DENGUE

When a mosquito bites you, the dengue virus can enter your blood and multiply there, resulting in dengue fever. You may feel ill due to the virus itself and the immune system's reaction. The virus can destroy parts of your blood that form clots and give structure to your blood vessels. This, along with certain chemicals that your immune system creates, can make your blood leak out of your vessels and cause internal bleeding.

Let’s take a look at the many symptoms, causes, and treatments for dengue fever. 

SYMPTOMS

Human body showing most common symptom of dengue is fever with any of the following.

  • Nausea, vomiting
  • Weakness
  • Rash
  • Aches and pains (eye pain, typically behind the eyes, muscle, joint, or bone pain)
  • Mild bleeding from mouth and gums.
  • Muscle pain

Dengue fever start to appear four to 10 days after a mosquito bite and can last three to seven days.

CAUSES

Dengue is spread by Aedes mosquitos, which also carry viruses like Zika and chikungunya. The mosquitos bites someone with dengue fever and then bites someone else, causing them to become infected.

PREVENTION

  • Wear long-sleeved clothing to avoid skin exposure.
  • Use mosquito repellents.
  • Set up mosquito nets.
  • Ensure that your home's water tanks and drums are clean.

TREATMENT

There is no treatment of dengue fever, but there are a couple of ways in which you can reduce the discomfort caused by dengue fever and speed up your recovery from this illness.

  • Keeping yourself hydrated is key to dengue treatment. Due to nausea, vomiting and other internal body processes, loss of fluids is inevitable and there is a risk of dehydration.
  •  Dengue fever has the power to render even the strongest of us unconscious, so the least we can do is ensure that our bodies get enough rest.
  • You may boost your platelet count and immunity using a number of natural therapies. Effective approaches to combat dengue fever include giloy and guava juice for immunity-building, papaya leaf juice for increased platelet count, and other natural remedies.

LIFE THREATING SIGN

  • Bleeding
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Uncontrolled vomiting
  • Petechiae (small red spots or purple splotches or blisters under the skin).

If you have any life threatening signs, go to the emergency room immediately. Severe dengue is a medical emergency. It requires immediate medical care at a clinic or hospital. To avoid dengue fever, it is best to be cautious and avoid mosquito bites. Contact our doctors if you or a loved one is suffering from Dengue. Call us at 051-2722294 for more information, or visit our website at www.gmc.org.pk for more info.