Baking Soda & Oatmeal Baths Provide Chickenpox Fever & Itch Relief

How Baking Soda Baths Can Soothe Chickenpox Fevers and Itching

Dealing with chickenpox is never fun for kids or parents. Along with an incredibly itchy rash, most children spiked high fevers requiring vigilant comfort measures to keep them in check.

While rest and fluids take top billing for nursing children through this miserable illness, parents often turn to home remedies like oatmeal baths for additional relief. But does adding good ole baking soda to the tub water offer extra therapeutic benefits?

How Hot Baths Help Reduce Fevers

Warm water exposure encourages blood flow to shift toward the skin and away from the body's core. As heat dissipates from the skin's surface into the air, the body's internal thermostat cools accordingly.

For fevers under 102F, a lukewarm 86-93F bath targeting 20 minutescontrolled cooling. Allowing body temp to fully rebound afterward prevents dangerous overshoot chilling.

Adding a fever reducer like acetaminophen beforehand brings numbers down faster and safer. Monitoring bath temp with a floating thermometer lets parents maintain the optimal range.

The Soothing Effects of Baking Soda on Itchy Rashes

In addition to leveraging water's conductive cooling, baths hydrate and moisturize the skin, calming inflammatory itch and irritation. Colloidal oatmeal's skin protecting oils take this a step further. But why consider baking soda too?

Sodium bicarbonate dissolves in water to form a weak alkaline solution. This pH balancing effect neutralizes acidic skin inflammation driving chickenpox itching and discomfort. Its gentle abrasiveness also helps loosen scabbed pox mechanically.

Making a Baking Soda Fever and Itch Relief Bath

Add 12 to 1 cup baking soda to a warm, not hot, tub filled a few inches above the knees or elbows. Soak the itchy patient for 15-20 minutes before gently patting skin dry and applying calamine lotion to problem spots.

For extra soothing and protective oils, stir in a cup or two of colloidal oatmeal too. Just avoid excessively hot water that overheats or dries out the skin further.

Top At-Home Remedies for Chickenpox Discomfort

In addition to strategic bathing, parents have an arsenal of supportive tools to ease kids through this viral misery safely at home. Top options include:

Anti-itch Topicals

Calamine lotion, hydrocortisone cream and oral antihistamines like Benadryl relievelocalized itching and swelling between baths. Light dusting powders further dry weepy spots.

Comforting Compresses

Cool cloths or gently applied ice packs (wrapped to prevent skin damage) administratively interrupt itch-scratch cycles that invite infection.

Fever Reducers

Around the clock acetaminophen or ibuprofen keep spiking temps in check while the virus runs its course. Avoid aspirin due to its blood thinning effects.

Distracting Stress Relief

Books, games, videos and other peaceful activities divert attention from irritating pox itches until the bath or meds kick in.

Though misery loving company eases parents caretaking stress, limiting contagious contact protects vulnerable friends and family.

Considering Antiviral Medications for Those At-Risk

For most otherwise healthy children, supportive home care allows kids to rest and heal safely from this common childhood illness. However, certain vulnerable groups face higher odds of complications.

In these cases, doctors may prescribe antiviral meds like Valtrex to speed healing and limit risks. High priority groups include:

• Newborns still in first month of life
• Pregnant women
• Immunocompromised patients
• Teens and adults whose disease severity worsens

Catching prescriptions early not only shortens infection duration but may reduce resulting scars. Still, most children weather this storm just fine with attentive TLC.

Signs Its Time to Call the Doctor

Though uncomfortable, most youngsters bounce back from varicella in less than two weeks sans complications. However, certain red flags signal when a case warrants closer provider evaluation:

• Rash develops alongside other viral symptoms like headache, cough or sore throat
• Fever spikes over 102 F despite medication dosing
• Fewer than 12-15 pox spots develop leaving risk for additional flare ups
• New pox or fevers persist over 10 days into illness
• Pox bleed, ooze yellow crusts or show signs of secondary skin infection

Reaching out promptly when observations deviate from norm allows docs to address risks before problems mushroom.

Pursuing Early Treatment to Prevent Scars

The hallmark unsightly scars left by severe chickenpox breakouts result from secondary skin infections. Staph and strep bacteria infiltrate itchy open blisters, resulting in potential tissue destruction when left untreated.

Aggressive scratching further magnifies this vulnerability. Keeping pox covered with topical antibiotics plus oral antibiotics for visible infections minimizes resultant marks. Spot treating high risk regions like the face with antiviral Valtrex also reduces viral load in vulnerable visible areas prone to permanent scarring. Following expert wound care and infection prevention protocols diligently from the start makes all the difference in pox aftermath.

Baking Soda Baths as a Soothing, Supportive Home Remedy

While preventing chickenpox itself proves elusive, arming parents with effective comfort measures eases misery tremendously. Strategically leveraging waters cooling capacities alongside skin protecting, anti-itch additives like colloidal oatmeal and baking soda gives kids needed relief. Gently cleaning and drying pox thereafter and spot treating emerging infections limits complications like scars down the road. Remaining vigilant with follow up checks ensures any developing concerns receive quick intervention for best outcomes. Though riding out childhood chickenpox rarely proves fun for young patients or caregivers, a bit of TLC and thoughtfully designed home remedies lessen the bumps along the way.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.