Dengue fever is a serious mosquito-borne disease that primarily occurs in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, especially in Southeast Asia and Pacific islands. Some of the mild symptoms of dengue are fever, rashes, muscles and joint pain. If you are experiencing above mentioned signs and symptoms, it is highly advised to get a check-up done at the earliest.
What are the symptoms of Dengue?
The Dengue symptoms in children and adults begin about three to 15 days after the mosquito bite transfers the virus into the body. Some of the initial symptoms are-
- Joint pain,
- Fever and chills that include- shivering and sweating simultaneously,
- Rashes (itchy) or red spots,
- Swollen lymph nodes,
- Back pain or pain behind the eyes.
In some cases, if the situation worsens it can be life-threatening as well. In such a condition, the blood vessels become damaged and leaky. The number of clot-forming cells also known as platelets present in the blood stream, drops to a great extent. Some of the serious symptoms of dengue in both children and adults are-
- Haemorrhagic fever,
- Persistent vomiting,
- Minor bleeding from gums and nose,
- Severe abdominal pain,
- Bleeding under the skin that looks like bruising,
- Problems in liver, heart, and lungs,
- Rashes can occur in the palm and feet lead to bacterial infections,
- Blood pressure may drop severely.
What are the causes of Dengue?
The symptoms of dengue occur when a person is bitten by a special type of infected mosquito, known as Aedes Aegypti. The virus is transferred from mosquitoes to human beings.
Some of the complications of dengue fever involve – dehydration, low blood pressure, slow heart rate, severe liver and neurological damage.
What are the risk factors for dengue?
Some of the common risk factors for dengue fever are-
- Traveling to tropical or endemic areas where dengue is a very common disease. It increases the risk of exposure to the virus can causes dengue fever.
- If one is repeatedly bitten by an infected mosquito.
- Taking no major precautionary measures to avoid mosquito bites.
What are diagnosis and treatment options for Dengue?
For diagnosing dengue fever, the patients first have to consult with the doctor about his/her medical and travel history. The most common blood test is Complete blood count in which the technician examines the Red blood cell (RBC) count, White blood cell (RBC) count and Platelet count of the patient. Other tests depend on the patient’s immunological response to the dengue virus, such as- Dengue viral plaque reduction test, IgG-ELISA, etc.
The treatment involves drinking plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. The doctor may order Acetaminophen (a type of drug) that helps to relieve pain and reduces fever. For home remedies, one can opt for papaya leaf extracts that are highly helpful in increasing the platelet level of the blood.
What are the precautionary measures that one must opt for?
The two important prevention tips that will help one to reduce the risk of mosquito bites are- wearing fully covered clothes while traveling and using a mosquito repellent that contains at least 10 percent concentration of DEET.