It was Tuesday.
My elder daughter came from school very tired. She simply put off her bag and without even changing her uniform, quickly climbed on to bed.
That was never her nature. So I wondered whether it was something that has disturbed her emotionally.
After helping my younger one with her toiletry, dress change and lunch, I sat with her and poked deep in expecting something sensitive an issue that might have troubled her sister. It was a futile exercise.
My elder one had already fallen into deep sleep. She woke up after 3-4 hours and still bore a tired look. However, apart from that look everything else was fine.
This repeated again on Friday evening.
She took rest during the weekend, skipping her hobby classes. It was again quite unusual of her.
Sneezing all morning, I was right behind checking whether she took her medication for allergic rhinitis. She was so keen and had not skipped her medicines.
However, she was back on track by Monday morning.
She is underweight for her age and immune challenged too. So, I was gradually getting worried.
As far as routine went undisturbed, I controlled my anxiety. (All Mammas are over anxious after all!!!)
On Wednesday afternoon, as soon as she came home, she said: “Mamma, look I have some small spots on my chest. One of my classmates had chicken pox last week and he had come to school before total recovery. So teachers had retained him in the staff room and I had to be with him as I was late for the assembly. Is this how chicken pox starts, Mamma? I am getting frightened. Because my classmate had brown scars all over his face and hands. Another of my classmate, who shares my desk, had said all her body was itching yesterday and so she took the vaccine today.”
Oh God, poor girl, she has just completed her usual self declared vacation due to cold intolerance that triggers discomfort during early morning hours with a combination of dry cough, sneezing, running nose etc. How she would make up this term? My thoughts went thus…
With prayers, we immediately consulted our family doctor. He asked whether she has fever and body pain. He further asked whether the spots are watery blisters or reddish small ones. Whether it was itching or irritating in anyway? No; not at all. Then maybe some skin allergy; anyway let me see for myself, he advised.
At the sight of the very first spot, he certified: “Its chicken pox. There’s nothing to worry. It’s better that she got infected now; it would help boost her immunity! Now she need not worry of a chicken pox amidst public exams. It is more severe in adults than in kids. Let her have the medication and take rest. Put her on a low diet and don’t bath her until it subsides totally;” doctor advised.
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| INITIAL BLISTER |
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| WATERY BLISTER |
There were only very few spots; maybe 5 or 6; that too quite small ones. No fever, whatsoever. As for the early morning sneezing, it was already usual with her.
“Can I effectively prevent spreading by vaccinating my younger one?”
Doctor said: “Elder fellow was exposed to this and she was carrying it since few days. As she sneezed and coughed during these days, she has already spread the virus unknowingly. If the younger fellow is infected, she would show symptoms soon or within 21 days. [Incubation period for this virus is 21 days.] Same is the case with all others at home. Those who gain immunity would escape from the infection. Those who have had it earlier also may escape unless the virus is a different strain.
Usually the care takers have a severe infection. Getting vaccinated or isolated after prolonged exposure is futile.
Homeo practitioners say they have a preventive medicine; but, if you are infected the incubation period are up to 21days; you will show the symptoms within the period; even if you take the preventive Homeo medicine.
As for the vaccination, it is valid only for 6 months. No use advocating a vaccine after getting exposed. It’s costly as well, ranging from 1200-1500 INR.”
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| INITIAL REDDISH SPOT |
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| SORE LIKE BLISTER |
I continued to raise my doubts.
"Can I send the younger one to school? She has been exposed for few days, already.”
Doctor replied: “You can refrain her when she expresses any symptoms like sneezing, cold, cough, fever, headache, and vomiting or body pain. Else she should have popped blisters. Until then she can move out.
Usually others who have caught the infection would start expressing the symptoms by the time the initial diseased person returns to normalcy. By the time the first fellow recovers, has her bath and starts going to school, the younger one might succumb to the virus.
Generally it takes 10 to 14 days to express or if she builds up immunity she would escape from the infection. Let’s wait and see.”
“Should I isolate and shift her residence?” I queried.
“You have had a long exposure. Initially the virus spreads through air as the suspected person coughs and sneezes. So no use isolating yourself now. During last stage, the virus spreads through touching the lesions and the oozes.”
After buying the prescribed medicine for antivirus, I purchased some tender coconuts and went home.
I browsed and gathered all available details. I don’t know whether there is scientific truth behind all this or whether all of them are traditional home remedies. Anyway, I took the risk and followed most of the recommendations, which were effective on my daughter. Hence it inspired me to blog on the topic.
Patient was initially isolated from the moment she was identified with chicken pox. A well ventilated room that was live during morning hours, where I could always pop in was selected.
Next day she had headache and then gradually body pain set in. Blisters started popping out on the head, face, neck, upper arms, palms, back, thighs, etc.
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| LESION |
Diet went as follows.
(Nutrition experts are most welcome to rectify mistakes if any and suggest additions available. Kids always prefer variety.)
Generally an easily digestible, vegetarian diet, with lot of fiber, fruits and vegetables is recommended. Avoid all oily items, junks and fast foods.
Breakfast: Idli with sambar or coconut chutney; Bread with stew or jam or cheese.
Snack: Oats as porridge in milk; cornflakes in skimmed milk.
Tender coconut (1)
Lunch: Unpolished broken rice porridge with green gram or green peas alternated with Basmati rice mixed with green peas or carrot as a sick man’s special pulao!
Skimmed milk curd or butter milk
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| DEVELOPING RED SPOT |
Clear soup made with carrots and fresh coriander leaves or celery leaves and small onion or amaranth leaves and onion. These were spiced with black pepper, cumin, coriander, garlic and ginger.
