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Other Treatments for Chickenpox

by Cynthia M. Johnson, MA

En Español (Spanish Version)

Talking to Your Doctor

Resource Guide

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 Last Updated: 3/19/2021

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