Proper nutrition will help patients recover quickly and avoid complications when suffering from chickenpox.
Symptoms of Chickenpox
Blisters appear rapidly within 12 – 24 hours in individuals with chickenpox.
Chickenpox is caused by the Varicella Zoster virus. The disease typically appears in late winter and early spring, extending into the summer.
Patients with chickenpox often experience fatigue, loss of appetite, and fever that begins 24 – 48 hours later. By the third day, a rash develops, initially appearing as red spots, which within hours turn into blisters on the skin.
Blisters appear rapidly within 12 – 24 hours, measuring between 1 – 3mm, and contain clear fluid. In severe cases or when infected with additional bacteria, the blisters may become larger or cloudy due to pus.
The most common complication of the disease is skin infection, which can lead to scarring. These scars are often pitted, causing aesthetic concerns and can last a lifetime. Chickenpox is highly contagious within the community.
Foods to Avoid
Individuals with chickenpox should avoid eel meat.
During the illness, it is advisable to avoid fatty foods and hot, overly nourishing dishes.
People suffering from chickenpox should avoid spicy and hot seasonings such as ginger, onion, garlic, leeks, chili, pepper, fennel, curry, mustard, coriander, and meats like goat, dog, chicken, duck, goose, eel, seafood (shrimp, crab, clams, snails…), fruits like lychee, longan, plums, ripe mangoes, jackfruit, persimmons, cherries, water spinach, and fatty foods such as chestnuts, roasted peanuts, roasted seeds, fried beans, fried foods, and animal fats…
Most importantly, avoid cinnamon, as it has a warming property, is purely yang, and promotes heat, which can exacerbate the condition and is very dangerous for chickenpox patients.
Individuals with chickenpox should not eat food seasoned with cinnamon.
Dairy products: All dairy products are not good for those suffering from chickenpox. Therefore, avoid giving your child foods like milk, cheese, cream, and butter during this illness as they can lead to increased oil secretion on the skin.
Snacks: Snacks are a poor choice when your child has chickenpox as they can worsen the condition and make the patient feel weak and fatigued. A diet free from stimulating foods will be much better for the patient.
Foods to Eat
Patients with chickenpox should consume light foods that are nutritious and in the form of liquid or semi-liquid, easily digestible, such as mung bean porridge, lotus root and Job’s tears porridge, brown rice porridge, honeysuckle porridge, buckwheat porridge, green bean vermicelli porridge, asparagus, eggs, bananas, red beans, green beans, black beans, potatoes, carrots, white radishes, wax gourds, Malabar spinach, purslane, gotu kola, bitter gourds, amaranth, Napa cabbage, lettuce, and mugwort.
Consume foods rich in vitamin C such as lemons, oranges, avocados, strawberries, kiwis, pears, watermelons, cucumbers, tomatoes… Vitamin C helps boost immunity, fight infections, accelerate collagen production, and prevent pitted scars.
Foods rich in vitamin C boost immunity and fight infections.
After recovery, the wounds begin to dry out and heal, and it is advisable to use fresh turmeric at this time to treat pitted scars left from chickenpox.
How to apply: Clean the turmeric root, gently peel the outer layer to release the juice inside. Apply this juice evenly around the scar area once a day before bedtime, leave it overnight, and wash it off in the morning, then apply another layer.
Chickenpox patients should eat wax gourd, bitter gourd, potatoes, cabbage, mugwort,…
Three Bean Tea with Licorice
Green beans, black beans, and red beans, each 100g, with 2g of licorice.
Boil with 1 liter of water until reduced to 500ml, divided into 2 – 3 servings for the child to drink throughout the day.
Cooling Soup
Green beans, lotus root, arrowroot, young bamboo shoots, carrots, each 20 – 30g. Boil with 1 liter of water until reduced to 650ml, divided into 2 servings for the child to drink throughout the day (if the child has asthma or cough, do not use lotus root and carrots).
This soup has a nourishing effect, cools down, and is very beneficial for those with chickenpox, high fever, and restlessness.
Honeysuckle Tea
10g of honeysuckle, 20ml of sugarcane juice. Boil with 500ml of water for about 10 minutes. Drink once a day for 7 – 10 days to help disperse wind, cool down, and reduce fever.
Honeysuckle.
Red Bean and Job’s Tears Porridge
20g of Job’s tears, 30g of red beans, 30g of Chinese yam, and 100g of glutinous rice.
Wash everything thoroughly, cook with an appropriate amount of water to make porridge. Divide into 3 meals throughout the day, with a little white sugar or rock sugar.
This porridge detoxifies and eliminates dampness, especially suitable for chickenpox that has already appeared but still has fever, reddish-yellow urine, fatigue, and loss of appetite.
Red Bean Porridge.
Bean and Pork Porridge
80g of glutinous rice, 30g of red beans, 30g of green beans, and 50g of minced pork. Cook all with an appropriate amount of water to make a soft porridge. Eat when hungry.
This porridge is easily digestible and very good for patients with chickenpox who have a slight fever.
Purslane Juice
When suffering from chickenpox, you can use 100 – 120g of fresh purslane, wash it clean, extract the juice, and drink it throughout the day.
Purslane juice has cooling, anti-inflammatory effects, and prevents sores, making it very beneficial for those with chickenpox.
