What is Dengue? Symptoms, Causes and Treatment.

31 Dec, 2020

What is Dengue? Symptoms, Causes and Treatment.

Overview

With winters rises the threat of Dengue which is caused due to mosquitoes. Dengue is a vector-borne illness caused due to mosquitoes, and Dengue fever is also called DENG-gey fever. Furthermore, it prominently occurs in the subtropical and tropical regions of the world. It has to be noted that mild Dengue also leads to high fever along with other flu-like symptoms. On the other hand, severe Dengue is also known as dengue hemorrhagic fever. Some of the common symptoms include a drop in blood pressure, bleeding, and often death.

As per research, every year, there are over millions of dengue cases detected globally. Besides, it is commonest in regions like western Pacific islands, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. However, over the years, it has been spreading like wildfire to other regions, including Europe and the southernmost regions of the United States.

It has led to many researchers working rigorously on discovering vaccines for Dengue. As of now, researchers and scientists suggest taking preventive measures to avoid infection caused by mosquitoes, thereby reducing its population.

What are the common symptoms of Dengue?

It has to be noted that not often every individual infected by Dengue face similar signs and symptoms. Moreover, many people do not experience any symptoms at all. Besides, whenever they experience the symptoms, it is mistaken for some other illness such as flu.

As per studies, the symptoms of dengue infection begin to show 4 to 10 days after being bitten by a mosquito. It often leads to a fever ranging to 104 F, which is 40 degrees Celsius.

Read below the signs and symptoms of Dengue.

  • Muscle pain, including joint and bone pain
  • Severe Headache
  • Nausea and feeling like vomiting
  • Severe pain in the eyes
  • Rash and swollen glands

Many people tend to recover from Dengue within a week or more. However, in some cases, the symptoms may worsen further, leading to life-threatening situations. It is then called severe dengue or dengue shock syndrome or dengue hemorrhagic fever.

Severe Dengue usually occurs when the blood vessels turn leaky and damaged. That leads to a drop in the count of clot-forming platelets in the bloodstream, thereby leading to internal bleeding, shock, organ failure, and often death.

It is thus imperative to be well-aware of the warning signs for dengue fever which can lead to a life-threatening emergency. The symptoms usually begin after a day or two once the fever recedes.

These include:

  • Bleeding from nose or gums
  • Excessive stomach pain
  • Continuous vomiting
  • Passing blood through stool, urine, or vomit
  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Bleeding from the skin that can resemble bruises
  • Restlessness and irritability

When should you see a doctor?

It is necessary not to take the symptoms of severe dengue fever lightly and immediately seek the advice of a medical practitioner, especially if you have visited any region where the dengue fever was prevalent. Besides, if you have a fever and other warning signs, do not seek medical attention. Some warning signs include vomiting, stools, bleeding from the nose or gums, difficulty breathing, and stomach pain. On the other hand, if you have been on travel and suddenly developed a fever or any mild symptoms similar to dengue fever, you must consult a doctor.

What are the Causes of Dengue?

Dengue is caused mainly due to any of the four different types of dengue viruses. Moreover, it is not an infectious disease spread on being in proximity of a Dengue-infected person. It is a vector-borne disease that is caused only when bitten by dengue mosquitoes.

Two types of mosquitoes spread the dengue virus, commonly found in and across human lodgings. Whenever a mosquito bites a person infected with the dengue virus, the virus enters the mosquitoes both. Then, on being bitten by this infected mosquito, the virus enters the other person’s bloodstream, leading to infection.

After recovering from dengue fever, the person gains a long-term immunity to fight against the virus that infected you. However, you are still susceptible to the other three viruses that cause dengue fever, and thus, you can get infected by Dengue again by any other three types of virus. Besides, the risk of dengue fever increases as you get fever for the second, third or fourth time.

Methods to Prevent Mosquito Bites

The WHO stresses that a vaccine cannot be an effective tool against fighting Dengue, especially in areas where dengue fever is common. Thus, the only method preventing Dengue is by preventing mosquito bites and controlling the population of mosquitoes from surging who happens to be the primary reason for the infection.

If you reside in an area where fever from Dengue is common, then read the below-mentioned tips to reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes.

  • Reside in an air-conditioned room that is well-screened. Mosquitoes are most active from dawn until dusk. Thus, keep the room cool and screened to avoid mosquito bites at night.
  • Be full-clothing to protect from mosquito bites; you can wear long pants, full-sleeved clothing, socks, and shoes.
  • Make use of mosquito repellent. Apply Permethrin to your shoes, clothing, bed nets, and camping gear. You can also purchase clothing that already has Permethrin in it. On the other hand, using a repellent containing 10% of DEET concentration is of utmost necessity for the skin.
  • Mosquitoes live in houses where they mostly breed on standing water and areas like automobile tires. The best way to eliminate the habitat of mosquitoes is to eliminate habitats where the eggs are laid. Thus, ensure to clean areas with standing water once a week, such as animal dishes, planting containers, and flower vases. Also, ensure to keep the containers covered when cleaning.

How is Dengue Diagnosed?

It is rather difficult to diagnose dengue fever as one may confuse the signs and symptoms with any other flu such as Zika Virus, Chikungunya, Typhoid Fever, and Malaria.

Besides, your doctor may ask you about your recent travel or other medical conditions. Ensure to not miss your details about any recent international to regions where Dengue is prevalent and mention the dates and if you came in contact to any area where the illness is spreading.

For diagnosis, the doctor may draw a blood sample and get it tested in the lab as evidence for infection for one of the dengue viruses.

How is Dengue Treated?

Until now, there is no specific treatment that has been discovered for dengue fever. On recovering from Dengue, it is necessary to drink plenty of water and fluids. Connect to your doctor in the case you experience any signs or symptoms of dehydration or any of the following symptoms such as:

  • Few to no tears
  • Reduced Urination
  • Dry lips and mouth
  • Confusion and lethargy
  • Clammy extremities or excessive cold.

Over-the-counter drugs (OTC) such as acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol, helps in reducing fever and muscle pain. If you have dengue fever, do not take OTC pain relievers such as ibuprofen, including Motrin IB, Advil, etc., or Asprin or naproxen sodium or Aleve; these pain relievers increase the risk of dengue fever leading to complications like bleeding.

If you are having severe dengue fever, you can take the following precautions:

  • Monitoring of blood pressure
  • Get care in the hospital
  • Intravenous (IV) fluid
  • Electrolyte replacement
  • Transfusing for replacing the loss of blood

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