Chickenpox is an acute contagious skin disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. Infants and young children are one of the high-risk groups for chickenpox, especially during the cold, humid winter and spring seasons, which are peak periods for its outbreak.
Chickenpox is a primary infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus, so it is transmitted through blood and oral secretions, i.e., saliva. Chickenpox is also a highly contagious skin disease. Therefore, in real life, if one child in the family gets chickenpox, they must be isolated for treatment until all the sores have crusted over.
In addition to preventing the spread of the virus to others, patients with chickenpox must also pay special attention to preventing complications, such as persistent high fever, hepatitis, and pneumonia. Daily care should focus on maintaining cleanliness, changing clothes frequently, keeping the skin clean, bathing with warm water, and preventing the child from scratching and breaking the blisters. Utensils, clothing, and other items used by the patient must be disinfected.
Particular attention should be paid to the diet, consuming more high-calorie and easily digestible foods, as well as more vegetables. At the same time, it is best to avoid the following foods during the chickenpox period.
1. Pork: Traditional Chinese medicine considers chickenpox to be caused by external pathogenic viruses, so it is not advisable to nourish the body. Therefore, from a TCM perspective, children with chickenpox should not eat pork.
2. Try to avoid warm and hot natured fruits, such as grapes, oranges, peaches, and almonds, and consume them as little as possible.
3. Avoid "trigger foods" (fa wu). What are trigger foods? The scope of trigger foods is very broad and can be mainly divided into categories such as edible fungi, seafood, and vegetables.
Edible fungi that are considered trigger foods mainly include mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and other fungi.
Seafood refers to yellow croaker, crab, shrimp, and other seafood.
Trigger foods in the vegetable category mainly include pumpkin, bamboo shoots, and mustard greens.
4. Chicken: Many people believe that chicken is the best food for replenishing vital energy (qi). In fact, it is best not to feed chicken to infants and young children with chickenpox, especially when the chickenpox is about to erupt but has not yet appeared.
5. Lamb, mutton, and dog meat are all warm-natured foods that have the effect of replenishing qi and tonifying deficiency. Since chickenpox is caused by external pathogenic factors, it is recommended to avoid consuming these foods during the illness.
6. Warm and hot natured foods should be eaten in moderation or avoided altogether. For example, cassia bark, ginger, green onions, chives, chili, fennel, and mustard are best to eat sparingly or not at all.
Additionally, for parents of a child with chickenpox at home, the following details should be noted in daily care.
1. Try not to take the child to public places. If they must attend school, protective measures should be taken. Chickenpox is sensitive to wind and heat, as these can intensify the itching. Therefore, if possible, it is best to avoid going out during the illness.
2. In addition to avoiding the foods mentioned above, children with chickenpox should ensure adequate nutrition and hydration daily.
3. When cleaning the skin, be careful not to break the blisters. Allow them to crust over naturally.
4. Keep the blisters dry to prevent infection and consider using antibiotics as an adjunctive treatment.
In fact, chickenpox is not as scary as it seems. For parents, as long as they provide proper care, they can help their baby avoid the troubles caused by chickenpox. Of course, if infants and young children are vaccinated against chickenpox in a timely manner, the problem of chickenpox can be completely avoided.