Do’s and Don’ts of Dengue Fever

Dengue fever is a viral infection that is caused by the bite of an infected mosquito. This fever is not contagious, so it can’t spread from person to person.

In most cases, symptoms manifest a week after the bite of an infected mosquito. These symptoms include:

• Headaches
• High Fever
• Muscle and joint pain
• Nausea
• Widespread rashes

While the mild cases of dengue fever recover in a week or two, in 1% of the cases dengue has been known to prove fatal. Hence, it is extremely important to visit a doctor if such symptoms are noticed, especially if one stays in an area where dengue is known to be prevalent.

• These are a few things that you can do at home to help a patient recover:
• Use a wet cloth to keep the body temperature below 39 degrees Celsius
• Here are some natural remedies which can help treat the symptoms of this condition
• Ask the patient to drink large amounts of fluids like water, soup, milk and juice
• Ensure complete bed rest

Prevention is always better than cure. Here a few things you should consider:

• Place mosquito nets on all your windows
• Do not allow stagnant water collection in your house
• Keep a close check on all plants, potted or otherwise
• When outdoors, especially in the evening, wear clothes which cover you fully
• Use mosquito repellent creams or patches or bands through the day, not just at night
• At home use of natural oils like Citronella and Eucalyptus to repel the mosquitoes