Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Preventing chickenpox
• Part 2 of 2: Preventing the spread of chicken pox
• Tips
• Warnings

Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. The symptoms are a fever and an itchy, blister-like rash. In rare cases, more serious complications can occur, including a bacterial skin infection, pneumonia, and swelling of brain tissue. Stay healthy and limit your exposure to the virus to prevent chicken pox, although vaccinations are recommended in many countries, particularly the United States, Australia, and Canada.

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Part 1 of 2: Preventing chickenpox

1. Get vaccinated against chicken pox. The vast majority of medical science is convinced that the chicken pox vaccine is the best way to prevent chicken pox. Vaccination introduces weakened viral particles into your immune system, so it shows a strong response when it comes into contact with stronger, more virulent particles. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, before the introduction of the varicella vaccine in 1995, about four million Americans became infected with chickenpox every year - currently, that's down to about 400,000 a year. The varicella vaccine is usually given to toddlers aged 12-15 months, and then again when they are 4-6 years old. Previously unvaccinated teens and adults will receive the vaccine in a series of two injections, with an interval of 1-2 months between each vaccination.
   • If you are not sure if you are already immune to chickenpox, your doctor can do a simple blood test to check if you are immune to varicella.
   • The varicella vaccine can be combined with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, also known as the MMR vaccine.
   • It is estimated that a single vaccination is 70-90% preventive against chicken pox, while a double dose is about 98% protective. If you get chicken pox after being vaccinated, it will likely be a mild form.
   • If you have had chickenpox then the varicella vaccine is not necessary because you have already built up natural immunity (resistance) to it.
   • The varicella vaccine is not approved for pregnant women, people with weakened immunity (because the vaccine can actually cause the chicken pox), and people who are allergic to gelatin or the antibiotic neomycin.
2. Keep your immune system strong. As with any viral, bacterial or fungal infection, true prevention depends on the functioning of your immune system. Your immune system is made of special white blood cells that seek out and destroy potential pathogens, but when the system is weak or does not receive enough nutrition, pathogenic microorganisms can grow and spread almost uncontrollably. So it is not surprising that the highest risk groups for most infections (including chicken pox) are babies and people with weakened immune systems. As such, it makes sense to focus on ways to boost your immune system in preventing chickenpox naturally.
   • More sleep (or better sleep), eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, avoiding refined sugars, cutting back on alcohol, quitting smoking, good hygiene, and light exercise are all proven ways to keep your immune system strong.
   • Food supplements that strengthen your immune system are: vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, echinacea and olive leaf extract.
   • People can develop a weakened immune system due to illness (cancer, diabetes, HIV infection), medical treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, steroid use, too much medication), chronic stress and poor nutrition.
3. Avoid other children and adults with chicken pox. Chickenpox is highly contagious because it spreads not only by touching the blisters, but also through the air (by coughing and sneezing), and can survive for short periods in mucus on various objects. So try to avoid as many people as possible who are infected - this is a good strategy for preventing chicken pox. Trickly, chicken pox becomes contagious up to two days before the rash appears, so it is not always clear who is infected. A mild fever is often the first sign of infection, so it may be a better indicator that your child has contracted something.
   • Keeping your child in their room (but of course providing them with enough food and drink) and thus keeping them home from school (for at least a week) is a practical way to prevent the infection from spreading to you and other children. If necessary, have the patient wear a face mask and keep nails short to help prevent the virus from spreading.
   • Generally, it takes 10-21 days after exposure to chicken pox for an infection to develop.
   • Chickenpox can also be spread through contact with the rash in people with shingles (though not air due to coughing or sneezing), as it is also caused by the varicella zoster virus.

Part 2 of 2: Preventing the spread of chicken pox

1. Disinfect your home and hands. Because chickenpox is so contagious and can survive for a short time outside the body, properly sanitize your home as a prevention when your child or another family member is infected. A good preventive approach is to regularly disinfect countertops, tables, the branches of the chairs, toys and other surfaces that may have come into contact with the infected person. Consider reserving a bathroom only for the infected person during the illness, if possible. In addition, you should disinfect your hands several times a day by washing them with regular soap, but don't overdo it with hand cleansers or antibacterial soaps as they can promote the growth of "resistant bacteria".
   • Natural household disinfectants include vinegar, lemon juice, salt water, diluted bleach and hydrogen peroxide.
   • You should also make sure that the infected person's clothes, sheets, and towels are washed regularly and thoroughly - add baking soda to the wash for a stronger cleaning power.
   • Do your best not to rub your eyes or put your fingers in your mouth after touching someone with chicken pox.
2. Let the disease run its course. Since chicken pox is not a serious disease in the vast majority of cases, allowing it to run its course is the best way to naturally become immune to the varicella zoster virus, preventing future infections. A typical chicken pox infection lasts between 5-10 days and develops through the recognizable rash, mild fever, loss of appetite, mild headache and general tiredness or malaise.
   • Once chicken pox rash appears, it goes through three stages: raised pink or red bumps (papules), which break through after a few days, fluid-filled blisters (blisters), which quickly form from the papules before breaking and leaking, and scabs that cover the broken vesicles and are completely healed within a few days.
   • The itchy rash first appears on the face, chest and back before spreading to other areas of the body.
   • As many as 300-500 blisters can form during a chicken pox infection.
3. Talk to your doctor about antivirals. In addition to preventive vaccination, antivirals are recommended for people at high risk of complications from chicken pox, or are sometimes prescribed to shorten the duration of the infection and stop it from spreading. As the name suggests, antivirals can kill viruses or prevent them from reproducing in your body. Commonly prescribed antivirals in the treatment of chicken pox include acyclovir (Zovirax), valacyclovir (Valtrex), famciclovir (Famvir), and intravenous globulin therapy (IVIG). These medications are used to counteract the severity of chickenpox symptoms, as opposed to preventing them, so they are usually given within 24 hours of the recognizable rash appearing.
   • Valacyclovir and famciclovir should only be given to adults, not children.
   • Natural antivirals that you can take as supplements are those that contain vitamin C, olive leaf extract, garlic, and oregano oil. Ask a naturopath, chiropractor, or nutritionist how you can protect yourself against chicken pox with natural antivirals.

Tips

• 15-20% of people who received a single vaccination of varicella vaccine will still get chicken pox when exposed to it. However, it is usually a much milder infection and rarely serious.
• Although the varicella vaccine is not suitable for pregnant women, an alternative injection of varicella immunoglobulin can be given to protect non-immune pregnant women from chicken pox.
• Remember, if you get chicken pox despite a vaccination, you can infect others.

Warnings

• Talk to your doctor if you or your child may have been exposed to chicken pox and not vaccinated - this is especially important when it comes to young children, pregnant women, or anyone whose immune system may be weakened.
• See a doctor immediately if you or your child has the following symptoms: skin rash accompanied by dizziness, fast heart rate, shortness of breath, loss of muscle coordination, worsening cough, vomiting, stiff neck and / or high fever (39 ° C or higher) .