Chicken Pox: Stop The Itch

It’s chicken pox season and don’t I just know it. In the last three weeks both my kids have had chicken pox. The two year old coped admirably but I realise that’s down to the fact that it was a mild case unlike his sister’s. By comparison my poor 6 year was not only feverish with a cough for three days but has spots in her mouth, on her palms, around her eyes and I’m told (by my GP) in her throat. If you haven’t yet had chicken pox in your house here are some things I’ve discovered this week: More than 90% of chickenpox cases occur in children less than 12 years of age. Chickenpox blisters show up in waves over five days. This means while first blisters begin to crust, new spots appear and while the symptoms last for only a number of days, it takes around 10 – 14 days until all blisters have crusted over and your child is no longer contagious. Calpol and antihistamines help with the itching but I have been googling mum sites madly trying to find ways of coping with the itch especially at night when tiredness, and frustration inevitably has kids in tears. This is what I have found to cope with the itching and inevitable misery that chicken pox brings. 1. PoxClin – a new find that I had never heard of until now. It’s a cool mousse that contains a bioactive bacterial blocker for an effective treatment to sooth the itch, to recondition the skin and to help prevent scar tissue formation. My daughter loved it because it spreads so easily across larger areas like her back and torso and instantly cooled her skin, plus it smells of lavender. PoxClin  available over the counter at pharmacies or is £10.49 from Boots. 2. Aveeno Skin Relief Bath Treatment £3.49 from Amazon – Adding finely-ground (colloidal) oatmeal such as Aveeno really can help improve itching and the dryness of skin during Chicken Pox. It’s a brilliant find (thanks to all the mums who suggested it) and has helped enormously. And a great help when you’re giving a child a bath at 2 am to calm them down. 3. Baths in bicarbonate of Soda (a tablespoon in the bath) – really, really soothing. 4.  Calamine Cream £1.55 from Lloyds Pharmacy instead of lotion. It relieves the itching and doesn’t dry out the skin, only the spots. So have your kids had chicken pox? What did you do to help them?