How to prevent chickenpox from leaving scars?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Assoc. Prof. TS.BS Huynh Thoai Loan - Head of Pediatrics - Neonatology Department, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital. Uncle is one of the leading experts in Pediatrics - Neonatology in Ho Chi Minh City with nearly 30 years of experience in examining and treating diseases of pediatric endocrinology, pediatric nephrology and other pediatric - neonatal problems.
Chickenpox with symptoms of red vesicles, itchy bumps on the skin, so the possibility of scarring is high. In some serious cases, the skin on the body, especially the face, will be severely pitted and scarred, greatly affecting the appearance.

1. Chickenpox complications

Although chickenpox is a benign disease, the disease can cause complications such as:
Skin infection where the blisters are, worse than bacteria can enter from the blisters into the bloodstream causing sepsis. Severe complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis ... can be life-threatening, or leave sequelae later. After the patient has recovered from the disease, the chickenpox virus still exists in the nerve ganglia as a dormant, after many years, when there are favorable conditions, the virus will reactivate and cause disease. Zona, also known as shingles. For pregnant women with chickenpox, the virus will cause miscarriage, or when born, the baby will be born with chickenpox with many defects such as: small head, constriction of limbs, congenital scars, cerebral palsy, .. If the child is infected in the days of birth or after giving birth, the child will have a lot of blisters and be prone to pneumonia complications.

2. Does chickenpox leave scars?

One of the sequelae of chickenpox is scarring. Chickenpox blisters are often concentrated on the face, legs, hands, back, chest ... The first days often create a burning sensation, a lot of itching, then gradually dry, scab and peel off, to many bruises on the skin.
In some cases, due to not abstaining properly as well as using foods eaten daily, it is easy to cause scarring in the course of the disease, making the skin condition become serious. There are many cases of skin with keloid scars, concave scars all over the body, especially the face, causing a lot of guilt and low self-esteem for patients in later life.

3. What to eat if you have chickenpox to avoid scarring?

3.1. Food to avoid

A proper diet can help people with chickenpox to limit unwanted complications. Therefore, when having chickenpox, the sick person should avoid the following foods:
During the illness, should avoid fatty foods, avoid eating foods that are hot and too nutritious. Spicy spices such as: ginger, onion, garlic, onion, leek, chili, pepper, cumin, curry, mustard, coriander. Meats such as: goat meat, dog meat, chicken, geese, geese, eel, seafood (shrimp, crab, oyster, snail...). Some fruits and vegetables such as litchi, longan, plum, ripe mango, jackfruit, persimmon, cherry, water spinach. Fatty substances such as chestnuts, roasted peanuts, roasted melon seeds, fried beans, donuts, fried foods, animal fat... The most hated is cinnamon, because cinnamon has great heat, Pure yang, the effect of warming and helping with fire, too dry apples, damaging the yin quality, very dangerous for chickenpox patients. In addition to avoiding the above foods, people with chickenpox absolutely must not squeeze, pry and break the pimples, but must let them dry and scab on their own. The impact can make the acne skin more damaged, making the recovery process difficult and longer, even worsening the scarring.
Limit the use of soap to rub on the acne, wipe the body with mild warm water, only until the pustules are scabbed, you should bathe with soap.
When the acne spots are dry and scaly, you should consult your doctor about using a scar cream to best limit and improve scars, because this is when new scars form and are easy to treat. Proper care and application of the cream will improve almost 100% of scars if they are only mild.

3.2. Food to eat

People with chickenpox should eat frugal foods, full of nutrients and in the form of liquid or semi-liquid foods, easy to digest, such as green bean porridge, tuber porridge - young bamboo leaves porridge. , brown rice porridge, honeysuckle porridge, barley porridge, green bean vermicelli porridge, asparagus, eggs, bananas, red beans, green beans, black beans, potatoes, carrots, white radishes, squash, spinach sweet potato, purslane, centella asiatica, bitter gourd, amaranth, cabbage, cabbage, lettuce, wormwood.
Use foods rich in vitamin C such as: lemons, oranges, avocados, strawberries, kiwis, pears, watermelons, cucumbers, tomatoes... Vitamin C works to strengthen resistance, fight infections, accelerate collagen production, and prevent keloids and concave scars.
Make sure to provide enough water for the body during this time. In addition to mineral water, fruit juice, bone broth and coconut water are also great choices.

4. Treatment and prevention of chickenpox

If already sick, the sick person must keep clean with warm water. Limit contact with people around when you are sick, avoid going to crowded places, should stay away from school or work. Use separate personal living items: towels, cups, cups, bowls, chopsticks. Avoid wind when infected with chickenpox because it can cause many complications. Avoid scratching and wear soft, loose-fitting clothes to prevent the clothes from rubbing and breaking the blisters. Do not take the medicine without consulting a specialist. If you have a lot of cough, have difficulty breathing or are tired, have a high fever, or are lethargic, you should immediately go to a medical facility for examination and treatment. To prevent chickenpox, the best way today is for everyone to get vaccinated from the beginning, especially for young children. Chickenpox vaccine is very effective and long-lasting, helping the body create antibodies against the chickenpox virus. The consulting and vaccination department of Vinmec International General Hospital is always ready to provide chickenpox vaccine for customers. Vaccines at Vinmec are preserved by the cold chain (cold storage, vaccine refrigerators have a temperature alarm that exceeds the allowable temperature range...). Besides, parents can check their child's injection history and injection plan via computer, phone conveniently.

Importance of vaccinations on time

As recommended by medical experts, even during an epidemic, parents should still take their children to get vaccinated on schedule. Delaying the vaccination schedule can increase the risk of disease that has been ruled out or make infectious and superinfectious diseases such as influenza, measles, chickenpox, pharyngitis, pneumonia... become more severe and difficult to treat. than.
In the first 5 years of life, a child's immune system is completely built, so full vaccination is an effective way to strengthen the child's resistance. Parents should note that when taking their children to get vaccinated, they should strictly follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health, such as wearing a mask properly, washing hands often with an antiseptic solution. In addition, parents are always updated with correct information about this strain of Covid -19 to protect themselves and their families from Corona Virus.
In areas where there is no epidemic, mothers can still have their children vaccinated according to the age-appropriate vaccination schedule, but avoid crowded places, make an appointment in advance to avoid waiting and go to the facility Trust medical facilities guaranteed.
>> See more: Should vaccinations be delayed during the Covid-19 epidemic? expert advice by Specialist Doctor II Quach Nguyen Thu Thuy - Pediatric Center - Vinmec Times City International Hospital
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Medical system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of leading pediatricians: including leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All are well-trained, professional, with a mind - range, understanding young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.

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