Can I wash myself with chickenpox? More recently, pediatricians unanimously argued - in no case! But over time, there was more and more information about the disease, and there was less and less categorical opinion in the opinions of doctors, and today there is no single answer to this question.
Stage chickenpox
The incubation period of the disease can last from 10 to 21 days. The child is already sick, but so far neither he nor his parents suspect this. Naturally, the question: is it possible to wash with chickenpox, is not at this stage.
The prodromal period lasts from 1 to 2 days and is characterized by a depressed state, a decrease or loss of appetite. You might think that the child has caught a cold or just overworked, because there are no signs of chickenpox yet.
The rash period is from 3 to 5 days. At this time, the patient's well-being worsens, the temperature rises from 37.5 to 38.5 degrees, and characteristic rashes appear. They can occur on absolutely any part of the body and head, including the scalp and mucous membranes.
When to swim?
The liquid contained in pustules is contagious, it contains a virus, and the prohibition on bathing during illness was explained by the fear of spreading the infection throughout the body even more. So is it possible to wash with chickenpox at this stage? Most specialists are inclined to believe that if the body temperature is normal, then hygiene procedures are even welcome.
Bathing will relieve intolerable itching, calm the baby, prevent combing. Many people have a question whether it is possible to wash with chickenpox using decoctions of medicinal herbs. The answer is yes. Suitable chamomile, calendula, celandine, oak bark, a series, the main thing is that there is no allergy to the chosen remedy.
Parents of sick babies are often also interested in whether it is possible to bathe a child with chickenpox in a bath or is it necessary to use a shower? You need to do as you like and how familiar your baby is. There are no contraindications for any of the methods. A bath is even preferable because you can add medicine to the water, you can’t do this with a shower. The main thing is that the bathing capacity is very, very clean, because damaged skin can easily be re-infected with any other pathogens.
So, we answered the question of when to wash with chickenpox, now you need to find out how best to do it.
What is forbidden when swimming during illness
In no case should you use detergents: soaps, foams and shower gels, no matter how gentle and hypoallergenic they are, it is forbidden. Leave the washcloth until better times - with its help, you can easily damage the healing sores. It is better not to touch the body with your hands at all, but simply rinse it briefly in a bath or shower, and then gently pat it with a clean diaper or towel. After each bath, all elements of the rash should be re-treated with fucorcin or brilliant green. Observing these rules, you can wash up to 4-6 times a day and the process will benefit the patient only, drying the crusts and promoting the speedy healing of wounds.
Special attention
Any rule has exceptions, and in our case, such an exception is people with reduced immunity. The reasons for the low resistance of the body can be different, but the risk of bacterial infections joining increases significantly regardless of what exactly is caused by the weakness of immune reactions. It is better for such patients to replace bathing with a wipe with wet wipes, saturated with an antibacterial composition. When wiping, you need to bypass the affected areas of the skin side, without touching them. With water procedures, weakened patients will have to wait until they completely get rid of the signs of the disease, or rather, until the dry crusts disappear.