Chicken pox is caused by a herpes virus Varicella zoster. It shows up on the body in the form of red blotches that cover the skin. These blotches turn into pimples, enlarged blisters and then dry up into scabs. Most Americans contract this disease before they get into high school.
The most difficult part of having this condition is not the ugliness of the spots, but how much they itch. Soothing itching skin without scratching is the main goal. However, it’s a difficult one to achieve.
Below are a few solutions that will aid anyone battling the pox. Be sure to try more than one in order to see what works best for you or your child.
Arm & Hammer Baking Soda. Dissolve one cup of this soda into a bathtub filled with warm water and soak. It will relieve itching skin.
Cheerios. You can create your own anti-itch powder using Cheerios cereal. Just pour two cups of this cereal into a blender and blend into a fine powder. Pour this powder into a warm bath and soak. The oatmeal in it is what will soothe your itchy skin. (Warning: Be sure to cover the bath drain with a mesh covering in order to avoid clogging-up your tub.)
Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel. Use this Gel as a body wash as your shower. The analgesic properties in it will attack any itch. It will also help you smell fresh.
Kingsford’s Corn Starch and Johnson’s Baby Oil. Mix baby oil, corn starch and a little water to make a paste. Then, apply this goo to the areas on your body that itch. It’s one way to focus on the most irritating areas of your body without a full submersion into some type of concoction.
Phillips’s Milk of Magnesia or Calamine Lotion. Use a cotton ball to apply this lotion to soothe chicken pox.
Quaker Oats and L’eggs Sheer Energy Panty Hose. Make an oatmeal anti-itch bath using these two products. Pour one cup of Quaker Oats into a blender and blend into a powder. Transfer it into the cut off foot of a clean pair of L’eggs Sheer Energy Panty Hose. Then tie a knot. Hang it under the spigot of a bathtub and run warm water. Soak in it for thirty-minutes and your itch will go away.
Wash Cloth and Ice-cubes. One way to stop itching is to keep cool. Sweat and heat irritate chicken pox. Make a handy dandy compress with a soft wash cloth and ice-cubes and apply to the hot areas of your body.
Did you know?
* The chicken pox vaccine doesn’t always prevent the disease. However, it does lessen its severity.
* If you get chicken pox as an adult, your symptoms will be more painful.
* Children who take aspirin while having chicken pox can develop a rare disease called Reye Syndrome. It attacks the liver and brain leading to death. One sign that a child has it is diarrhea and breathing difficulty.
