Do you know the symptoms of dengue fever?

Dengue fever is the most rapidly transmitted mosquito-borne disease worldwide and is caused by four types of dengue virus. Dengue cases are increasing in different cities in Pakistan. According to an estimate, 400 million people worldwide experience dengue infections yearly, of which 96 million become ill.

Dengue fever is caused by the bite of a species of Aedes mosquito, which is infected with the dengue virus and transmits it in the blood after the bite. However, this disease cannot spread directly from one person to another.

Symptoms of Dengue

Dengue fever symptoms usually appear 4 to 6 days after becoming ill and often last up to 10 days. These symptoms include sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, severe joint and muscle pain, fatigue, vomiting, nausea, skin rash (which occurs 2 to 5 days after the onset of fever), slight bleeding ( nose, gums or easily scratched) are notable.

The symptoms are often mild and mistaken for the flu or another viral infection. In young children and people who have not been infected with dengue before, the severity of the disease is milder than in older children and adults.

But every patient is at risk of serious complications such as dengue hemorrhagic fever, a complication of high fever, damage to lymphatic and blood vessels, nose and gum bleeding, liver enlargement, and circulatory failure.

Severe symptoms can result in excessive bleeding and an increased risk of death. The risk of dengue hemorrhagic fever is high in people with weakened immune systems or who have had a second or multiple exposure to dengue.

Diagnosis and treatment of dengue

Doctors can diagnose dengue with a blood test. There is currently no specific medicine to treat dengue infection, and if you think you have dengue, pain relievers such as paracetamol can be used. Still, aspirin should be avoided, as it can worsen bleeding.

Patients should rest, drink plenty of water, and consult a doctor. If the condition worsens in the first 24 hours after the fever subsides, go to the hospital immediately for examination.

Precautions

As no vaccine is available to prevent dengue, use mosquito repellents to protect yourself, whether outside your home or office or indoors; wear a shirt with sleeves and socks at home if the home is AC. Run it, and keep mosquitos in windows and doors; if not AC, then use mosquito nets.

Similarly, to reduce the population of mosquitoes, follow measures to prevent their breeding, such as not allowing water to collect in old tires, vases, etc.

If someone in the household has dengue, take extra precautions to protect yourself and other family members. The mosquitoes that bite an infected person can spread the disease to other household members.