Chicken Pox normally stays on the body for about two weeks, but people with a weak immune system may suffer for a longer duration. It is a common viral infection that is highly contagious. The virus called varicella zoster causes it. It affects both children and adults. Vaccines like varicella vaccine or an injection of varicella zoster immune globulin help to prevent it.
Chicken pox virus spreads through air (if you inhale the air next to an infected person who is sneezing or coughing) or if you have direct skin contact with the infected person or his personal things like clothes or bedding. Symptoms generally appear after 1 to 2 days in the form of tiny boils on the body that look like pimples at first. They are filled with fluid and start blistering. There is excessive itching but scratching only makes the problem worse as it bursts the blisters and spreads the infection. The burst blister causes scars. Besides this the infected person also suffers from fever, loss of appetite and general weakness.
Chicken pox infects most people once in their lifetime. The body then develops immunity to this virus and the antibodies in our system kill it before it can affect us again.
You could try the following home remedies for chicken pox:
Take two glasses of water and add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to it and mix well. Sponge the infected person with this solution. Allow this to dry on the skin, as the dried baking soda will help to control the itching and relieve the irritation.
Apple cider vinegar has strong antibacterial properties. Half cup of it added to bath water helps to control the spread of infection and sooths the skin.
Application of pure honey on the scabs helps to sooth the skin and clears the scars.
Besides this the patient should eat a healthy well balanced diet. Initially the patient can adopt a liquid diet consisting of fruit juices and soups. Then after a few days switch to light meals of fresh fruits and vegetables and then as he recovers slowly move on to a normal balanced diet.
The surroundings of the patient should be kept clean and the clothes and bed sheets washed daily with hot water and soap and a final rinse should be given in an antiseptic solution to control the spread of infection. The room should also be mopped with an antiseptic solution.
answered by M W