At present, the dengue outbreak has increased a lot throughout the country. It has become a major public health problem in Bangladesh due to the increase in dengue mortality in recent years. Dengue fever becomes more prominent every year during the monsoons. In today’s article I will tell you in detail about the symptoms of dengue, what is its treatment and what precautions should be followed.
Table of Contents
What is dengue?
Dengue fever is caused by the dengue virus. Dengue is transmitted by the bite of a female Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries this virus. When a person is bitten by a mosquito that transmits dengue fever, the person becomes infected with dengue fever within four to six days. Now, if this affected person is bitten by a sterile Aedes mosquito, that mosquito becomes a dengue-carrying mosquito. In this way, dengue is transmitted from one person to another through mosquitoes.
How to know if you are infected with dengue?
Dengue usually does not have distinctive symptoms. Many people ignore it as a viral fever. However, it can be distinguished from viral fever by seeing some symptoms. For example-
- Dengue fever usually causes high fever and severe body aches.
- Fever can range from 102 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit
- Pain in the head and behind the eyes
- There is severe pain in the body, especially in the bones, waist, back, joints and muscles.
- For four to five days of fever, a red rash appears all over the body.
- Diarrhea, nausea, and even vomiting may occur.
- Excessive fatigue and loss of appetite.
- Sometimes the pain is so intense that it feels like the bones are breaking. So another name for this fever is ‘broken bone fever’ or broken bone fever.
Fever stage
Dengue generally has two stages. They are-
Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever: The hemorrhagic stage is the most complicated form of this fever. At this time, some other problems appear along with the common dengue symptoms. The bleeding starts in different parts of the body, such as the root of the teeth, the nose and the mouth. Many times water in the chest, water in the stomach etc. symptoms may appear.
Dengue Shock Syndrome: Dengue shock syndrome is a severe form of this fever. This syndrome occurs due to circulatory failure with dengue hemorrhagic fever. This can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, the pulse becomes very weak and rapid. Lowers body temperature. Kidney function deteriorates and the patient’s urine output decreases. Sometimes the condition can become complicated and lead to the death of the patient.
Treatment and precautions
There is no specific antiviral treatment for dengue. Dengue does not require hospital admission. Just visit a primary care center or your regular doctor’s office and get treatment based on signs or symptoms. Some precautions should also be taken. For example-
- The affected patient should always rest inside the mosquito net.
- Drink plenty of water and fluids in addition to normal meals.
- The body can be cleaned with water to reduce fever.
- If the fever is high, only paracetamol can be taken.
- Aspirin or any other pain reliever should not be given.
- It should be noted if the patient urinates the amount of fluid he drinks
- Even after the fever improves, the body remains very weak for some time. At this time, it is necessary to eat a lot of liquid food, protein-rich food, milk, eggs, fish and fruits.
Is there something to fear if the platelets decrease?
The platelet count is usually low in dengue fever. A lot of people got scared by this. A low platelet count does not justify a blood transfusion. Because even if the platelet count is low, if the vital signs or blood pressure, pulse, etc. are normal, then there is no need to rush for a blood transfusion. As long as there is no bleeding, there is no reason to panic. But the platelet count should be checked daily based on the amount of count. However, if the platelet count falls below 10,000, a platelet transfusion or blood transfusion can be done to avoid risk. However, it must be remembered that in each case the doctor must be closely monitored and the advice must be followed.
If you have dengue, you should not panic and be careful. Most dengue fever patients usually recover on their own within 5 to 10 days. But the critical phase begins after the fever subsides. So don’t think all is well when the fever subsides. If severe symptoms occur, see a doctor immediately. Do not self-medicate. Because the wrong medicine can cause a health disaster. So if you have a fever during this time, get tested to make sure you are infected with dengue. If you have dengue, don’t panic and take the treatment at the right time. Be aware, stay healthy.