Our resident pharmacist explains how to ease your child’s itchy chickenpox spots.
By Rita Ghelani
If your child has chickenpox, they will more than likely struggle with itching and feel irritable and under the weather for a week or two. Our resident pharmacist Rita Ghelani offers her expert advice on managing this common but uncomfortable childhood illness:
What is chickenpox?
Chickenpox is a common illness characterised by red spots that turn into blisters, which usually affects children under the age of 10. Symptoms include an itchy rash and red spots, which develop into fluid-filled blisters, before turning into scabs and eventually dropping off.
Known medically as varicella, chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is highly contagious and spreads quickly. Scratching blisters can lead to further infections, sleepless nights and permanent scarring, but there are several over-the-counter remedies to counter the itching outbreak.
Chickenpox treatment tips
The rash that develops with chickenpox can be very uncomfortable, especially if the spots develop in sensitive areas. Treating the itching to help minimise scratching the rash will help to prevent scarring and reduce the risk of the spots getting infected.
✔️ Avoid scratching the blisters because of the risk of infection. Cut the nails short or make the patient wear gloves.
✔️ If your child is in pain or has a fever you can give them paracetamol (eg Calpol). Follow the dosage instructions provided in the leaflet.
✔️ To help ease the itching and soothe the spots, use an antihistamine such as chlorphenamine (for children aged one year and older).
✔️ Keep the patient cool because heat and sweat can make the itching worse.
✔️ Try aqueous calamine cream or calamine lotion on the spots. Aqueous calamine cream is easier to apply then calamine lotion as it has a thicker consistency.
✔️ Giving your toddler cool baths can also help relieve itching. Try using an oatmeal bath product, such as Aveeno bath oil.
✔️ After a bath pat the skin dry rather than rub, then apply aqueous calamine cream to the spots.
✔️ In attacks of chickenpox where the itching is so serious that the child’s sleep is disturbed, antihistamines such as piriton which has a sedative effect can be used.
Net Doctor