Cure For Chicken Pox
Is There A Cure For Chicken Pox?
There are articles and advertisements which can lead one to believe there is a cure for chickenpox. At times, the word cure is used synonymously with the words treatment or prevention. Chicken pox can definitely be treated, at least to the extent the symptoms can be made less uncomfortable. Chicken pox can also be prevented, if not 100%, at least to a degree. Chicken pox is a highly contagious disease, and the best means of prevention would be not to go near to a person who has been infected. This of course is not always easy. Most children go to school and are around other children, and most children come down with the chicken pox, fortunately only once, except in very rare cases.
A Preventive Step - Chicken pox is caused by a virus, the varicella virus. A vaccine, varicella zoster immune globulin (VZIG), is effective in preventing the disease to a great extent, and also effective in modifying or lessening the symptoms if given within 4 days after exposure to the virus. The vaccine is usually administered to children who have not yet had the disease, and to babies around a year old who have not yet developed strong immune systems. Although a vaccination can be quite effective it is not a cure for chicken pox, but rather a preventive measure.
The Real Cure - Once the virus has taken hold and has begun to multiply, the only real cure for chicken pox is time. After the disease has run its course, the symptoms will disappear. The virus does not completely disappear however, but can remain in the body in a more or less dormant state, possibly to emerge later in a somewhat altered state, causing shingles, usually in older adults. The varicella virus rarely causes a second outbreak of chicken pox, the first encounter with the disease having created an immunity to the disease.
Once a person has become exposed to the disease, it may be 2 weeks before any symptoms are noticed. As noted before, if a vaccine is administered either before a person has become exposed, or within 4 days after exposure, the vaccine may be effective. But a vaccine administered later than that will usually have little if any effect.
Helpful Home Remedies – Various treatments to alleviate the symptoms of chicken pox are sometimes referred to as cures. Most of these cures are designed to relieve itching, or prevent scarring, but in general are provided to make life more bearable for the chicken pox victim. A solution of oatmeal in water is one well-known remedy for relieving itching, and a baking soda and water solution is another. Treatments taken internally often consist of one of several herbal teas, with basil, chamomile, and lemon balm considered to be somewhat effective. In the mean time, the real cure for chicken pox, time, is slowly ticking away.
Medication Can Help - There are also medicines which may be prescribed to lessen the itching, and over the counter antihistamines as well. Often, one of the early symptoms of chicken pox is a fever. One may be tempted to take aspirin to fight the fever, but this should never be done, especially for anyone younger than 18 years old, as dangerous and potentially fatal side effects could occur, even though these side effects are fairly uncommon. Antibiotics are of no use either, as we're dealing with a virus, though they may be necessary if infection sets in as a result of scratching the blisters on the skin.
In summary, one has to rely on the passage of time as the only sure cure for the chicken pox, and devote one's energy instead to making the affected person as comfortable as possible while the symptoms are present.