Dengue Fever: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Dengue fever is caused by the dengue virus. The virus is spread by the Aedes mosquito, which also transmits Zika and Chikungunya viruses. Dengue fever has been discovered as a major source of sickness in mosquito-infested locations around the world. Dengue virus is divided into four varieties, each of which can infect you four times over your lifetime.

Let’s take a look at the many symptoms, causes, and treatments for dengue fever.

What Are the Symptoms of Dengue Fever?

Dengue fever symptoms could be mild or severe. The following are mild symptoms of dengue fever:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Pains: You could experience pain behind your eyes, joint pains, bone pains, and/or muscle pains. 
• Headaches
• Rash in the chest and throat areas

Mild symptoms don’t last more than 2 to 7 days. You are most likely to recover within a week. However, symptoms could become severe in a matter of hours, so you need to watch out for the signs.

Severe dengue symptoms include: 

• Tenderness or pain in the belly
• Traces of bloody stool or blood with vomiting
• Nasal bleeding or bleeding from the gums
• Vomiting more than thrice a day
• Experiencing irritability, restlessness, or lethargy (tiredness)
• Hemorrhagic dengue fever starts in a mild form but soon becomes worse. 

Mild dengue could be accompanied by internal bleeding. The symptoms include: 

• Bleeding of gums, mouth, or nose
• Cold and damp hands
• Lower platelet counts in your blood
• An easily-upset stomach
• Weakness of pulse
• Internal bleeding that could cause black stool, faeces, or vomit
• Damaging the Lymph and blood vessels 

If not treated in time, it could lead to extreme health risks and even death in some rare cases.

Treatment of Dengue Fever

Since dengue is an infection, the most direct mode of treatment is the removal of the pathogen and keeping the complications within limits. There is no specific medication for the treatment of dengue. For mild symptoms, you need to:

• Inform your healthcare provider if you experience symptoms of dengue, particularly if you are planning to travel
• Take adequate rest
• If you have fever and pain, consult your doctor regarding medication
• Keep yourself hydrated by taking sufficient fluids. Add some electrolytes for better results.
• Home treatment in the case of mild symptoms.

Causes of Dengue Fever

Because dengue fever is not contagious, you will not contract it if you are in close proximity to someone who is affected. It can only be spread by mosquito bites. Dengue is spread by a mosquito biting a person who has been infected with the virus. The insect then bites and infects a healthy individual. Only the type of virus from which you were infected will give you long-term immunity; you are not immune to the rest of the forms variants of the virus. When you get dengue more than once, your chances of getting the severe form of the disease increase.

Prevention of Dengue Fever

Wear long-sleeved clothing to avoid skin exposure, use mosquito repellents, set up mosquito nets, and install nets on doors and windows to prevent dengue. Mosquitoes that transmit dengue fever can be found in nearly every tropical and subtropical region of the world, including many parts of India. Make sure that there is no stagnant water body near you. Even small and stagnant water puddles can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Clean the water drums and water tanks in your house to prevent mosquitoes from reproducing. These methods of prevention can be effective for all types of diseases carried by mosquitoes. 

Dengue Fever Treatment by Critical Care Specialists at Regency Health

If you have any of the severe dengue symptoms listed above, you should seek medical help immediately. A team of critical care professionals at Regency Health will ensure that you receive the appropriate treatment for the severity of your disease. This multispecialty hospital is your one-stop recommendation for all of your emergency medical requirements, from emergency to intensive care, cardiology to internal medicine. 

To know more about Regency Health click here.