Abstract
People panic soon after they hear the word dengue from the doctor's mouth.This article gives some awareness and also will calm down people.
Published on Feb 08, 2016 and last reviewed on Jan 04, 2022 - 2 min read
Abstract
People panic soon after they hear the word dengue from the doctor's mouth.This article gives some awareness and also will calm down people.
There are lots of people getting affected with dengue infection, the severity ranging from mild to severe, even causing death.
As most of you might be knowing dengue is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes. The mosquito which spreads dengue is active and bites during the day time and not in the night time. So, it is important to take mosquito preventive measures even during the day time.
The symptoms are fever (mild to high ), backache, headache, eye pain, weakness, rashes, abdominal pain and nausea. Patient can take Paracetamol for fever and body pain but should not take any other painkillers like Aspirin or Combiflam. If fever persists for 2 days, then consult your doctor and get lab tests done.
Monitor Platelet Count:
Prevention of Dengue:
If you have fever for more than two days, immediately consult an internal medicine physician online --> https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/internal-medicine-physician
The 4S of dengue prevention stands for search and destroy mosquito-breeding sites, seek early consultation, self-protection measures like wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts, and support fogging/spraying only in hotspot areas.
The fastest and most effective way to prevent dengue is to use insect repellent, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants to avoid mosquito bites, and control mosquitoes inside and outside your home.
Dengue is a viral infection transmitted to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti (more common) or Aedes albopictus (less common) mosquitoes. And the virus responsible for causing dengue is called dengue virus (DENV).
The alarming signs of dengue include abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, clinical fluid accumulation, bleeding from the nose or gums, blood in urine, stools, or vomit, and feeling tired, restless, or irritable.
Two types of tests are done in dengue - Direct (antigen tests) and indirect (antibody tests). The direct test should be done within five days during the initial phase of infection and starts to show false negative results after seven days. Indirect antibody tests are done at different periods for specific antibodies, such as IgM - after the 4th day of infection and IgG - in the later phase 14-21 days of infection.
The dengue mosquito Aedes aegypti mainly bites during the daytime. The most active time for mosquitoes is two hours after sunrise and several hours before sunset. However, it can also bite at night in well-lit areas.
People who live or have recently traveled to tropical and subtropical areas are at higher risk of getting dengue fever. Moreover, people who had dengue fever in the past can develop severe symptoms if they get it again.
In case of infection, a blood test can be done to check the presence of the dengue virus. Although the diagnosis of dengue fever is complicated based on its signs and symptoms as they resemble other diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever, and chikungunya.
The patient with the following symptoms needs to be admitted to the hospital:
- Severe abdominal pain.
- Persistent vomiting.
- Lethargy.
- Restlessness.
- Rapid changes in body temperature from high to low.
- Looking pale.
- Limbs become cold and clammy.
The normal platelet count in the body ranges from 1.5 to 4 lakhs, which can go down to as low as 20,000 to 40,000 in dengue patients. The platelet count below 20,000 is the critical level.
As such, there is no cure or specific treatment for dengue. However, patients can be admitted to the hospital or rest at home as the treatment is aimed at relieving the symptoms until the infection is gone.
The platelet count can be increased by making some dietary changes or taking supplements such as eating more green leafy vegetables, increasing folate consumption, eating food rich in vitamins B12, C, D, and K, and eating more citrus and iron-rich foods.
The incubation period of dengue ranges from three to 14 days. And the symptoms of dengue fever typically last two to seven days. And most people recover from dengue in about seven to ten days.
In case of untreated dengue, the fever can cause internal bleeding and organ damage; therefore, blood pressure can drop to dangerous levels leading to shock and can also be fatal.
Most people with dengue recover on their own without any complications. In the recovery phase, the patient's vital signs and gastrointestinal symptoms improve, the fever subsides, and appetite normalizes.
Last reviewed at:
04 Jan 2022 - 2 min read
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Internal Medicine
Comprehensive Medical Second Opinion.Submit your Case
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