can affect people of any age and is very contagious until scabs have formed. It is also about a much more painful and annoying disease than the classic chickenpox.
