Chicken Pox Symptoms
What are the telltale chicken pox symptoms, and how can they be relieved? Here's a quick rundown.
Chicken pox is caused by a virus (herpes or varicella zoster). This virus tends to reside along the nerves under the skin and can reappear later in life. When the infection occurs in adults, it is known as shingles.
Chicken pox is common among children, mainly occurring before 12 years of age. Cases of chicken pox later than this tend to be more severe, especially in adults.
The most telling of chicken pox symptoms is a red, itchy rash. This rash typically begins on the abdomen, back, or face, and then spreads to just about every other part of the body – including the mouth, nose, ears, scalp, and genitals.
The chicken pox rash starts out with some small red bumps, which resemble pimples or insect bites. As these bumps develop, they become thin-walled blisters that contain fluid inside. In time, these blisters will break open, leaving sores and then scab over.
Other chicken pox symptoms may include a fever, sore throat, stomach discomfort, headache, or just general malaise a day or two before the rash appears. These symptoms may appear for a few days.
Usually, chicken pox runs its course routinely without any complications. So, for most cases, the focus is on doing what one can to alleviate chicken pox symptoms.
Some of the standard applications for chicken pox relief include cool compresses, baths, and lotions. But how about essential oils? Can they be used for relieving chicken pox symptoms. Absolutely. Not only can essential oils bring comfort to those suffering from chicken pox, but I am also aware of situations where they seem to hasten the whole period of illness along, minimizing scabbing and scarring.
One friend of mine successfully used the essential oils blend Thieves in combination with a lavender spray called Lavaderm as a chicken pox treatment. First, she applied the Thieves oil along with a carrier oil to her daughter three times a day for five days. This was immediately followed by spraying the affected area with Lavaderm to remove any stinging and promote healing. By the fifth day, the chicken pox were virtually gone. The amazing thing is that the chicken pox did not scab or scar. They just tended to flatten out as the Thieves oil arrested their advance.
Here are a couple of different applications that others have found helpful with chicken pox as found in the Reference Guide for Essential Oils by Connie and Alan Higley. . .
Mix 5 to 10 drops each of German chamomile and lavender to one ounce Calamine lotion and apply twice a day wherever it's needed.
Mix 10 drops lavender, 10 Roman chamomile, and 4 ounces of Calamine lotion wherever needed on the body, twice daily.
Other essential oils worth applying would be bergamot, eucalyptus, and melaleuca (Tea Tree).
Diffusing an anti-viral oil (like lemon or lemongrass) may prove helpful as well.
The effectiveness that essential oils can have with chicken pox symptoms is another reason to have therapeutic oils as part of one's family medicine cabinet.
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