The rains almost always bring about a plethora of diseases with fevers of different kinds. Dengue, typhoid and chikungunya can be regarded as the top three tropical fevers and diagnosing them sometimes become quite tricky as all of them have similar symptoms and the laboratory tests are not always precise. The best you can do is be aware of the early symptoms and signs as successful treatment is heavily dependent on the detection of early symptoms of the fever you are suffering from.

Dengue

Causes: Dengue is considered as a serious viral ailment and is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. This fever occurs in two varieties, uncomplicated fever and the more serious haemorrhagic fever. The latter is the second leading form of the viral disease, leading to bleeding and shock and in the most severe instances. It can also be fatal, especially for children.
Symptoms: The symptoms may vary as per the age and physical condition of the patient. If you are affected with a sudden onset of very high fever along with headaches, rashes and pain behind the eyes, with loss of appetite and vomiting tendencies, then you must consult a doctor. It can also cause weak pulses, difficulty in breathing, restlessness and bleeding from the nose or gums along with blotchiness under the skin.

Typhoid
Causes: Typhoid is a bacterial ailment and mainly occurs due to unhygienic toilet habits, impure drinking water, and it can be transmitted to others through flies, food, faeces, touch and fornication.
Symptoms: The most common symptoms of typhoid fever include high fever, rashes all over the skin, cough, headache and loss of appetite. You may also experience coated tongue, malaise and diarrhoea or constipation. In case you are experiencing any of these signs, then you must seek medical help.

Chikungunya
Causes: Chikungunya fever is a viral ailment that is transmitted to human beings by infected mosquito bites. It is the leading cause of human epidemics in some parts of the African and Asian continents and it has now recently moved to some parts of Europe.
Symptoms: The chikungunya virus infection leads to symptoms that may be debilitating for some people. Fever, rash, fatigue and headaches along with muscle and joint pains are some of the most common symptoms of chikungunya. Some patients have reported excruciating joint pain and arthritis that can last for a week or even months together.

If you are faced with any of these symptoms for over three to four days, then you should not ignore them and seek medical assistance without any delay.

3 Tropical Fevers - How to Differentiate Between Them?

Fever is not a disease! It's a known fact that normal human body temperature is 98.6 F (37 C). If temperature goes beyond that, then it's called fever. But one must not worry every time if there is a rise in the temperature. 

Why?
The reason is that immune system is designed to raise temperature as a defence mechanism, if there is any attack by a foreign body (such as bacteria). So body temperature may fluctuate between 97 and 100.4. But there is no need to worry.

When to Consider Checking?
Routine check up is unnecessary. You may consider to check when:
- You feel the warmth while you touch
- You feel very tired, dizzy and lose appetite
- You feel nauseated, see rashes on the body, experience loose motion, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, etc.

Is it Time to Worry?
Normally, fever is not dangerous. However, if you see the following conditions, then it's time to worry and call a doctor. 
- If the body temperature is more than 103 degree F 
-,If fever lasts for more than five days
- If you feel difficulty in breathing
- If there is severe vomiting or diarrhoea
- If you feel stiffness in the neck and have headache
- If you feel excessively sleepy and lethargic
- If you see redness in skin, rashes or blood in stool.

If the condition worsens, it is time to rush to a hospital. There could be following:

- Meningitis is life threatening and highly transmissible in case of bacterial infection. A combination of a fever, extreme headache and stiffness in the neck is an indication that you must rush to the emergency department of a hospital near you.

- Difficulty in breathing or chest pain along with fever should prompt you to call for emergency medical assistance.

- If someone has fever along with blood in stool, urine or mucus, it's one of the reasons to seek for emergency medical help.

- If one has fever and is quite disturbed or puzzled unnecessarily, then the person should be taken to the emergency department.

- A person with low immune responses (such as one who is suffering from cancer or AIDS) needs doctor's help in case of fever development.

- Hyperthermia: it's a condition of very high fever, i.e., more than 104 degree F. The person seems to be confused and may not respond to verbal stimuli or commands. It's time for medical emergency.

What should You Do?
For mild fever, even home remedies can help. Aspirin shouldn't be the first choice and an absolute no for individuals less than 18 years. Other drugs that people usually tend to consume are ibuprofen or acetaminophen. One should also drink plenty of water. In case of a heat stroke, body needs to be cooled.
Other severe causes such as viral infection should lead you to a doctor.

