Chickenpox

An infectious, eruptive, illness, viral in origin, epidemic, and very contagious via airborne droplets from the nose and saliva. Chickenpox occurs mainly in the winter and spring, and affects children more readily than adults.

After an incubation period averaging 15 days, an itchy rash appears, consisting of small maculae, which soon turn into more prominent papules, then into vesicles filled with liquid. These leave scabs, which mark the end of the contagious period. This takes over four days, but the process is repeated in successive overlapping waves for a fortnight.The course of the illness is generally benign, but scratching must be avoided because the scars may be permanent. The illness confers immunity for life.

Standard anti-infective treatment

To be started as quickly as possible at the first abnormal symptom:

• Start with Aconitum-Homaccord@ (Heel), which contains Aconitum D2, D10, D30, D200, Eucalyptus D4, D10, D30 and Ipecacuanha D2, D10, D30, D200:
  - Available in drop bottles containing 30 and 100ml
  - Ten drops to be taken three times daily. Initially ten drops every 15 minutes
• Add copper silver and gold found in Organic Minerals (Colloidals) which contains 70+ trace minerals:
  - Available in 946ml bottles
  - Take 1-3 caps just before breakfast and/or evening meal
  - Children 1 teaspoon daily for each 20lbs of body weight
  
  Or Maximol (Ionized colloidals):
  - Available in 500ml bottles
  - Take 1/2 capful once or twice daily on an empty stomach
• Six tablets of Pyrogenium 5c, once a day, in a single dose, for a few days
• Twenty drops of Lehning@ L52 in a little water, four times a day, if the patient already has a temperature
• Vitamin C: one gram a day in adults, 0.5 gram in children, for a fortnight
• To this standard treatment composed of three homeopathic remedies, one to three trace elements, and a vitamin, the homeopath may add remedies that are specific to each illness and fundamental for each personality

Dietary advice

To be strictly followed:

• Stop all heavy, greasy foods, particularly dairy products, fried food, and dishes with sauces
• Give the child plenty to drink
• Choose foods rich in vitamin C and copper
• Supplement the diet with wheatgerm and brewer's yeast, rich in group B vitamins and trace elements
• Give the patient plenty of garlic and onion, known for their anti-infective action

Some foods rich in vitamin C

Citrus fruits (lemon, orange, grapefruit), green vegetables (celery, green cabbage++, cress, spinach, sorrel. parsley, horseradish), fruit, especially red fruit (strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants), and others (pineapple, blackcurrantstt, guava, kiwi++), potatoes, green peppers, tomatoes...

Some remedies based on vitamin C

Synergisti-C (Thorne) which contains 650mg ascorbic acid, 400mg Echinacea angustifolia, 100mg Baptisia tinctoria and 100mg hesperidin:

- Available in containers of 60 capsules
- Take one to two capsules twice daily Biocare vitamin C (citrus free) 500mg containing magnesium ascorbate and bilberry:
- Available in containers of 180 veg capsules
- Take one to two capsules daily
Lamberts@ Rutin+C+bioflavonoids (containing vitamin C 500mg, citrus bioflavonoids 100mg, rutin 50mg and hesperidin complex 30mg):
- Available in containers of 90 capsules
- Take one to two capsules daily

• You can take natural Vitamin C in chewable form - Lamberts@ Vitamin C 100mg:
  - Sold in containers of 90 tablets
  - One to three tablets daily
• You can use natural vitamin C found, for example, in Weleda@ sea buckthorn juice:
  - Available in 200ml bottles
  - One tablespoon in the morning provides about 30mg of the vitamin

Homeopathy

Sulfur to encourage eruption.

Six tablets at 7c, to be sucked once a day between meals.

Rhus toxicodendron, while vesicles are present.
- Four tablets at 5c to be sucked like sweets, two or three times a day between meals
- Vegetable origin: the poisonous sumac
- Homeopathic remedy for vesicles filled with clear fluid
- Characteristic sign: relieved by very hot water

• You can use Arnica-Heel@ (Heel), Arnica D3, Rhus toxicodendron D6, Bry­onia D4...
  - Available in drop bottles of 30 and 100ml
  -In general, ten drops three times daily.

Oligotherapy

Essentially copper or a copper/gold/silver combination.

• The combination can be found in many brands and presentations: colloidal minerals such as Organic Minerals (Colloidals) which contains 70+ trace minerals:
  - Available in 946ml bottles
  - Take 1-3 caps just before breakfast and/or evening meal
  - Children 1 teaspoon daily for each 20lbs of body weight

Or Maximol (Ionized colloidals):

- Available in 500ml bottles
- Take 1/2 capful once or twice daily on an empty stomach

Herbal treatment

Echinacea, an excellent anti-infective agent.

Eleutherococcus and ginseng both very good general tonics for adults.

Prescription: For an adult, you can ask for a mixture of the dried extracts of these three plants to be made up,100mg of each for a NO.2 capsule (the size of the capsule that the herbalist will prepare) Take three capsules a day (adults) for six days..

• You can use Echinacea complex (Bio­force) tincture which contains Echinacea purpurea...
  - Available in 50ml bottles of oral drops
  - Adults - 15 drops in a little water, three times daily. Children 6-12 years old - eight drops to be taken in a little water, three times a day. Children 2-5 years old - 4 drops in a little water, three times daily

Plant essential oils

Eucalyptus, niaouli, thyme linalol may be used in children. Their main activity is antibacterial.

- One drop of one of them to be taken in a spoonful of honey, twice a day

• You can use Lehning@ Gouttes aux essences:
  - Composed of cinnamon, cloves, lavender, mint, thyme...
  - Available in 45ml and 90ml bottles
  - Twenty drops to be taken four times a day (adult dose), or five to ten drops three times a day (children's dose). diluted in a small drink.

Chickenpox are a right of passage for you immune system.  If you have medical questions, the first place to look is online. After you gather enough information, find a doctor or health care provider to review your symptoms and make a proper diagnosis. Quality information is the key.