Itchy red spots that turn into fluid-filled blisters, fever and a miserable child who cannot stop scratching: chickenpox is one of the best-known childhood infections. It is usually mild in children, but it can be serious in newborns, pregnant women, adults and people with weak immunity. This guide explains how chickenpox spreads and progresses, when medical help is needed, how to ease the itch, and the homeopathic medicines traditionally considered during the illness.
Chickenpox: quick answers
- What is it? A highly contagious viral infection (varicella-zoster virus) with an itchy blistering rash and fever.
- How long does it last? The incubation period is 10 to 21 days. The rash goes through spots, blisters and scabs over about a week, and children are contagious until all blisters have crusted over.
- Prevention: The varicella vaccine is safe and effective; two doses are advised. Ask your paediatrician.
- Never give: Aspirin to children with chickenpox (risk of Reye’s syndrome) and ibuprofen is best avoided; paracetamol is used for fever.
- See a doctor if: The baby is under 12 months, the patient is pregnant or has weak immunity, the blisters look infected, or there is breathing difficulty, drowsiness or a very high fever.
About chickenpox
Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus and spreads through the air by coughing and sneezing and by touching the fluid in the blisters. It is extremely contagious: nearly everyone who is not immune and is exposed to it will catch it. A person is infectious from one to two days before the rash appears until all the blisters have formed scabs.
The illness begins with mild fever, tiredness and loss of appetite, followed by an itchy rash that appears first on the chest, back and face and then spreads. Each spot goes from a red bump to a clear blister to a scab, and new crops keep appearing for three to five days, so spots of different stages are seen together. In most healthy children it is mild and resolves in 7 to 10 days.
Complications are uncommon in healthy children but include skin infection from scratching, pneumonia, inflammation of the brain, and severe disease in newborns, in adults, in pregnancy and in people with weak immune systems. The virus stays dormant in the body and can return later in life as shingles. Vaccination prevents most cases and makes the illness milder if it does occur.
Common symptoms of chickenpox
Symptoms vary from person to person. Common ones include:
- Low-grade fever, tiredness, headache and loss of appetite for a day or two
- Itchy red spots that become small fluid-filled blisters and then scabs
- Spots in different stages at the same time, on the body, face, scalp and inside the mouth
- Intense itching that makes children irritable and restless
- Sore throat, cough or mouth ulcers in some children
- New spots for 3 to 5 days, with scabbing of all blisters by about a week
Causes and risk factors of chickenpox
There is rarely a single cause. Factors that may contribute include:
- Infection with the varicella-zoster virus from contact with a person who has chickenpox, or less commonly shingles
- Being unvaccinated and not having had chickenpox before
- Spread by cough, sneeze and direct contact with blister fluid
- Higher risk of severe illness in newborns, adults, pregnant women, smokers and people with weak immunity
- Crowded settings such as schools and nurseries, where it spreads quickly
When to see a doctor
Most children recover at home, but see a doctor the same day if:
- The patient is a baby under 12 months, a pregnant woman, an adult, or has a weak immune system or is on steroids
- The blisters are red, swollen, painful, or leaking pus, or a spot becomes a large, warm, spreading area (skin infection)
- There is a fever for more than four days, or a high fever that returns after improving
- Breathing difficulty, persistent cough or chest pain
- Severe headache, stiff neck, drowsiness, confusion, unsteadiness or fits (seek urgent care)
- Blisters near the eye, or a baby with chickenpox contact in the first weeks of life
Wondering which of these medicines is right for you?
Every person with chickenpox is different, and so is the medicine that works best for them. To discover the best-suited homeopathic medicines for chickenpox for you, consult our experts. They will study your symptoms, your past treatment history and your personality, and then find the homeopathy medicines that suit you best.
Call +91 8080 850 950 for a 1:1 personal consultation with our experts today.
Homeopathic medicines for chickenpox
The medicines below are commonly considered in homeopathy for chickenpox, with the symptom picture traditionally associated with each. They are listed for general information, not as a prescription.
(1) Rhus toxicodendron: The most-used traditional medicine for chickenpox with intense itching, restlessness and discomfort in children who cannot lie still, with relief from warmth and hot bathing.
(2) Antimonium tartaricum: Large, slowly maturing pustules with drowsiness, weakness, sweating and a rattling cough, in a child who dislikes being touched or looked at.
