Can children take a bath when they have chickenpox? What are the precautions?

The older generation would not allow their children to take a bath when they found that they had chickenpox, but young parents always have some doubts in this regard. In fact, children can be bathed when they have chickenpox, but they must be careful not to use water that is too cold or too hot. Bathing with warm water can prevent the irritation of water to chickenpox. Frequent bathing can ensure skin cleanliness, keep skin dry, and prevent chickenpox from breaking, spreading or infecting.

What are the dietary taboos for chickenpox ?

(1) Avoid things that may cause hair loss. Although both chickenpox and measles are exanthematous febrile diseases, measles is more difficult to cure through thorough treatment and requires the use of exanthematous foods. For chickenpox, it is advisable to clear away heat, and avoid eating irritating foods. Eating irritating foods will increase the number and size of chickenpox, thus prolonging the course of the disease. Therefore, in the early stages of the disease, it is forbidden to eat irritating foods, such as coriander, rice wine, crucian carp, ginger, green onion, mutton, rooster, shrimp, eel, pumpkin, etc.

(2) Avoid spicy food. Like other febrile diseases, chickenpox should avoid spicy foods, as spicy foods can help produce phlegm and make the fever more serious. Spicy foods include chili peppers, chili oil, mustard, curry, garlic, leeks, fennel, cinnamon, pepper, etc.

What are the dietary taboos for chickenpox?

(3) Avoid greasy foods. Children with chickenpox often experience loss of appetite and poor digestion due to fever, so they should avoid eating greasy foods, such as fried sesame balls, chocolate cakes, twisted dough sticks, fried pork chops, fried steak, fried chicken and other greasy stomach-harming foods. These foods are difficult to digest and will increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract.

(4) Avoid hot foods. The treatment of chickenpox should focus on clearing heat and detoxifying, so foods that are hot in nature should not be taken. Such foods include dog meat, mutton, venison, sparrow meat, broad beans, garlic sprouts, leeks, longan meat, lychees, dates, corn, etc.

(5)Drug contraindications. This disease is often confused with certain herpes diseases. Once diagnosed, the use of hormonal drugs such as hydrocortisone, dexamethasone, prednisone, etc. is strictly prohibited. During the treatment of this disease, tonic and hot medicines are prohibited, such as ginseng, deer antler, aconite, fennel, cinnamon, and epimedium.

How can we better prevent the occurrence of chickenpox?

1. Strictly manage the source of infection : Respiratory tract isolation starts from the onset of the rash until all the herpes have scabbed over. All supplies and respiratory secretions should be disinfected to prevent susceptible children and pregnant women from contacting patients.

(II) Protecting susceptible groups : Vaccination can be given by intramuscular injection of varicella-zoster immune globulin (VZIG) to susceptible children and pregnant women. Live attenuated vaccines also have a preventive effect.

(III) Active immunization : The live attenuated varicella vaccine (VZV Oka strain) is the first human herpes virus vaccine approved for clinical use in many countries. In March 1995, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the live attenuated varicella vaccine for people over 12 months of age who have not had varicella. A single dose is 0.5 ml subcutaneous injection, with the first vaccination at 12 to 15 months of age and revaccination at 4 to 6 years of age. Children over 13 years of age and adults are given two injections, with an interval of 4 to 8 weeks. After one dose of vaccine, the serum antibody positivity rate exceeded 95%

(IV) Passive immunization : Varicella-zoster immune globulin (VZIG) is prepared with high-titer varicella recovery serum. It has a preventive effect if injected immediately within 4 days of contact with a varicella patient. VZIG vaccination after the rash appears will not change the course of the disease. It can be used for post-exposure prevention in high-risk susceptible groups (immunosuppressed people with no history of varicella, newborns whose mothers had varicella within 5 days before birth or within 2 days after birth).