Home Remedies for Chickenpox

Some of the most effective home remedies for chickenpox include the use of baking soda, coriander, honey,neem leaves, oatmeal baths, Epsom salt, sandalwood essential oil, jasmine, ginger, vitamin D, and Indian lilac.

Chickenpox

Chickenpox is a virus caused by the varicella zoster virus, and usually affects people during childhood, and is typically only contracted once in a person’s life. Chickenpox manifests initially in the form of a skin rash, and then develops into specific pockmarks that can cover a large percentage of the skin area. Typically, the rash and pockmarks are limited to the body and head, but it is not uncommon for it to also affect the limbs. The rash can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, but the different treatment options you pursue can dramatically alter how long the recovery and healing process will be.

One of the most notable aspects of chickenpox is its contagious nature. For this reason, it is very important to quarantine anyone with chickenpox in order to prevent it from spreading. As mentioned earlier, this virus is typically contracted at a young age, and it is not unusual for large groups of children to contract the virus and spread it quickly.

Once the virus has been experienced, however, the body develops a tolerance to another outbreak. The exception to this is the development of shingleslater in life, which is manifested from the same varicella virus that can remain dormant in the body for decades. Throughout the world, home remedies for chickenpox exist, but below is collected some of the most popular and effective home remedies for chickenpox.

Home Remedies for Chickenpox

Baking Soda: One of the most popular remedies for chickenpox is the use of baking soda, which can be mixed with water and turned into a type of paste. This paste can be applied to the skin and then allowed to dry. The active components of baking soda reduce the itchiness and pain of the blistered skin and can help avoid excessive scratching, which extends the healing process and can lead to scarring if the pockmarks are constantly reopened.

Coriander: One of the more herbal, traditional remedies include coriander, as it can help to speed the healing process. Coriander is a very powerful herb with plenty of beneficial organic compounds. Coriander and carrot soup is often seen as a standard chickenpox remedy in many countries.

Honey: The sticky sweet nature of honey is more than just delicious. Honey is rich in natural compounds that actively reduce inflammation and irritation. Also, honey is antibacterial in nature, so it can help to protect someone suffering from chickenpox from secondary infections that often occur if people scratch at the pockmarks. You can apply honey directly to the pockmarks and then wash it off normally a few minutes later. It doesn’t take long to get honey’s beneficial effects!

Oatmeal Bath: This classic home remedy for chickenpox is one that almost everyone in the western world has heard of. The soothing nature of a bathtub filled with oatmeal and water is inexplicably ideal for reducing irritation and speeding the healing process of chickenpox. It may seem slightly strange, but this is a tried and true remedy for relief from chickenpox.

Neem Leaves: Neem leaves are often considered a cure-all in eastern cultures, and its beneficial effect on chickenpox is no exception. Making a paste of neem leaves ground in with water can be applied topically to the irritated areas, but can also be put into a bathtub and allowed to “steep”. This bathwater is ideal after the condition is improving and the scabs are falling off. It will ensure that there will be no scarring and the irritated areas will heal faster.

Epsom Salt: Filling a bathtub with water and epsom salts can successfully dry out the pockmarks and speed up the healing process. Soak in the bathtub for 20-30 minutes and then get out, but gently pat the body dry, rather than wiping, which can irritate the blisters. The Epsom salt will dry on the skin, reducing the itchiness and inflammation.

Sandalwood Essential Oil: A number of essential oils can be combined in bathwater to create a perfect chickenpox remedy, but sandalwood oil is especially effective, as it is both antiviral and antibacterial. It can be applied topically or mixed into other remedy pastes and creams. This oil will improve the health of the skin, reduce inflammation, and protect against any secondary infections that chickenpox patients are so prone to developing.

Jasmine: The flowers and leaves of the jasmine plant are commonly used to make a teaand a bath that cures chickenpox. Either steep the leaves in a teapot or a bathtub; the natural compounds found in jasmine are anti-inflammatory in nature and can provide considerable relief from the itching and irritation.

Vitamin D: Sunshine can be one of the best ways to treat chickenpox. Although this highly contagious condition usually means that people stay inside until it heals, getting a bit of sunshine and vitamin D into your skin can be essential to a quick healing process. Vitamin D is one of the most essential nutrients for the skin, so when your chickenpox starts to itch, go outside and grab some rays!

A Final Word of Warning: Although chickenpox is not traditionally dangerous, more of a nuisance, the complications that can arise from particularly serious cases are nothing to take lightly. You should always see a doctor when chickenpox is contracted, and follow their professional advice. Discuss alternative remedies in combination with those treatments, or as your sole treatment method, but be sure to be informed and observe the effects of any home remedy you try.