In the wake of the sudden increase in the number of Dengue cases, the Govt. does not accept it and taking  U-turn that "Mein Na Mannu" as more than one hundred death has been reported  and many thousands have been admitted for treatments.  Medical specialists have stressed and pleading for extreme caution in tackling the dengue which attacked around this time every year, it is important for all of us to revise the lessons learnt about this infection dengue over the years and develop a rationale approach.  It is a flu-like infectious disease, carried by mosquitoes and caused by any of the four-related dengue viruses. This disease used to be called 'break-bone' fever because it sometimes caused severe joint and muscle pain that felt like bones were breaking. Dengue is caused from the bite of an infected female mosquito (Aedes aegypti), sometimes also called tiger mosquito. It is most active during the daytime and has a short flight span, meaning that people in close vicinity of the infected person are the most likely to get affected by the disease. The eggs laid by the mosquito may be able to survive even for a period of years.  It can fly up to 100 - 110 yards and hence is generally confined to the domestic indoor atmosphere.

          "These mosquitoes usually bite during the day time. Its preferred breeding places being clean, stagnant water in shady areas. The mosquitoes become infected when they bite infected humans and later transmit the infection to other people they bite.  Dengue is not transmitted from person to person" . 

Heart patients more prone to contract Dengue

In a wake of dengue spreading in an epidemic-like form in the region has warned heart patients to be extra careful as they are more likely to contract the dreaded disease.  . The dengue fever was characterised  by severe  pain in the eyes, head and extremities.  A person develops fever within 3 to 14 days of being bitten by the mosquito.  The  Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever ( DHF ) is a more severe form of the disease, which may cause death.  It  happens in severe cases when the blood platelet  caught  becomes dangerously low. "Dengue very rarely affects the heart but if the virus travels to the heart, it may lead to a severe condition called myocarditis ( inflammation of the heart muscle ) causing decrease in the pumping capacity, which might further lead to strokes.  It also causes pericardial effusion - a condition  in which  the pericardium layer that surrounds the heart fills with water.

Therefore, the dengue patients with cardiac condition need to be extra cautious  as dengue fever may adversely affect cardiac function.  An echocardiography shows depressed myocardial contractibility and suboptimal (of less than the highest standard or quality ) heart-rate response in some patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever.. The infectious disease is manifested by a sudden onset of fever with severe headache, muscle and joint pains ( myalgias and arthralgias - severe pain gives it the name break-bone fever  or bone crusher disease ) and rashes; the dengue rash is characteristically bright red and usually appears first on the lower limbs and the chest. The kids below the age group of 15-years or so are more prone to severe infections, which can express itself in the form of hemorrhagic fever or dengue-shock syndrome in severe cases.

There is no specific treatment for dengue fever in allopathy but careful clinical management by experienced physicians and nurses is required, especially in case the patient has DHF , Vaccine development  for dengue and DHF is difficult because of the four different viruses which cause the disease.  All the same, efforts are on to develop a vaccine.

Fever treatment and maintenance of circulating fluid volume in the body is the central feature, with constant monitoring of the platelet count in the blood being a must.  In case the platelet count falls, the person has to be given blood.

Damp Walls leads to Dengue

During monsoon, dampness of walls is observed. They look as a big nuisance but we don't  take them as a serious health problem. According to a report published by The World Health Organisation (WHO) , damp walls and roof cause many health problems. Such problems are described as Sick Building Syndrome )SBS).  It is such a medical condition, a person using such premises suffer from illness of feeling unwell for no specific reason. SBS symptoms include sleeplessness. The severity of the problems depend upon the time spent in the building and these symptoms  disappear when they leave the building. While living in such damp surroundings, they come in contact with various toxins and that influence stays for a longer period. Continuous  contact with infected environment may lead to serious illness over a period. Some of the SBS symptoms the occupants of such buildings suffer from include  Eye, Nose or Throat, Irritation, Dry cough, Nausea, Head ache, loss of concentration, fatigue, dry or itchy skin, sensitivity to odours, repeated attacks of asthma , asthmatic symptoms in non-asthmatic person, bronchitis or pneumonia, depression, chronic dysentery and many more symptoms that all leads to Dengue.

To save themselves from such symptoms, the occupants of such buildings should not merely look at the seepage and dampness of the walls and roof, they should take immediate remedial steps health hazard because the presence of water in the walls becomes a lifeline for a large number of moulds, bacteria, pathogen and fungi. The best way to guard against these deadily creatures is to keep the walls dry.  Remember, if your building is sick, you are sick too !

Symptoms in  Nut shell

• The initial fever 3 to 4 days but it can be upto  7-days.

• After that, there is a sharp, shocking change.  Fever skyrockets suddenly, without warning and can be reach upto  107 degrees.

• There is physical shock and collapse.

• Hemorrhage under the skin (bruises, bleeding) everywhere. Bleeding from the nose, from the gums, blood in the urine and in the vomit and stools ( black and tar-like).

• The skin is clammy, the extremities, cold.  As hemorrhaging begins, the skin has blue and red spots over it known as  "petechiae".

• The face become a mottled blue colour ( cyanosis ).

• Blood pressure drops rapidly and may not be detectable.

• Lymph glands become enlarged.

• Diarrhoea.

• Swelling and  aching in all the joints of the body.  Known as 'break-bone' fever this symptom is worse than all your achy flue symptoms put together.  It hurts to move.  Your back will ache and there is a chilliness accompanying it.

Homoeopathic  Solution

Were proud and happy for having received many reports from various organizations stating that Homoeopathic Medicines are effective in prevention of Dengue..... the latest epidemic outburst fever. Many organizations reported that  Eupatorium perfoliatum  could be declared as "Genus Epidemicus" and  the  remedies "Rhus Tox" and "Bryonia"  had been successfully benefits many post pyrexia effects.

The author with a team consisting of Dr. Dharam Jit Singh Sodhi (Homoeopathic Medical Officer) & Dr. Harvinder Singh of Barnala (Punjab) are quite busy in developing / searching a new preventive medicine for Dengue, it is under experiments and trial will be started very soon.  The homoeopathic medicine will be in form of NOSODE and we are sure that a preventive dose will not have any side effects on the human body.

This is the right time to prove the efficacy of Homoeopathy with vital statistics, for which voluntary Health organizations, Educational Institutions and Research Centers should be dedicate their service and achieve the goal.  We have to appeal to the state and Union Govt. to place our system in the main stream in prevention and treatment of these epidemic outbursts. We can get success if  we may give SULPHUR-CM  1-dose every week on same day same time it will  prevent to Dengue during a  season.

Prevention and Control Measures

• In case of a dengue outbreak, which is mostly during the post-monsoon period, there is need to step up vector surveillance. Insecticides like pyrethrum should be sprayed in the houses to kill the adult mosquitoes.

• Eliminate mosquito-breeding places by emptying water containers, treating stagnant water bodies with Oil or filling them up.

• Keep septic tanks covered and the surroundings free from garbage and filth to eliminate mosquito-breeding areas.

• Keep your body fully covered and make children  wear full sleeves clothe with legs covered so that the body is not exposed to mosquito bite.

• Use mosquito nets and repellents while sleeping. The mosquito repellents in the form of creams containing DEET ( diethyl-toluamide) should be used along with the mosquito nets.

• Keep your body fully covered and make children  wear full sleeves clothe with legs covered so that the body is not exposed to mosquito bite.

• Use mosquito nets and repellents while sleeping. The mosquito repellents in the form of creams containing DEET ( diethyl-toluamide) should be used along with the mosquito nets.