Chicken-pox can be an adult problem, too

[Okuni]

Wednesday November 3, 2010

Chicken-pox can be an adult problem, too

By LIM WEY WEN
[email protected]

KUALA LUMPUR: News that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is down with chicken-pox on Monday has come as a reminder that it’s not a disease that’s confined to children. While many Malaysians are aware of chicken-pox, more common in children below 10, many do not know that adults can get it, too.

Most people think it is a childhood disease and may not realise that it can also occur for the first time in adults, said senior consultant dermatologist Dr Steven K.W. Chow. Chicken-pox is an infectious and contagious disease caused by the Varicella-zoster virus. It can be easily spread through contact with fluids from chicken-pox blisters or the inhalation of air-borne droplets that contain the virus when a person who has chickenpox coughs or sneezes.

Children usually develop mild fever and itchy, fluid-filled blisters on their skin. In adults, the disease is more intense and severe. “There is a higher incidence of viral lung infection for adults. The acute phase lasts longer and the skin lesions tend to be more severe and are more likely to leave scarring,” said Dr Chow yesterday. The symptoms usually last five to seven days. Generally, one can get life-long immunity after recovering from chicken-pox.

However, if a person is only partially immune, a second infection can occur. “Usually, adults tend to develop what is known as shingles or herpes-zoster from the reactivation of the virus, which hibernates in the nerve roots after a chicken-pox infection during their childhood,” said Dr Chow. As for treatment, there were specific anti-viral medications to stop the virus from multiplying and lessen the severity of the illness. “These medications must be taken as early as possible to be effective,” he said.

Dr Chow explained that while chicken-pox vaccination offered protection for children (above 12 months) and adults who have not had it before, vaccinating the whole population was unlikely to have any major impact as a large number of people would have had natural protection from previous, mild chickenpox disease. “Hence a vaccination campaign must be very specific and targeted at those at risk of severe disease,” he said.

 

[Oichi]

Treating chicken pox the natural way with neem


Thursday November 4, 2010

Treating chicken pox the natural way with neem

GEORGE TOWN: A commonly grown herb known as neem (Azadirachta indica) can help in the recovery from chicken pox, according to a Chinese physician and a university microbiologist. While the Malays call it daun semambu, the Chinese and Indians refer to it as ying lian (in Mandarin)and veepelai, respectively.

Chinese physician Lee Hack Peik said the herb could be brewed together with chrysanthemum to make herbal tea, which worked well for acne, chicken pox and measles. “It tastes bitter but it contains properties that can help to purify the blood, remove toxins and cleanse the liver.

“It also helps to reduce body heat and reduce the severity of rashes and relieve itching,” he said when commenting on The Star report that chicken pox could affect adults, too, following news of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was down with it. Lee advised those affected to refrain from taking meat for about a month to ease the rashes and itchiness.

He added that the Chinese also believed in abstaining from consuming soy sauce as it might leave dark spots on the skin after recovery. Dr Soshi Sashidaran, a microbiologist and lecturer in Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, said neem leaves could be used as bedding to aid in the recovery from chicken pox.

He said the leaves had anti-viral properties which worked to relieve intense itching and scarring usually associated with chicken pox. “You can also eat young neem leaves; it tastes extremely bitter but it’s good for health,” he said. He said that neem contained phytochemicals (the plant’s natural ingredients) such as alkaloids and flavonoids, which were of potential benefit to human health, from which modern antibiotics had been based upon.

Dr Soshi added that in Hindu tradition, water for bathing was mixed with neem leaves and tamarind powder, kept overnight and exposed to early morning sunlight before being used to help in chicken pox recovery. “Hindus believe in praying to the sun god early in the morning,” he said, adding that scientific research had proven that sunlight during that period was good for health.