Does antihistamine help chicken pox?

As someone who has had the pleasure of experiencing chickenpox, I can say with confidence that it is one of the most uncomfortable viruses out there. However, is antihistamine an effective treatment for this pesky illness? Let’s dive deeper into the issue and find out!

What is Chickenpox?

Before discussing whether antihistamines are a viable solution for chickenpox, let’s first understand what we’re dealing with. Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral infection caused by a virus called varicella-zoster. It typically affects children under 12 years old but can occur at any age.

Fun fact alert: The name “chickenpox” actually comes from the Old English word gicinge which means “itching disease”. Cute, right?

Symptoms include:

  • High fever
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of appetite
  • Blister-like rash

The blisters tend to take over your body in wave formations and cause unbearable itching. Trust me; you do not want to scratch them no matter how tempting it may be!

Now onto our question – does taking an antihistamine make things better or worse when dealing with this ailment?

How Do Antihistamines Work?

To answer whether taking an antihistamine helps relieve symptoms of chicken pox, you must first understand what those drugs do in general.

Antihistamines work by blocking histamines (chemicals produced by your immune system) that cause allergy symptoms such as sneezing and itching caused upon encountering allergens like pollen or dust mites.

Itching also happens to be one of the primary symptoms associated with chicken pox! As per usual medicine logic since both issues have itchiness as their main symptom severity so why not use medication meant for allergies against chicken pimples?

Can Antihistamines be used for Chickenpox Symptoms?

While some medical practitioners recommend antihistamines to alleviate itching associated with chicken pox, several factors come into play when considering whether it’s a genuinely viable solution.

An essential thing to remember is that in cases of chickenpox, the primary cause of itchiness isn’t histamine release. Instead, it has more to do with pressure on nerve endings caused by virus-filled blisters or pustules.

Nowadays, most physicians would generally not prescribe antihistamines as a treatment for chickenpox-related symptoms alone. However, from experience and anecdotal evidence, they might help reduce itching while experiencing this illness.

In summary – using antihistamines will not cure you of your contagious little friends but can relieve symptoms such as incessant scratching & reduced histamine impact if you are particularly sensitive.

Are there any other remedies that we can resort to other than antihistamine? Keep reading because I have got some great tips!

Other Ways To Relieve Chicken Pox Itch

Being covered in blisters that randomly start itching without warning sounds like something out of a horror movie. Here are six alternatives remedies/tips/tricks which can ease the terrible itchiness:

1) COLLOIDAL OATMEAL: Adding colloidal oatmeal (aka ground oats) either through an ointment or taking an oatmeal bath are both known remedies for relieving uncomfortable skin irritations.

2) CALAMINE LOTION : Calamine lotion is known worldwide as one remedy famously effective against itchiness related problems

3) COOL SHOWERS: Taking cool showers instead hot ones reduces inflammation and helps prevent dehydration from sweating along feeling refreshed all over again!

4) KEEP NAILS SHORT: cutting short nails may help prevent breaking open sores -avoiding infection risks- due to excessive scratching

5) REMEDY ALOE VERA: try applying aloe vera gel to patches of chicken pox which can provide cooling relief and reduce inflammation

6) RESTING WELL: Chickenpox is tiring, especially with those feverish nights. Resting well may help your body recover faster just concentrate on staying cool by wearing loose-cool clothes & drinking enough fluids.

So there you have it; Six things that are likely more efficient for treating your incessant scratching than antihistamines.

Conclusion

While anti-histamine drugs like Benadryl/zirtek/clarityne many times in few cases are helpful against itchiness related symptoms during chicken pox. One would argue that there may be better alternatives to consider if the said meds cause drowsiness or they don’t give much beneficial impact contrary despite being prescribed as an over-the-counter medication thousands daily ( note : this figure isn’t measured statistically) often consumes them without critical understanding.
All you need to do now is try the remedies above listed rather than obsessively downing Claritin – we’re not birds after all!

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