Chickenpox is a disease more commonly affecting children, teens, and young adults. Nowadays, it’s not that common anymore due to our highly advanced medical technology. But, adults are now being targeted by the said disease and according to hearsay, having the condition while you’re an adult is much more dangerous if you’ve had it as a kid. Another thing we should not disregard is the Chickenpox itch; something that most of us still can’t bear even if we’re adults.
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Why is it more dangerous for adults?
When children and young people have it, it’s plainly just ‘ole chickenpox – unlike for adults. Actually, the fact to that would be still be put to hold. Some experts however, speculate that the reason is in the differences between the immune systems of adults and children. Children’s immune systems are stacked and dominated by phagocytes. It is responsible in engulfing any foreign material and bacteria it encounters. Adult immune systems however, contain more antibodies. They attack microbial invaders not necessarily eliminating them. The thought is that phagocytes eliminate bacteria by engulfing them – making them disabled while in adults, its just attacking which doesn’t have the guarantee that they’ll be long gone.
Since it is a viral disease, we don’t really need anything to cure it. It can go off naturally and with few medications. However, the chickenpox itch can be quite unbearable – especially for youngsters. You can go and find medical treatment for it but you can also have the peace of mind that you won’t be leaving the house anymore to treat it – you can use everyday household things you will surely find in your home to relieve the chickenpox itch.
So here are some natural ways on how to ease the discomfort of having chickenpox itch:
Baking Soda Bath
Even in these scenarios, baking soda is key. By adding 5 tablespoons of baking soda to your bath, it can temporarily alleviate the itchiness of the blisters. If you want a stronger mixture, you can add up to 2 cups of baking powder. Soak on it for a couple of minutes and you’ll be all good. Remember though that it will allow you to feel comfortable for a couple of hours to a few days; the itchiness will come back so you might need to do this more often.
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Calamine Lotion
This pink-colored lotion is the more widely used topical treatment to relieve the itch. Direct application to the rash – works like magic, the itchiness will be gone, at least for a couple of minutes. You can do this in combination with other relieve techniques in this. Or, you can actually apply it after taking a bath so that you’re sure that the chickenpox aftermath won’t be anywhere near you.
Cool/Cold Compress
When the blisters begin to break, behold as the itch will slowly crawl all throughout your body. Applying cool compress is the cheapest way to go. You don’t have to buy anything, you don’t need extra effort to get some ingredients, you can do this in the comfort of your own home! Wet a smooth piece of cloth with cool water and place it on top of the affected area. If you have multiple areas, make sure to properly wash the cloth first before applying it in different parts of your body.
Antihistamine
If applying calamine lotion is quite troublesome for you, just take an antihistamine pill and the itch will be gone. Although antihistamine is used for allergic reactions, it can be used to relieve the itch-sensation as well; it’s effectivity lasts longer than the pink lotion, though.
Oatmeal Bath
Who said oatmeal is just for people who are under a dietary plan? Grind a cup of oatmeal into fine powder and add it to bath water. You can also place it in a sock and run water to it to avoid being covered by the flakes. Once done, you can shower with it and you will notice the change in the itchiness within a few minutes.
Baking Soda Paste
1 teaspoon of baking soda to 1 teaspoon of water. It would create a paste that can be used like a lotion. Apply it directly to the rash and the properties of the solution will stop the itch. This can be an alternative if you don’t have lotion to apply to the itch location.
Chickenpox also comes with fever. To reduce the fever you can take acetaminophen. A caution is given to not take aspirin as it can have side-effects that would cause worse scenarios for people with chickenpox.
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The duration of having this illness is usually 2-3 weeks. So after that, you can go back to your normal life and do the stuff that you enjoy most without scratching your skin off. But until then, it’s a good idea to read articles like this one to take your mind of the chickenpox itch.
