With chickenpox in a child, on the first or second day of illness, rashes appear on the skin, which itch quite strongly and cause great discomfort to the baby. It is impossible to comb such a rash so as not to introduce an infection into the vesicles and not to provoke the formation of scars. That is why all parents who are faced with chickenpox in their child should focus their efforts on alleviating the condition of the baby. And for this you need to know how to get rid of itching with chickenpox and what anti-itching remedies can be used in children.
How long does the itch last
It is difficult to answer exactly how long the itching lasts during chickenpox, since the course of the disease will be different for each child. For some, bubbles appear only on the first day of infection, and new rashes no longer appear, so after 3 days the itching passes, and someone suffers from a large number of rashes that appear within a week. It turns out that the duration of itching is on average 3-7 days. Itching usually diminishes or disappears completely from the moment all the vesicles become crusted.
Care Tips
Before figuring out what to give a child with chickenpox for itching and how to reduce discomfort with ointments, gels, lotions, and other medications, parents should consider the following measures to help prevent itching and scratching of the blisters:
- The temperature and humidity in the room where the sick child is located should be comfortable. If the room is very hot, it will provoke excessive sweating and will only increase the itching of the skin.
- Clothes on the child and bedding must be made of natural materials (cotton). They must be replaced daily with clean bedding and underwear.
- The baby's nails should be cut as short as possible so that the child does not injure the vesicles and thereby intensify the inflammatory process in the skin.
- To eliminate toxins from the child's body faster, babies with chickenpox should be given more warm drinks. Drinks rich in vitamin C are especially beneficial.
- To reduce itching, the child is advised to bathe 4-6 times a day for 1-3 minutes. In this case, the water in the bath should be warm (not higher than + 38 ° C), and the use of a washcloth or detergent is prohibited. It is also not recommended to wipe the skin with rashes after a bath with a towel. It is better to wrap the baby in a cloth so that the water from the surface of the body is absorbed into it. Bathing is recommended to be avoided only in the acute period, when the child has a high body temperature.
How to relieve itching with local remedies
To treat a rash with chickenpox in children, use:
- Acyclovir. Such an antiviral drug in the form of an ointment or cream is prescribed for severe disease. The medicine acts on the pathogen of chickenpox, inhibiting its reproduction.
- Fenistil. This product in the form of a gel has a good antipruritic and local anesthetic effect. But, since the drug belongs to the group of antihistamines, it is not advised to apply it to a large area of the skin.
- Viferon. Such a medicine, produced in the form of a gel or ointment, affects viruses due to the presence of interferon in its composition. The drug reduces itching and swelling, helping the skin to heal.
- Calamine. This lotion is made from the natural substance calamine, which has properties to dry the skin, reduce itching and prevent bacteria from entering the wounds.
- PoxClean. This aloe vera hydrogel soothes the skin and helps relieve itching, and it helps the skin heal so your baby will not have scars after recovery.
- Tsindol. This zinc oxide suspension is often used to dry chicken pox, reduce itching and inflammation.
- 5% soda solution. After mixing baking soda with warm water, the product is applied to the affected skin, causing the rash to dry out and itch less.
How to calm your child
The constant itching of the chickenpox blisters greatly affects the general condition and mood of a sick baby. Because of the discomfort, the baby is capricious, often cries, does not sleep well.
For this reason, many children with chickenpox are prescribed sedatives, for example:
- Nervohel.
- Nott.
- Valerianahel.
- Naughty granules.
- Peony tincture.
- Decoctions of mint or chamomile.
- Valerian tincture.
- Edas.
- Motherwort tincture.
- Phenibut.
Before giving any of these medications to a child with chickenpox, it is worth discussing this with the pediatrician so as not to lose sight of possible contraindications. In addition, you need to start giving any sedative medicine with a small dose, observing how the child will tolerate the drug.
What to do with severe itching
If the itching bothers a child with chickenpox very much, the questions of how to help and how to alleviate the child's condition come first for parents. With very severe itching, you should contact your pediatrician and consult about taking antihistamines. The baby can be prescribed Loratadin, Zirtek, Claritin, Suprastin, Fenistil and other drugs of this group, choosing a remedy taking into account the individual characteristics of the sick child. These medications help relieve itchy skin, and some of them have an additional sedative effect.
You can learn more about chickenpox from the program of Dr. Komarovsky.
