Some important precautions to prevent and alleviate the symptoms of chickenpox are avoiding contact with other people, wearing a mask and not touching or scratching the wounds, as this will prevent blister marks from remaining.
Furthermore, to relieve the itching of the wounds, it is possible to apply an ice pack to the area and, if necessary, the doctor may recommend the use of an antihistamine, such as cetirizine or hydroxyzine, for example.
Chickenpox, also known as chickenpox, lasts 10 to 14 days and is an infection caused by the Varicella-Zoster virus that causes fever, malaise and various skin lesions that are very itchy, with vaccination being the best way to prevent the disease. . Learn about other symptoms of chickenpox.
Some precautions that you can take when dealing with chickenpox are:
1. Prevent infection
To prevent the transmission of the virus that causes chickenpox, it is important to take some precautions, the main ones being:
- Avoid close contact with the person with chickenpox. To do this, if it is a child, they can be cared for by a person who has already had chickenpox or, if they are at home, the siblings must leave and be cared for by another family member;
- Wear gloves to treat chickenpox blisters in children, as chickenpox is transmitted through direct contact with liquid from wounds;
- Do not touchscratching or popping chickenpox sores;
- Wear maskas chickenpox can also be caught by inhaling droplets of saliva, coughing or sneezing;
- Always keep your hands cleanwashing them with soap or rubbing alcohol, several times a day;
- Avoid going to closed environmentswith many people and little air circulation.
This care must be maintained until all chickenpox wounds dry, which is when the disease is no longer contagious. During this time, the child should stay at home and not go to school and the adult should avoid going to work or, if possible, prefer to work at home, to avoid transmitting the disease.
Vaccination is the best way to prevent the disease. In Brazil, the chickenpox vaccine is offered free of charge by the Unified Health System and is part of the tetraviral vaccine, which also protects against mumps, rubella and measles, being administered in 2 doses, the 1st of which must be taken after completing 12 months and the 2nd dose 3 months after the first. See more about the chickenpox vaccine.
2. Avoid marks
To avoid chickenpox marks, it is recommended not to scratch or burst the blisters, in addition to avoiding exposure to the sun in the place where the blisters appeared, as this will prevent the spots from remaining. Furthermore, it is important to always keep your nails short and clean and use antibacterial soap, as this helps to reduce the risk of the blister bursting if the person scratches it, in addition to preventing secondary infections.
If there are wounds on the head, you should wash your hair without rubbing the scalp and be careful when combing your hair. Furthermore, taking several cold showers a day, using 1 cup of rolled oats, without rubbing the skin, is an effective home remedy option to avoid marks.
3. Relieve itching
To relieve itching, it is interesting to apply an ice compress or cold water to the area of the blisters, as when the body feels cold on the skin, it ends up blocking the itching sensation. Other measures that can be taken to relieve chickenpox itching and reduce discomfort are:
- Taking an antihistaminesuch as cetirizine or hydroxyzine, which should be recommended by the doctor, to relieve itching;
- Apply an antiseptic solution whenever you feel your skin itch;
- Apply a soothing cream or ointmentpreferably without perfume, to relieve itching, which has calamine, menthol talc or water paste in the composition;
- Wear cotton clothespreferably.
These treatments help to calm the skin, relieving pain and controlling itching and facilitating the healing of chickenpox wounds, however, they do not combat the disease.
4. Remove chickenpox stains
Applying a little rosehip, hypogloss or aloe vera oil to your skin daily are great ways to remove small spots on the skin left by chickenpox. These products are natural and can even be used on children, as long as they are over 6 years old or with guidance from a pediatrician.
After around 2 months of daily use, the spots may be lighter, but if you cannot notice any difference, you can resort to using a cream with whitening properties, such as Suavicid, which may be recommended by your dermatologist.
Aesthetic treatments to remove chickenpox marks and stains should only be started after chickenpox is completely cured, but ideally it should be done in childhood, because otherwise the marks can become permanent and are very difficult to remove. in adult life. Some of the aesthetic treatments that may be recommended are acid peeling, dermabrasion and laser treatment.
5. Lower February
Fever is one of the classic symptoms of chickenpox, with a temperature of around 38ºC. To do this, the pediatrician may recommend the use of medications, such as Paracetamol, to reduce this symptom. It is important to take into account that the use of Aspirin is contraindicated in cases of chickenpox in children, as it can cause Reye’s syndrome, which can cause changes in the liver and brain, which can put lives at risk.
If the fever persists for more than 4 days or is higher than 38.5%, it is recommended to consult your pediatrician so that the most appropriate treatment can be initiated so that complications can be prevented.
Chickenpox care during pregnancy
Since a woman cannot be vaccinated while pregnant, if she becomes infected during pregnancy, she should immediately consult a doctor who can prescribe an injection of varicella-zoster immunoglobulin, which, when administered within 10 days of exposure, can prevent and reduce the severity of the risk of complications for the mother and baby.
In cases where a woman wants to get pregnant without these risks and does not know if she is immunized, she can undergo blood tests to find out if she has antibodies and, if not, she can take the vaccine. It is recommended that you wait up to 3 months after the second dose before trying to get pregnant. Find out more about the risks, symptoms and how to protect yourself from chickenpox during pregnancy.
Care for chickenpox in babies
If there are suspicions that the baby has chickenpox, it is necessary to consult the pediatrician, even if the symptoms are mild, and it is important to take some precautions, including:
- Help reduce itching with warm baths and chamomile lotion;
- Put gloves on the baby during the day and night so that he does not scratch the wounds;
- Let the baby rest a lot;
- Offer plenty of water so that the baby stays hydrated;
- Offer foods that are easy to swallow and digest. Soups and porridge without salt and citrus foods such as oranges, strawberries and tomatoes should be avoided as they can cause pain;
- Before the baby is 3 months old, medicines to reduce fever should not be given without first consulting a doctor.
However, the baby tends to be irritable, not hungry and cry more during the period he is sick. See more about chickenpox in babies and how to treat it.
How long does chickenpox last?
The disease lasts 10 to 14 days and the person stops transmitting when the wounds dry, around the 7th day, however, the person becomes infected at the moment of contact with the virus, but only 15 days after the symptoms that cause it appear. the disease.
The moment the person stops being contagious, that is, when the wounds are dry, the routine can be resumed. Even so, chickenpox marks should only disappear completely after 3 weeks and if any wound has been injured, it can produce scars that will remain on the skin for life.