Fever - When To Check, When To Worry, What To Do

Viral fever refers to a wide range of conditions caused by viral infections of the body. These infections lead to an elevation of body temperature, along with a variety of other symptoms such as headaches, body aches, chills and skin rashes. Viral fever can affect people of all age groups and may even be highly contagious if it is not contained and treated.


What causes viral fever?
Viral fever is caused by the infestation of viruses that spread through various avenues. These viruses enter the body and multiply at a specific site, leading to an infection that manifests itself as the symptoms of fever. This fever may be chronic or acute, depending on the nature of the infection and can easily spread from one person to another.


Some of the ways in which viral fever spreads are as follows:
Aerial transmission (coughing and sneezing).
Sexual transmission.
Consumption of contaminated food and water.
Contact with contaminated surfaces.
Contact with infected animals.


The symptoms of viral fever begin to show after an incubation period during which the virus multiplies within the body. The nature and duration of the illness varies from case to case. The most common symptoms of viral fever that accompany high body temperatures include the following:
Muscle soreness
Fatigue
Nasal congestion
Running nose
Redness of the eyes
Headaches
Coughs
Inflammation of the throat
Skin rashes
Vomiting
Diarrhoea


How is viral fever treated?
A case of viral fever can be quite easily treated if there is an absence of complications. For this, the illness simply needs to be diagnosed early. The use of antibiotics and steroids for treatment is advised against unless the infections have escalated beyond a certain extent. Some of the ways to treat viral fever are:
Prescription of antiviral medication
Adequate bed rest
Ample fluid intake
Administration of nasal decongestants


In most cases, the illness gets treated within the span of a few days. However, if the symptoms persist any longer, it is advisable to consult a specialist to check for underlying problems or complications.

Have Viral Fever? Know the Reasons Behind It!

According to Ayurveda,  Jwara  or fever refers to the irregularities of body temperature. In majority of the cases, there is reduced heat in the GIT (gastrointestinal tract) and an increased temperature in the external body. Fever might be a symptom of a disease or can be a disease in itself. According to Ayurveda, fever happens because of an imbalance in the following doshas:
1. Vata
2. Aghantuja
3. Pitta
4. Kapha
5. Vata-Kapha
6. Vata-Pitta
7. Vata-Pitta-Kapha
8. Pitta-Kapha

Fever Management Rules
Light food or fasting is advised at the early stage of fever. This helps in drawing away heat from the external parts nd shifts it to the center. You should drink warm water in all fevers, except Pitta fever. Doing so balances the stomach heat. Warm liquid foods that include sago or barley should be consumed. Vegetable soup help as well, but astringent foods should be avoided at the early stages of the fever. During the early fever stages, antipyretic medications are to be avoided. These medicines reduce the stomach s temperature and by doing so, render the Ayurvedic treatment redundant as the GIT s heat is lowered.

General fever treatment therapies

Sudarshana Choorna should be taken twice daily and about 2 grams should suffice. This  Choorna  can be taken along with any of the above mentioned treatments.
Vasaka leaf is another simple remedy for treating fever. It should be mixed with  Shukti Bhasma  (10%) and should be taken twice daily in 2 gram doses.
Ginger tea is another remedy that always turns out to be comforting and is of great value. Consume a concoction made by adding half a teaspoon of fennel seeds, cinnamon, ginger powder and a little clove to a hot cup of water helps. The herbs should be soaked for about 10 minutes. They should be filtered afterwards before drinking the tea. It should be kept in mind that both ginger and aspirin dilute the blood. Thus, ginger tea should be avoided for two hours after consuming aspirin.
Fasting for about a day is advised for fever without any other symptom as the body gets rid of toxins. A strict diet regimen should be followed after consulting a doctor. Steamed vegetables without spices are recommended.

Suffering from Fever? Try these Ayurvedic Remedies

Best Way To Treat Fever In Children

Let us imagine a scenario: It is 4 in the morning. You are fast asleep and suddenly you hear the discomforting cries of your child. You sense that something is wrong and you immediately rush to the other room. As soon as you touch him, you realize that the child's body is burning up like a furnace? You immediately rush to get your thermometer and the figures on it do not make for a good reading - 102 degrees F. Panic dulls your response rate. Your first reaction is to call the doctor. It might be the right thing to do in some rare cases, but in most cases experts advise differently.

