Dengue Awareness: Preventive measures, Symptoms, Treatment



Dengue fever is a disease caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes. It is spread by what's known as the tiger mosquito (Aedes Aegypti), which has black and white stripes and typically bites early in the morning or at dawn. Dengue goes by other names, including "break bone fever".

Symptoms of dengue fever include severe :
joint and muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, headache, fever, exhaustion, and rash.

Complications:

Complication of dengue fever is called Denguehaemorrhagic fever (DHF). It is a specific syndrome that tends to affect children under 10 years of age. This complication of dengue causes abdominal pain, haemorrhage (bleeding), and circulatory collapse (shock).

Treatment:

There are no specific antibiotics or antiviral medication to treat it. For typical dengue, the treatment is concerned with relief of the symptoms and signs. Rest and fluid intake (oral rehydration) are important. Pain relievers such as aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should only be taken under a doctor's supervision because of the possibility of worsening bleeding complications. Pain killers can be given for headache and for joint and muscle pain (myalgia). Platelet count should be monitored through the course of the illness.  Sometimes hospitalization for dengue maybe advised depending upon the patients condition receive IV fluids.

Preventive measures
-As it's transmitted via mosquitoes, one should wear a strong insect repellent containing DEET to prevent getting bitten.
-People should also wear full sleeve clothing when out in the day.
- It is important to remember that the dengue mosquito usually bites only in the day time and breeds in clean, fresh water. So any water accumulation should be avoided.

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