Chicken pox is a virus, which means your doctor will not prescribe medication to treat the disease. Unfortunately, the chicken pox rash is itchy and makes your child uncomfortable. The best that you can do is to work to ease the discomfort, using a variety of methods. The more comfortable your child is, the less likely she is to scratch the blisters, which could result in scarring. The disease typically lasts for around two weeks.
Step 1
Relieve itchiness by soaking in a warm bath. Special oatmeal add-ins can reduce the itchiness even more. Don’t feel limited to only one or two baths a day. If your child is feeling uncomfortable, you can allow him to soak in the bath every few hours. Pat dry after the bath rather than rubbing with the towel, which could irritate the skin.
Step 2
Apply calamine lotion to the spots. Avoid the face, but all other parts of the body are fair game. Use a cotton ball to dab the lotion on; don’t smear it.
Step 3
Dress your child in comfortable clothes. Tight waistbands may cut into some of the blisters, causing even more pain. Clothing should be loose.
Step 4
Prevent your child from scratching or picking at scabs. Long sleeves and pants can cover them up and prevent this. In very young children, you may need to cover the hands with gloves to prevent scratching.
Step 5
Allow for plenty of rest. Your child needs rest to heal. You can allow her to camp out on the couch with her favorite TV show or in bed with a good book.
Step 6
Serve mushy and bland food. Some children get chicken pox in the mouth and throat, which can make eating painful. Foods that are spicy, acidic or salty can irritate this, so serve foods like soup or milkshakes.
Photo Credit
- duck image by Edsweb from Fotolia.com
