I have to laugh at the description in Where There Is No Doctor, noting that chickenpox is a “mild virus infection.”[1] Maybe I’d say it is a minor viral infection. As a child observing my 8th birthday in bed with chickenpox on a hot day in July with no AC, it was anything but mild. I was hot, itchy, and miserable.
Signs and Symptoms
Spread through respiratory droplets in the air (i.e., masks would effectively work to slow the spread of this particular disease), chickenpox is highly contagious among the unvaccinated and unexposed. It begins as a flu-like illness, including a runny nose, watery eyes, occasional sore throat, loss of appetite, and decreased energy. A low-grade fever is followed by the development of the classic rash which appears as many small, red, itchy spots about 2-3 weeks after the patient is exposed to another person who has the disease. These spots then develop into little pimples or pus-filled blisters which subsequently rupture and then scab over. They usually begin on the trunk of the body and then appear on the face, arms, and legs. The spots, blisters, and scabs may all be present at the same time. The disease usually runs its course within a week but may last as long as three weeks. Once all the spots have scabbed over, the patient is no longer contagious.[2]
In a world where the advanced medical care is difficult to obtain and one in which bioterrorism threatens, it will be critical to be able to distinguish between chickenpox and smallpox. From The Ship’s Medicine Chest and Medical Aid at Sea:
“Lesions of chickenpox typically appear in crops. Lesions of different ages are seen at the same time in a given area of the body surface. This helps to distinguish chickenpox from smallpox. In smallpox, the lesions in a given area of the body surface are of the same age and stage of development. They usually begin and are most extensive on the face and/or extremities.”[3]
Treatment
- Bathe the patient daily in cool or warm water (references are at odds on the temperature) and soap.
- To calm itching, apply poultices using the cooled water from boiled and strained oatmeal.
- Cut the fingernails very short (The patient will be very itchy and will likely scratch the blisters at some point. Cutting the fingernails will reduce the chances for infection and scarring.)
- If the scabs become infected, keep them clean.
- Apply hot, wet compresses to them and use antibiotic ointment.
- Try to prevent the patient from scratching.
- Tylenol may be administered for pain relief.[4]
- Loratidine or Benadryl may reduce itching.
- Baking soda pastes can also provide some relief.[5]
Complications
Some patients develop a lung infection with shortness of breath and cough. It can be fatal. Treatment at a hospital should be sought if possible.[6]
Herbs that have historically been used to treat chickenpox:
- Black currant (Ribes nigrum)[7]
- Dyer’s woad (isatis)[8]
- Elder (Sambucus nigra) [9]
- Ginger[10]
- Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)[11]
- Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum)[12]
- Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)[13]
- Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)[14]
The Shingles relief cream published on this site last year can also be used with chickenpox sores.
Links to related posts:
Lemon Balm Shingles Relief Cream
[1] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1992, 311.
[2] Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antivirals, 2013, 102.
[3] The Ship’s Medicine Chest and Medical Aid at Sea, 1978, 174.
[4] Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd Edition, 2017, 294.
[5] Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd Edition, 2017, 108.
[6] Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd Edition, 2017, 108.
[7] Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antivirals, 2013, 117.
[8] Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antivirals, 2013, 117, 200-01.
[9] Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antivirals, 2013, 160.
[10] Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antivirals, 2013, 172.
[11] Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antivirals, 2013, 117.
[12] Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antivirals, 2013, 117.
[13] Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antivirals, 2013, 117.
[14] Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antivirals, 2013, 117.
08.25.21
Compared to many other communicable diseases chickenpox, mumos, measles etc. are a minor issue. Most normal healthy youngsters catch them, endre them and survive them. Occasionally a child will die from or or suffer long term problems but there are a lot of much worse things to worry about in a post industrial society. I personally had all three as a child more than half century ago. Almost all of my peers had them also. We all survived and thrived. Worry about other things.
ReplyDeleteI think that is part of the problem, though. We need to learn in advance what the real causes for concern are, as opposed to what issues the government may choose to hype to control people.
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