Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection spread by the bite of the aedes aegypti mosquito. According to World Health Organisation 390 million dengue infections are reported every year of which 96 million show clinical symptoms.

What are the Symptoms of Dengue

Dengue fever generally lasts for 7 to 10 days. The symptoms start showing within five to six days after a person is bitten by an infected mosquito. You should look for these symptoms to nail down if a person is suffering from Dengue.

High grade fever accompanied with severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps, bleeding from the gums, nose or ears, rashes are some of the common symptoms of dengue. A decrease in the platelet count is also observed after 3 days of the starting of the fever.

What is the Treatment for Dengue

There is no specific treatment for dengue fever. However, maintenance of the patient’s body fluid volume is critical to severe dengue care. Drinking lots of fluids to prevent dehydration is advised. No antibiotics should be taken if dengue is suspected. The treatment for dengue essentially is managing symptoms of dengue. Take pain relievers with acetaminophen like paracetamol to ease off pain and fever. Avoid medicines with aspirin it will worsen bleeding.

Emergency hospital admission should be done in case the patient has a platelets count less than 30,000 or bleeding from the gums, nose, ears or there is blood in the stool or urine, has severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting and breathing difficulty with rashes and red spots on abdomen, arms. Platelet transfusion may be needed if platelets fall below 10,000 platelets per micro litre of blood.

In late 2015 and early 2016, the first dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia (CYD-TDV) by Sanofi Pasteur, was registered in several countries for use in individuals 9-45 years of age living in endemic areas. However, it still needs additional clinical studies before it can be marketed in India.

How can Dengue be prevented?

‘Prevention is Better than Cure’ is an old adage that holds good for every health issue including Dengue. There is no specific cure for dengue and complications in severe dengue cases may lead to death. It is best we protect ourselves and our families from the dengue-causing mosquitoes. Not just dengue, a single mosquito bite can cause an array of diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and chikungunya. Here are some tips that will help you know how to protect your family from Dengue.

Firstly, it is essential to control mosquito breeding and eliminate larvae by keeping your home and surroundings dry. Remove any standing water from containers, bird-baths, potholes, old tyres, garden pots etc.

Secure windows and doors with screens. Ensure there are no holes in the screens. When sleeping in night, use bed nets tucked properly under your mattress. Switch on Good knight mosquito repellent machine for a relaxed and mosquito-free peaceful sleep. It can be used indoors during daytime as well. It has Dual mode advantage.  Use Normal mode when there are few mosquitoes & Activ mode when there are many mosquitoes.

Cover yourself. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into socks when outdoors. Apply 4 dots of Good knight Fabric Roll-On on clothes, especially your kids’ clothes, to keep mosquitoes away outdoors. This roll on repellent is 100% natural containing pure citronella and eucalyptus oil. Long lasting, it comes in two lovely fragrances – lively bubblegum and refreshing citrus. Kids will love these fragrances! Kids can now have non-stop fun outdoors with freedom from the itchy bites. It is totally baby-safe and is certified by pediatricians. You can take your toddler out for a stroll too with applying this on their clothes.

Keeping mosquitoes at bay will reduce the risk for your family the exposure to other mosquito-borne diseases like Malaria and chikungunya. It is essential to know the ways to protect your family from these diseases as well. You can get more information on symptoms of chikungunya and malaria symptoms and their treatment from the websites of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and The National Vector Borne Disease Control Program of India (NVBDCP).

Remember, take your family member to a local physician in case of fever for an early consultation and its follow up. This will ensure your family member gets timely treatment for any symptoms of the disease.