Stay Calm

The most important thing is for you to stay calm and relax and realize that it is still well within your hand to take care of the child. First things first, fever is not your enemy. Rather, it is body's way of telling you that your immune system is fighting alien elements in your body. Children of the age group 0 to 3 almost always face high temperatures at some point in their nascent lives.

The Need of the Hour

How you should go about it depends on your child's age and thermometer's readings. If your child is a newborn or is less than 3 months old and reading is above 100.4 degrees, then you must call the doctor at once.

Between 3 to 6 months, temperature threshold is 101 degrees F, while 103 degrees F is usually the limit for children older than 6 months. But, if the child is showing alarming symptoms such as body ache, fatigue, and diarrhoea, along with the high temperature of 101 degrees F or 102 degrees F, then you should consider calling the doctor on a priority basis.

Take the Hints - Be Wary of the Symptoms

Keeping an eye out on the symptoms is extremely important. If your child has a running nose and low-grade fever (99-100 degrees F), then he might be suffering from a bout of common cold. Vomiting and diarrhoea usually indicate stomach virus. For children with weak immune system or at higher risk than others, it is advisable to consult a doctor.

A 24 hours rest is generally advised in flu, till the patient is fever free without taking any antibiotics. Ailments like an earache, sore throat or discomfort in peeing should be brought to the notice of doctor as it might indicate soar throat, UTI or ear infection, all of which require antibiotic treatments. Certain signs warrant an immediate medical attention. Discomfort in breathing along with constant crying, difficulty in walking, unusual rashes and purple looking spots demand that he be taken to the E.R. right away.

The most important thing is to complete the treatment course diligently and let the fever run its course as it may actually aid the body in building immunity against the fever causing germs and fight them. One must remember that being calm and relaxed at taxing times go a long way in helping you take right decisions and treating fever in children is all about patience and right decisions.

Best Way To Treat Fever In Children

With the change of season, we all have to be geared up for the increase in the number of mosquitoes in and around our homes, and among these is one such mosquito, which can be fatal for your life. The bite of the  Aedes aegypti  mosquito causes Dengue. This mosquito survives and breeds in tropical and sub-tropical areas. It is a waterborne disease and causes extreme pain, discomfort and in some cases even death. Each year 390 million people are inflicted with dengue out of which 96 million develop serious illnesses and are required to be hospitalized.

Causes:
1. As mentioned above it is caused by the bite of the  Aedes aegypti  mosquito.
2. When a mosquito bites a person who already has dengue, it becomes infected and it can be transmitted to any healthy person this mosquito bites next.
3. If you already have dengue and are infected again then you have a higher chance of developing dengue hemorrhagic fever or a dengue shock which can even cause death.
4. Living near a stagnant water body, or accumulating water in open containers, staying in the vicinity of clogged drains and open windows can also expose you to the threat of Dengue.

Symptoms:
The symptoms can last to about 10 days after one gets infected. The symptoms are as follows:
1. Excruciating pain behind the eyes
2. Severe headache
3. Sudden high fever.
4. Vomiting
5. Fatigue
6. Skin rash which generally appears two to five days after you get bitten.
7. Nose bleeding, easy bruising and bleeding gums.
8. Severe muscle and joint pain.

These symptoms can be mistaken for high fever or viral infection, so it is important to get tested as soon as you start experiencing these symptoms. If dengue is not treated in time, it can give rise to dengue hemorrhagic fever. In this case, you can suffer from high fever, nose bleeding (damage of blood vessels), failure of the circulatory system and enlargement of liver.

You can also prevent dengue by avoiding storing water in containers, keeping your surroundings clean, wearing full body clothing, using mosquito repellants, sleeping under a mosquito net and setting mosquito traps. Dengue is very devastating and can cause death in worse cases as in dengue shock or dengue hemorrhagic fever. Dengue is now an epidemic in many countries. People affected with dengue need to drink a lot of fluids and take plenty of rest. They can also reduce the fever by having a paracetamol.

Dengue - Signs You Must Be Careful About!

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