Hyderabad, India (CU)_ Regardless of their scientific foundation, certain traditional chickenpox therapies are given to the patients in many places. However, according to doctors, while some behaviors are innocuous, others might be harmful to the patients. Being a highly infectious viral illness, chickenpox generally affects youngsters. Normally, people infected by it are not allowed to take a bath for the first six days. However, on the seventh day, patients are showered with water containing neem leaves and turmeric.
Patients are also prescribed aspirin pills, which is against medical advice. Additionally, patients are advised to avoid non-veg foods including eggs. According to Dr. Shivaranjani Santosh, consultant pediatrician at a top private hospital in Hyderabad, in contrast to traditional beliefs, patients should take frequent showers, consume readily digested meals, and stay hydrated.
However, she stated that taking aspirin increases the patient’s chance of developing Reye’s syndrome, which can result in severe damage to brain and liver. However, not every activity is bad. According to Dr T. Usha Rani, professor and HoD (pediatric department) at Niloufer Hospital, “Adding neem leaves to water for bathing is fine because it is an antiseptic. Also, isolation of the child is done as a custom, and not for medical reasons. But that too works, as they should be quarantined anyway.”
According to Dr. Usha Rani, hundreds of HFMD or hand, foot, and mouth disease cases, which is caused by a prevalent virus that affects children, are being registered at the hospital, which is common during the monsoon. However, due to the similar symptoms that cause rashes, this moderate disease is also causing monkeypox panic. She said, “Parents are assuming any rash on the body to be caused by monkeypox. They are also watching news about monkeypox on TV and getting more scared”. According to her, HFMD causes little rashes on the palms, soles, hands, and feet, which may extend to the thighs and buttocks on the third or fourth day, whereas the lesions in monkeypox are larger, can appear anywhere, including the face, and are also pus-filled
