Home Treatment for Chicken Pox:


Itching

  • Relieve itching skin with wet compresses or bathing in cool or lukewarm water every 3 to 4 hours for the first few days.
  • Bathing in oatmeal, cornstarch or baking soda can help to relieve the itching. Baths do not spread chicken pox. Pat not rub - the body dry.
  • Bathing with herbs such as goldenseal, neem, ginger, and burdock can also help prevent itching.
  • Calamine lotion can be used to help the itching, but do not put lotion near the eyes or on the faces of younger children.
  • You may also want to give diphenhydramine (Benadryl) for itching, though you should ask a doctor first for children under two. It can have side effects of sleepiness or less commonly cause children to be hyper.

Scarring and Secondary Infections

Other Considerations

  • Chicken pox in the mouth may make drinking or eating difficult. Give cold fluids and soft, bland foods. Avoid anything acidic or salty.
  • Sores in the genital area can be painful. Anesthetic creams that dull the pain can be applied.
  • To reduce fever or pain, use nonaspirin medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil). Aspirin should NOT be used in children with chicken pox because the use of aspirin for chicken pox been associated with Reye's syndrome.
  • Call your doctor immediately if the child has a temperature over 103 degrees Fahrenheit, has trouble walking, a severe headache, neck pain, impaired vision, if the fever comes back a day or so after it's been gone, or is extremely lethargic.

Sources:

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/chicken_pox.html
http://www.parentsplace.com/health/firstaid/articles/0,10335,239207_108853,00.html
My mom, the nurse, as my children are covered in pox while I type this.
A Maidu Grandmother down the road.