Chicken pox or varicella is a highly contagious disease caused when the varicella zoster virus infects one. The virus belongs to the herpes virus family. Children between 5-10 years are generally affected by chickenpox. This disease is very common in regions dominated by temperate climate. There is an increased incidence of the disease during the months of March through May. One varicella infection makes the person acquire lifelong immunity against the disease. If, by fluke, the patient's immune system is not able to completely defeat the virus, it may lock itself up in the skin sensory nerve cell bodies where it remains guarded from the hits of immunity. Later sometime, especially in adulthood, the virus may get released down the length of the skin nerve fiber resulting in shingles or herpes zoster.

Chickenpox consists in the formation of numerous red, fluid-filled blisters on skin that itch a lot. In course of time, the blisters burst letting out the fluid and hard crusts develop. Contact with the fluid from blisters or breathing in the air in which the patient sneezes or coughs leads to the spreading of the infection. The blisters start appearing 10-21 days after getting infected. Chickenpox vaccine either completely eradicates the disease or makes it mild. Symptoms of chickenpox are very severe in people with poor immunity power. The blisters, if become infected with bacteria due to scratching, they may lead to scarring. Fever, weakness, headache, belly ache, loss of appetite also accompany the cropping up of chickenpox rashes.

Home Remedies

1. Mix 2 spoonfuls of baking soda in a glass of lukewarm water and sponge your body with the solution. Allow the solution to dry on your body. This soothes and heals the chickenpox rashes.

2. Add margosa leaves to a bucket of warm water and bathe with that water. This relieves itching of the chickenpox rashes.

3. Pour half cup brown vinegar in to the bathtub water and soak in it for an hour. This soothes the skin irritation caused by chickenpox.

4. Use a combination of holy basil leaves, chamomile and marigold to make tea. Add 1 teaspoon honey, juice of half lemon and a pinch of cinnamon to the tea and drink daily. This will help you to combat chickenpox.

5. Dust the chickenpox rashes with talcum powder to lessen itching.

6. Steep green peas in pressure cooker. Then discard the peas and use the water to wash the chickenpox rashes. This helps in drying them up.

7. Coat the chickenpox rashes with honey. This quickens healing.

8. Application of Vitamin E oil on dry, crusty chickenpox rashes allows easy dislodging.

9. Drink a soup made from carrot and coriander. This eliminates weakness and equips you to fight against the disease.

10. Mix half cup apple cider vinegar in to warm bath water and take bath with it. This is a useful chickenpox home remedy.

11. Drink glassful lemon juice daily to deal with chickenpox effectively.

12. Boil 2 cups of oat in 2 liters water for 15 minutes. Put the cooked oat along with the water in cotton bags and seal it thorough. Dip the bag in to bath water. Take bath with this water to get fast relief from chickenpox.

13. Stay away from spicy food and consume plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

14. Take ample rest to recover fast.

Read more Home Remedies for Chickenpox. Also know useful Home Remedies for Chapped and Dry Lips. Read effective Home Remedies for Cold Sores.

To add a comment please login by clicking here