Paras Hemrajani
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Written By: Paras Hemrajani | Updated : September 25, 2019 1:44 PM IST
Skin lesions first make their appearance in upper limbs, followed by the trunk and face. ©Shutterstock
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the RNA virus. Infected Aedes mosquitoes transmit this. These mosquitoes mostly bite you during the daytime. According to the National Institute of Health, US, Chikungunya is currently present in more than 60 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and America. In India, it hits in more than 17 north and south states. Chikungunya manifests through high fever, musculoskeletal symptoms and skin rashes. These rashes are called mucocutaneous manifestations. Some estimates suggest that these rashes have been recorded in more than 45% of all Chikungunya cases in India. They are the result of the reaction between RNA virus and human DNA.
These rashes help in distinguishing Chikungunya from dengue and other febrile illnesses. In most cases, these rashes manifest in the form of a general island rash. Island rash refers to the small intervening rashes formed on the skin. They look like an island.
These rashes develop 3-4 days after the fever. They may or may not evolve into a skin hyperpigmentation. Skin hyperpigmentation is a condition where the colour of a portion of the skin becomes darker. These skin lesions first make their appearance in upper limbs, followed by the trunk and face. They rashes affect the neck and ear lobes the most. These rashes cause an itching sensation leading you to scratch a lot. In severe cases, you may end up bleeding too. However, they disappear on their own within 2 weeks to 2 months. You can work on removing these skin lesions after the Chikungunya viruses have quit your system, or else, they may reappear. Here are some easy home remedies for these rashes.
Prepare your food using olive oil which is rich in Vitamin E and anti-oxidants. They are effective in soothing irritation and itching in your skin. You can also mix olive oil with honey and rub it directly on your skin. Castor oil and coconut oil can also help.
Chikungunya rashes are filled with mucus. Baking soda helps in drying them up. This reduces the inflammation and itching sensation too. You can directly apply baking soda, after mixing it with some coconut oil.
Aloe Vera has antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, which help in treating skin ailments that are triggered by allergies, poison ivy, sunburn and Chikungunya. You can directly apply aloe vera gel or extract over the rashes.
Rub ice cubes (wrapped in a clean cloth or plastic) or ice pack over the skin lesions. This will help ease swelling, itching and inflammation. You can do this for 10 minutes a day.
