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Other Treatments for Chickenpox

Chickenpox is not serious in most people. Some treatments used to ease discomfort are:

  • Cool, moist compresses
  • Oatmeal or baking soda baths
  • Calamine lotion
  • Popsicles and other cold foods to ease sores in the mouth

Scratching can lead to infection. A person should take steps to avoid it, such as:

  • Keeping fingernails cut short
  • Covering fingers with gloves or mittens
REFERENCES:

Chickenpox. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:https://www.dynamed.com/condition/chickenpox. Accessed September 8, 2020.

Chickenpox. Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians website. Available at: http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/chickenpox.html. Accessed September 8, 2020.

Chickenpox (varicella). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/chickenpox. Accessed September 8, 2020.

Gershon AA, Breuer J, et al. Varicella zoster virus infection. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015 Jul 2;1:15016.

Last reviewed March 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Shawna Grubb, RN