What Is Dengue Fever?
Dengue fever is a painful illness, also known as ‘break bone fever, because of the severe joint pain it produces. It is caused by the dengue virus. It is spread by infected Aedes mosquitoes and is not transmissible from person to person.
There are five different types of dengue virus, infection with one type will lead to immunity to only that type, and if a person is infected with one of the other types, they may then suffer life-threatening Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever/Dengue Shock Syndrome as a result of antibody-dependent enhancement of dengue infection.
Symptoms of Dengue Fever:
The majority of people (80%) infected with the dengue virus are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms such as a fever. The symptoms can be mild, and they can be confused with the flu or another viral infection. The virus has a milder effect on younger children and people who have never had it before than it does on older children and adults.
People with weakened immune systems, as well as those who have had a second or subsequent dengue infection, are thought to be more likely to develop dengue hemorrhagic fever.
Symptoms often appear four to six days after infection and can continue up to ten days.
- High fever with no warning
- Headaches that are severe
- The back of the eyes ache
- Joint and muscular pain that is excruciating
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Consult doctor home visit if you are experiencing symptoms like intolerable severe aches, recurrent vomiting, headache/body ache, high-grade fever, low BP, severe exertion, body rashes, drowsiness, etc. The riskiest period is between the third and the seventh day of illness. However, there is no need to panic, and no platelet transfusion is required unless the platelet count is less than 10,000 or there is spontaneous bleeding.
Preventive Measures:
Controlling and protecting against mosquito bites, which spread the disease, is critical for prevention. Taking precautions and attempting to reduce the mosquito population is required.
- Always use a mosquito repellent spray or lotion on your body before venturing out and try to stay in well-screened areas.
- Wear full-sleeved clothing.
- As the dengue mosquito bites during the day, make sure that your sleeping area has mosquito netting over the bed if you sleep in the afternoon.
- Do not allow dengue patients to go to crowded places such as the office or school.
- Do not leave any standing water containers outside where mosquitoes can breed.
- Pour one tablespoon of kerosene or petrol over standing water to deprive mosquitos of the oxygen they need to reproduce.
- Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids such as coconut water, lemonade, and so on.
If you have been in a dengue fever-endemic area and have a fever that lasts more than two days, it is safer to get a doctor’s home visit right away.
Diagnosis and Treatment:
Dengue fever is typically diagnosed clinically, based on symptoms reported and physical examination; this is especially true in endemic areas.
A blood test can detect dengue infection by looking for the virus or antibodies to it. If you become ill after visiting a tropical location, notify your doctor. This will enable your home visit doctor to determine whether your symptoms are caused by a dengue infection.
Dengue fever has no specific treatment. Take acetaminophen-based pain relievers and avoid aspirin-based medications if you suspect you have dengue fever. Get plenty of rest, drink plenty of water, and consult your home visit doctor in Bangalore. If you begin to feel worse within the first 24 hours after your fever has subsided, seek medical attention immediately.
Important Advice:
There exists a group of fevers called tropical fevers, which includes malaria, leptospirosis, Scrub typhus, dengue, etc. The reason these fevers are grouped together is that they all present with no systemic localization, such as coughing, diarrhea, abdominal pain, burning sensation while passing urine, and so on.
All of these fevers are characterized by fever, body pain, headache, and general tiredness. When left untreated, each of these diseases takes a different path after the first few days, resulting in a variety of complications.
Given such a situation, it is not advisable to make a diagnosis on your own. Kindly consult your home visit doctor in Bangalore as soon as possible.
