Well, K may be getting chicken pox sometime soon. One of the friends she plays with just came down with it. His doctor said it was the first case she has had in her office in over 2 years. WOW! I know a lot of kids are vaccinated against it now, but in our community where so many families don’t vaccinate, you’d think there would be more cases. A bunch of parents have already asked me if their kids can come over and try to get it through natural exposure if K gets it. So, maybe we will throw a Chicken Pox Party. Anyway, in preparation I wrote up a little herbal info for dealing with chicken pox.

Natural Therapies To Support Our Children Through Chicken Pox

aTis the season once again for Chicken Pox to rear its bumpy head. This highly contagious viral infection is commonly contracted in children between the ages of 5 and 10, and spreads through droplets of saliva (cough, sneeze, sharing lollipopsa|) or direct contact with the open blisters. After exposure to the virus, it takes between 1 and 3 weeks before signs of illness appear, usually beginning with mild symptoms such as malaise, fever, headache and loss of appetite. But the most common symptom of Chicken Pox is the red, itchy skin eruptions. The rash usually begins on the face, scalp, or trunk of the body and can spread to the rest of the body. In more severe cases, a child may even develop pox inside the mouth, eyes, and other areas of mucous membranes. Over the next one to two weeks, these little red dots develop into itchy, fluid-filled blisters that scab over as they begin to heal. The contagious period for spreading chicken pox begins a few days before symptoms appear until the blisters have scabbed over. The best things we can do for our children are to support their immune system, give them lots of love, and to keep them from scratching! Scratching the blisters can lead to scarring and increases the risk of a secondary bacterial infections (you may try tying socks over your childas hands to prevent them from using their fingernails to scratch the pox).

Here are a few herbal recommendations to help support your child through the healing process.

Oatmeal baths:
Oats are amazing when it comes to soothing itchy skin and over-stimulated nerves.

While you are running a bath for your child, begin making some oatmeal.
Place 1 cup of oats in 6 cups of water and boil for 5 minutes. Strain out the oats and pour the oat water into the bath water. Place the oats in a cotton sock or bag. Test to make sure the bath water isnat too hot before your child gets in. Then, while the child relaxes in the milky water, use your asock oa oatmeala to gently wash your child. This is extremely soothing to irritated skin. You could even make a paste out of the oatmeal and place it directly on itchy spots.

aChicken Pox Bluesa Cream
This recipe makes a fun blue cream with a heavenly scent, and can be used during any stage of Chicken Pox!

• Start with 1 Tbsp. of cream/lotion base (Calendula creams for infants make a nice base).
• Add 3 drops of Lavender Essential Oil and 3 drops of German (or Blue) Chamomile Essential Oil to the cream base. Mix it up well.
• Then add ~1 tsp. of fresh oat milk (this can be made by pouring 1 cup of boiling water over 2 Tbsp. of oats. Let this sit for 20 minutes. Then strain the oats through a muslin cloth and squeeze out the gooey oat milk. Use 1 tsp. of this gooey oat milk in your cream and save the rest of the oat ateaa for the bathtub.)
• Store it in a glass container out of the light.

To use: gently massage the cream into the spots to decrease redness, inflammation, and itching. These essential oils will also help increase healing time while their fragrances ease the nerves and calm the child.

Rosemary Gladstaras Chicken Pox Tea
Rosemary has put together a wonderful blend of herbs to support the skin and nervous system.

2 parts Milky Oat tops
2 parts Lemon Balm herb
1 part Calendula blossoms
1 part Red Clover blossoms
1 part Passionflower herb

Mix the herbs and place in an airtight container.
To make a tea, add one cup of boiling water to 1 tsp. of the herb mixture and allow this to steep for 30 minutes. Strain out the herbs and sweeten with honey, stevia, or maple syrup. Let your child drink as much as they like.

Other plant helpers:

• Garlic, Licorice, and Reishi and Shitake mushrooms are fantastic for supporting the immune system. Try making a yummy soup with some of these herbs. Throw in some kale, seaweed, carrots, and burdock root for a nutrition packed meal.
• Skullcap, Catnip and Chamomile are wonderful herbs to take internally, as a tea or glycerite, to help your child relax, sleep, and relieve the itch.
• Elderberries, Echinacea, Lemon Balm and Licorice would make a tasty syrup, tea, or glycerite for immune-support and anti-viral activity.
• A warm tea of Catnip, Chamomile, Elder Flowers and Peppermint is a gentle remedy to help bring some fever relief.
• During the oozing stage, a mix of Slippery Elm and Comfrey powder are wonderful to sprinkle onto the sores to help healing and form protective scabs.
• When the sores have crusted over, try using lotions or salves that contain Chickweed, Lavender, St. Johnas Wort, or Calendula. These herbs are fantastic for nerve healing and will help keep the skin supple which aids in preventing scars.

Severe complications from Chicken Pox are rare, but as with all illnesses, they can happen. If you are concerned about your childas healing process, talk with your health care practitioner.