Dengue

WHAT IS DENGUE AND HOW DO YOU CONTRACT IT?

Dengue is a viral infection that leads to fever and in some cases bleeding. When a person starts bleeding, he is said to suffer from dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). The infection is caused by four different but related strains of the dengue virus. Hence, a person can contract dengue more than once as an infection by one strain of virus gives no immunity against infection from another strain. Dengue fever is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The infection can not spread from person to person. It is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. The mosquito becomes infected when it bites a human being suffering from dengue. The mosquito can be easily identified by its peculiar white spotted by its peculiar white spotted body and legs. It is a highly domestic mosquito that breeds in clean water and has a flight range of only 100-200 meters. It mostly rests indoors, though it could be any cool shaded places inside or outside the house. The female mosquito lays eggs in water containers around homes and other dwellings and the eggs develop into adults in about 10 days.

HOW PREVALENT IS DENGUE? HOW MANY PEOPLE DIE FROM DENGUE? 

WORLD health organization (WHO) states that over 100 countries are endemic for dengue, especially DHF. According to estimates, over 50 million infections with about 400,000 cases of DHF are reported annually.

According to WHO estimates for 2002, eight countries in South Asia, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal, accounted for 9000 deaths from dengue. Globally, only 19000 of the 57 million-odd deaths were due to dengue. Clearly, dengue is a relatively minor killer. 

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF DENGUE? HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE DENGUE FEVER FROM OTHER KINDS OF FEVER?

Sudden onset of high fever is one of the first symptoms of dengue. The fever can be as high as 103-104 degree Fahrenheit. It is accompanied by severe headache (mostly in the forehead), pain behind the eyes, body aches and pain, rashes on the body, nausea and vomiting. The fever usually lasts for five to seven days. A patient need not necessarily have all these symptoms. The first symptoms occur after 5-7 days after an infected bite. The symptoms that distinguish dengue from other fevers are pain behind the eyes, severe joint pain in dengue that gives it the name Breakbone fever.

HOW DO YOU TREAT DENGUE FEVER WITH CONVENTIONAL MEDICINES?

AS with most viral infections, there is no specific cure for dengue. Antibiotics are useless. Paracetamol can be taken to bring the fever down. In most cases, the patient can be treated at home. The patient needs lot of rest, lots of fluid and a nutritious diet. Sufficient fluid intake is crucial, because in case the fever progresses to become DHF (Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever) or even DSS (Dengue Shock Syndrome, loss of body fluid or blood is the most salient feature. Medicines like Aspirin and Brufen should be avoided as they increase the risk of bleeding.

WHEN DOES DENGUE FEVER BECOME DANGEROUS? CAN DENGUE KILL?

The infection could damage blood vessels. The damage could lead to leaking of blood or plasma into organs or even complete breakage of blood vessels causing severe bleeding. The symptoms of DHF and DSS are a result of the damage to blood vessels and due to the clotting mechanism of blood being adversely affected. As long it is just dengue there is no risk of death, but, if it progresses to become DHF or DSS it could lead to death. But good quality treatment at the right time can save even patients of DHF or DSS. Usually the fever becomes DHF or DSS after 3-5 days. At this time often, the fever would have come down, misleading people into believing that they are on their way back to recovery. In fact this is the most dangerous time when the care-giver has to be alert to any symptom like severe abdomen pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding from any site, bleeding in the skin appearing as small red or purplish spots and passage of black stools. The most dangerous is DSS characterized by excessive thirst, pale and cold skin (due to low blood pressure) restlessness and a feeling of weakness. 

HOW CAN DENGUE BE PREVENTED?

Preventing the breeding of mosquitoes is the main strategy for dengue prevention. There is no way to tell if a mosquito is carrying the dengue virus. Therefore people must protect themselves from all mosquito bites. Community action is the key as all people in the locality have to be involved in keeping the place free of any mosquito breeding sites. Since these mosquitoes breed in stored exposed water, collect and destroy containers in which water collects like tyres, water coolers flower pots etc. If collected water cannot be covered or drained, use insecticides to prevent the mosquito larvae from developing into adults.

WHAT CAN HOMEOPATHY DO IN DENGUE?

Homoeopathy has a very good scope in the treatment of Dengue although Dengue fever is usually self-limiting and will resolve with time. Symptomatic treatment is recommended after excluding other more dangerous diseases. There is no preventive currently available for Dengue in any other system of medicine except Homeopathy.

During the recent epidemic of Dengue Homeopathy was found to be most effective not only during illness but for the post Dengue complaints also.