Dengue fever

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Dengue fever is a viral infection that is transmitted by 2 types of mosquitoes – Aedes aegypti and the Aedes albopictus species. Mild dengue fever causes rash, high fever and muscle or joint pain. A severe form of dengue fever is called dengue hemorrhagic fever which results to severe bleeding, sudden drop in the blood pressure or even death.

When bitten by a mosquito that is carrying dengue fever, the symptoms usually begin 4-7 days. In some cases, the symptoms can be experienced as early as 3 days or late as 2 weeks after bitten.

Symptoms of dengue fever

  • High fever ranging from 102-105 degrees F or 38.9-40.6 degrees C. The fever can last for 2-7 days, returns to normal temperature and then recur and last for several days or more.
  • Headaches
  • Muscle, bone and pain in the joints
    Dengue fever
    Muscle, bone and pain in the joints is one of the symptoms of dengue fever.
  • Pain behind the eyes
  • Rashes that spreads to all areas of the body
  • Vomiting and nausea
  • Sometimes, there is bleeding from the gums or nose

If the symptoms become worse such as blood vessels that are damaged and leaking, low level of blood platelets can result to severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding from the mouth and nose, bleeding under the skin that looks similar to bruising and development of the problems with the lungs, liver and the heart, seek medical help immediately.

Treatment

  • Get plenty of bed rest.
  • Drink plenty of fluids to remain hydrated. Excessive sweating caused by dengue fever and severe dehydration is common. You can lower the body temperature and keep the body hydrated by drinking plenty of water to replace the loss of fluids. Drinking plenty of water minimizes the symptoms such as headaches and muscle cramps which both results to dehydration. Water flushes out the excess toxins from the body.
  • Take the prescribed pain medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen and naproxen to lessen the fever and discomfort caused by dengue fever.
  • Avoid taking aspirin products to minimize the risk for bleeding

If the symptoms persist, develops signs of bleeding, trouble maintaining the reliability of the blood vessels such as presence of blood in the urine, persistent vomiting and nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting blood or coffee-ground material, bruising easily, difficulty in breathing, nose and gums are bleeding, seek medical help immediately.

Other remedies

  • Soak and boil some neem leaves in the water and drink the solution. This helps increase both the blood platelet count and white blood cell counts. Boiled neem leaves also improve the immunity of the body and return the strength of the body. Neem oil is also a purifying agent. Apply neem oil in a damp cloth and place on the forehead for at least 2-3 times every day.
  • Juice from the papaya leaves is highly beneficial for its nutrients and organic compounds which increases the platelet count while the vitamin C elements of papaya leaves stimulates the immune system of the body and the antioxidants lessens oxidative stress and eliminates toxins found in the blood.

Tips

  • Wear protective clothing. When going out in mosquito-infested areas, wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and shoes with socks.
  • Stay in air-conditioned rooms or well-screened housing. Mosquitoes that causes dengue fever are active from dawn to dusk and can also bite at night time.
  • Use a mosquito repellent that can be applied to clothing, shoes, camping gear and bed netting. For skin, use at least one that has 10% concentration of DEET.

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