January 20, 2011

Do's and Dont's during chicken pox

Do
  • Consult with doctor (to make sure it is chicken pox instead of mosquito bite)
  • Eat light meal (but avoid seafood as it will increase the itchiness)
  • Have a bath (do not rub down but rather dab dry with a towel after the bath so not to break the lesions an invite infection) (I don't recommend having a bath during the chicken pox. The lesions may break during bath and may leave scar)
  • Drink a lot of water (coconut, barley or anything that cools you down) (i recommend drink a lot of it during the early stage of chicken pox) (avoid water-melon, it may cause death)
  • Eat medicines according to the doctor advice (usually the chicken pox have no medicines only vitamin, paracetamol (for fever) and itching killers)
  • Wash clothes separately (to avoid infectious)
  • Wear cotton clothe
  • Take maximum rest
  • Apply the calamine lotion (given by the doctor) as soon as you get the medicine (the medicine helps dry the chicken pox faster)


Don't
  • Avoid scratching the red itchy bumps (as this can lead to bacterial infections and worse scarring)
  • Avoid contact with other people because they may get infected (better quarantine yourself)
  • Avoid having a bath using coconut water (even the rashes will be gone faster but actually the rashes is absorbed into the skin. It will be more dangerous)
  • Important to not break the lesions for whatever reason
  • [Myth] Avoid dark food (especially dark soy sauce because it will leave dark scars and may be permanent) (even if it myth, i follow it because it is true. Since childhood i avoid dark food if i got any cuts.)
  • [Myth] Avoid frying inside the house (because the bumps will come out more) (based from my experience, it is true)
  • Avoid hot place or sweating because the bumps will get itchier (some people say that the sweating helps to get it out faster but i don't recommend this as you can't stand the itchiness)

The Symptoms


In young children, the symptoms include:

  • fatigue
  • headache
  • fever

In adults, the symptoms are more severe:
  • irritability
  • headache
  • loss of appetite
  • pain in the joints
  • muscle pain
  • a higher and prolonged fever

for more information on chicken pox, you may refer here.


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