(3) Pulsatilla nigricans: Weepy, clingy child who wants company and fresh air, with thirstlessness, late appearance of the eruption and itching worse in the evening and in warmth.
(4) Sulphur: Intensely itchy eruption that is worse from warmth and washing, with slow or incomplete eruption, red lips and a child who is hot and restless.
(5) Mercurius solubilis: Blisters that turn pustular, with offensive sweat, drooling, coated tongue and sore mouth, and symptoms worse at night.
(6) Antimonium crudum: Irritable, fretful child who does not like to be touched or looked at, with a thickly coated white tongue and crusty eruptions.
(7) Variolinum: A traditional nosode medicine used in pox-type eruptions with severe itching and aching in the back and limbs.
(8) Belladonna: Early stage with sudden high fever, flushed hot face, throbbing headache and sensitivity to light and noise.
(9) Aconite napellus: Sudden onset after exposure with dry fever, restlessness, fear and thirst, before the rash has fully appeared.
(10) Apis mellifica: Stinging, burning, swollen blisters with puffiness of the face and thirstlessness, relieved by cold applications and worse from heat.
Homeopathic treatment of chickenpox at Welling Homeopathy
These are only basic indications – many more homeopathic medicines are used for chickenpox, and the right one is chosen after detailed case-taking by an experienced doctor.
Homeopathy is offered as supportive care during chickenpox. Reliable scientific evidence that homeopathic medicines treat or prevent chickenpox is lacking. Vaccination is the proven way to prevent it, and complications need prompt medical treatment, including antiviral medicine for those at higher risk.
To find out about our care for this condition, see homeopathic care for children, contact a Welling clinic or call +91 80 80 850 950 for a consultation in person or online.
Self-care and lifestyle tips
These measures support general health and may ease symptoms, but they do not replace treatment when it is needed.
- Keep your child at home until all blisters have formed scabs, usually about five to seven days after the rash starts, and keep them away from newborns, pregnant women and people with weak immunity.
- Give paracetamol for fever and discomfort in the correct dose for age; do not give aspirin, and avoid ibuprofen unless your doctor says it is safe.
- Trim nails short and use cotton mittens at night to reduce scratching and scarring.
- Use lukewarm baths with a little baking soda or colloidal oatmeal, pat dry, and dab on calamine lotion if advised.
- Dress in loose cotton clothes and keep the room cool, since heat increases the itch.
- Offer plenty of fluids and cool, soft foods if there are mouth sores.
- Ask your doctor about varicella vaccination for children who have not had it, and for family members who are not immune.
Frequently asked questions about chickenpox
1. How long is a child with chickenpox contagious?
From one to two days before the rash appears until all the blisters have crusted over, usually about five to seven days after the rash begins.
2. How can I stop my child from scratching?
Keep nails short, use mittens at night, give lukewarm baths and apply calamine lotion. Ask your doctor about antihistamines if the itch is severe.
3. Can adults get chickenpox?
Yes, and it is often more severe in adults, with a higher risk of pneumonia and other complications. Adults who have not had chickenpox should discuss vaccination.
4. Is the chickenpox vaccine safe?
Yes. The varicella vaccine is safe and effective, usually given as two doses, and it greatly reduces the risk of severe illness and shingles.
5. Can homeopathy treat chickenpox?
Homeopathic medicines are traditionally used as supportive care during chickenpox, but reliable scientific evidence that they treat or prevent it is lacking. Vaccination and medical care for complications are essential.
6. Why should aspirin be avoided in chickenpox?
Aspirin in children with viral illnesses such as chickenpox has been linked to Reye’s syndrome, a rare but serious condition affecting the brain and liver.
7. Can you get chickenpox twice?
It is uncommon, but the virus stays in the body and can reactivate later as shingles, particularly in older adults and those with weak immunity.
Related Reading
- Best Homeopathy Doctor for Kids in Mumbai
- 10 Best Homeopathic Medicines for Treatment of Shingles (Herpes Zoster)
- 10 Best Homeopathic Medicines for Treatment of Viral Fever
- 10 Best Homeopathic Medicines for Treatment of Skin Rashes
- 10 Best Homeopathic Medicines for Recurrent Infections in Children
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- 10 Best Homeopathic Medicines for Treatment of Molluscum Contagiosum
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To consult Welling Homeopathy experts, call +91 80 80 850 950.
Disclaimer: this page is for information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Results vary from person to person.