Snack: plain fruit salad (mix of all fruits available- banana, apple, oranges, papaya, watermelon, strawberry and a chickoo)
Tender coconut (2) or a drink of protinex, pediasure or nurture (protein powder) which she disliked, but still managed.
Dinner: Aappam (fermented flour with yeast) or Nice Pathiri and vegetable curry of carrot, green peas, etc.
Snack: vegetable salad with onion, tomato, salad cucumber, capsicum and green leaves like lettuce or broccoli or Chinese cabbage.
She drank lot of water to prevent dehydration.
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| CRACKED LESION |
In 2 days, more spots got scattered all over her body, as if it is a design on a plain cloth. As the blisters became watery and big, itching set in. She couldn’t wear any dress. Now, I gave her frequent sponge baths with warm water (a bowl) mixed with baking soda (1 tbspn) and crystal salt (a handful). During first few days, this was repeated once in 1 or 2 hours and she said it lowered her itching a great lot. I also used lacto calamine lotion (with Aloe Vera) and it soothed the sores, she said. Boiling the towel after every sponge bath, with a cap- full of Dettol was also done.
The blisters appeared in series, as one batch crops, becomes water filled, forms lesions, slowly dries and leaves a scab; another would have cropped up…We can see all stages of the blister on a persons body during a week. Spot-blister-lesion-crust-scab-scar-are the different stages of the pox…As the blisters formed, she had difficulty to sleep properly and so she slept in breaks during the morning hours also. First week kept them tied to beds.
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| CRUSTS - DRYING LESIONS |
Second week made them more irritated by boredom unless engaged. Fever and itching subsides. But they are kept isolated and not permitted outdoors either. Absence from school and all activities naturally bores them. Eyes are paining for some, so reading is not easy. Neither is watching television.
So, I gave her all her toys, story books, kids’ magazines and indoor games. Kept of all her books and school materials!
After few days, she started watching television also. However, I disinfected all her toys and games by exposing them to hot sunshine hours for days repeatedly.
In 5 different crops, she totally had 140 spots, apart from those on head. Doctor said it’s a mild infection. There would be more blisters otherwise.
After two weeks, all blisters started drying and in another week all became scabs and later scars in 21-25 days. Some of the spots in the last crop didn’t develop into blisters but dried up as it popped.
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| FINAL SCAR ON SKIN |
When all fell off, by itself, she had her bath. Now the patient is ready to move outdoors. It was a month of turmoil by then…
On the 10th day after I saw blisters on my elder, my younger one had a dry cough and throat pain and was given expectorant. She opted steam inhalation for smooth breathing and gargled salt water for relief of throat pain. After 2 more days, she had a viral fever with severe body pain and was administered with antipyretic and analgesic. After 2 more days, spots were visible which popped out after one more day. From this stage, she was given anti viral medicine. She had spots inside her eyes also for which she was given an eye drops and eye ointment, to be applied @6times a day for 3 days.
On my younger child, spots were spread more uniform, covering all parts of her body from head to under her feet. The blisters were huge and some were pus filled. It was less itchy. However, she had severe fever for more than a week. The last crop took more time to crack and dry. She had about 194 spots in all. On her I tried sponge baths with water mixed with vinegar (1 cup vinegar in a bowl of water) and she was comfortable with 1 or 2 baths a day.
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| PUS FILLED BLISTER |
Apart from changing her bedspread, towels and dress materials daily and washing them with antiseptic liquid; I also ensured that they are sundried for long hours.
I gave her warm water for toiletries and used disposable paper plates and cups. When ever she was near the young one, I gave them disposable masks to cover their mouth and nose and disposed them too. Wet baby wipes or soft napkins were used to clear the blisters which broke during wake hours and these were also properly disposed.
It is said that Chicken pox spreads through air; as we sneeze or cough. Once the blisters start to crack open, they spread through touch also. Hence it is better to avoid sharing of utensils, even combs.
A Homeo medicine that soothes skin of scars completely is available. A liquid formulation for internal administration, it’s a bit bitter.
An ayurvedic cream now available under the trade name Cutis is also said to be equally effective as topical application on skin. Manufactured in India by VASU Healthcare Pvt. Ltd; an ISO 9001 company, It has a good smell and kids willingly use them. (www.vasuhealthcare.com or Helpline 0091-265-2644459)
Home remedy recommends application of an herbal paste made of neem leaves and Kasthuri manjal, variety of turmeric rhizomes, soaked and peeled overnight.
Spreading neem leaves on the bed of the patient reduces irritation and itching.
In total, kids have to be retained for a month indoors; under proper care. They take a week or two to overcome fatigue and fall back to the usual routine.
Amidst their convalescence or soon after, depending on our immunity, the caretakers also succumb to the virus…
In adults, as said, the infection is more severe; with recurrent fever, headache, body pain, and far more number of spots, sometimes big ones, that too spread all over making an ugly rather devilish a look!
It’s more aggressive on oily skin, and in parts with suntans. It is said that for some, blisters occur in mouth and food intake is hindered.
The onset of the disease has many variations, the pain or discomfort also varied with individuals and the process of healing also was different. While my elder had high extent of discomfort and was not at all feverish, my younger one was more feverish and had less itching. While the sores in my elder dried at a faster pace, it took more time in my younger.
Once the whole process of chain infection is complete in the family, its better even to paint the house and disinfect all furniture and utensils, even television remotes and keyboards!
Taken on a positive spirit, this is a real break from routine life and cleanses our system with the special diet and adequate water intake. It makes us more health conscious as well. The only disadvantage is the loss of productive work hours and man days. It’s an era of inventions. So, let’s hope better preventive mechanisms become popular soon.
