Chicken Pox

It is a highly contagious and acute ailment that affects children between the age of 1-10 years. Quite often it is mistaken for measles due to its apparent, though not actual, resemblance to measles. It is caused by a virus and, at the onset stage, there is pain and aching in legs and back with some feveresh tendency, chill, whereafter small red papules appear on the skin, particularly on chest and back. The eruptions may appear on the forehead also. The red pimples get filled up with clear liquid and are called 'Vesicles' which either dry up, shrivel or suppurate after 2-3 days, when drown crusts appear thereon. The patient should not be allowed to scratch the vesicles otherwise fluid might engulf and infect the surrounding unaffected areas.

Causes and Symptoms

It is caused by a virus. Some of the symptoms are

• Slight feverishness

• Pain in the back and legs.

• Feeling of chill

• Small red pappules appear on the back and chest and may be on the forehead.

The vesicles filled with a clear liquid but after few days they either shrivel up with a brown crust appearing on them. The eruptions last several days.

Ayurvedic Home Remedies

• There is hardly any need to give any medicine as the crisis period abates and passes off without any complications, within 5-7 days or even less or more but a big scar is left behind. The patient is rendered extremely weak and prostrated.

• Medicine, as follows may be given simply to ward off chances of any serious infection. Give Swaran makhshika Bhasma 125mg with decoction of Kachnar tree's bark - a dose each in the morning and evening, during first week. Elady arishta (20ml mixed with water) may be taken after meals.

• During the II week give Indukala vati (125mg) with water in the morning and evening. Turmeric powder (Haridra powder) one grain, should be given with juice of bitter gourd (Karela) leaves, at noon and in the evening.

• Diet should be near normal, excepting ghee, oils, spices, salt (or low salt), chillies, meat and fish. Foods, which are not easy-to-digest, ought to be avoided. Mild laxatives, as suggested earlier, may be given to keep bowel movement in order but no purgatives should be given. Observe and practise personal hygiene.