The fever itself isn t a disease but a symptom of a disease. It is generally caused when the immune system heats itself to fight the infections that enter our body. One of the most common reasons a person catches a fever is due to Influenza or the common cold.

Though fever is a common symptom, it can aggravate very quickly if not taken care of properly. This article will educate patients how to take care of themselves if they have a fever. The first and foremost step of taking care is to go to a doctor and get a proper diagnosis.

Upon a proper diagnosis, one can determine the kind of fever they are having. If someone has a fever due to diseases like Malaria then the course of action will be quite different. However, following are the common steps for most of the fevers:

Do s: While Having a Fever

  The first step is to keep a proper check of the temperature every 2 hours. For that, it is advisable to keep a thermometer handy. For better accuracy, it is better to carry a digital one.
  The next step is to keep the patient hydrated as fever usually leads to loss of appetite. This can cause dehydration and loss of nutrients.
  Drinking water isn t enough to battle dehydration, which is why the patient will need to take the ORS solution every 15 minutes.
  If the temperature rises, one should soak a cloth in cool water and put it on the forehead for a few minutes.
  If the temperature keeps rising, the patient should take Paracetamol only.
  Get a blood check by calling a local pathology technician and subsequently send the report to the doctor to get a proper diagnosis.

Don'ts: While Having a Fever

  Don t take an Antibiotic unless the doctor prescribes it.
  The fever may cause temporary body pain and stiffness; don t take Ibuprofen and other painkillers to get rid of it.
  Don t take any kind of NSAIDS without doctor s supervision.
  Don t take any kind of dairy products or junk food.
  Don t starve because of the loss of appetite.
  Don t agitate by doing any kind of household work or exercise.
  Don t sleep with the air conditioning on.
  Avoid drinking and smoking while having a fever.
  If the doctor prescribed antibiotics, don t quit halfway. It is important that one must complete the course of antibiotics.
  Don t take a bath while having a fever; it is better to clean the body with a soaked cloth or sponge.

Conclusion:

Though fever is a fairly common disease, the treatment can go haywire if the usage of certain medicines isn t done properly. Following the above instructions will help to take care of when someone has a fever and will help to get better. However, if the fever isn t going down after 2-3 days, one should see a doctor immediately.

What To Do When You Get A Fever?

Acute viral fever is a type of fever that includes various viral infections, primarily characterized by an increase in the body temperature. This disorder is very common among children and the elderly as they tend to have a weak immune system. Some common characteristics of this condition are skin rashes, body ache and headache.

Causes
The virus that causes this disorder is transmitted from one person to the other. The usual modes of transmission include direct contact, sneezing, coughing and even talking; anything that makes you exposed to physical contact with the body fluids of the infected person. Once the virus enters your body, it can take around 20-48 hours to get activated.

Symptoms
The symptoms of this disorder include a rise in body temperature, vomiting, weakness, loss of taste, swelling of the face. You may feel very lethargic, weak and nauseated. Apart from these symptoms, it may also cause pain in the joints and the stomach. In severe cases, this disease can lead to complications such as arthritis, pneumonia and diarrhea.

Treatment
Antibiotics, analgesics and antipyretics are prescribed when you have viral fever. Apart from the medications, you need to increase fluid intake and take complete bed rest. The body needs to heal; hence being extremely active will be counterproductive to the healing process. Heavy antiviral treatments are prescribed only in severe cases. Apart from medications, there are certain dietary changes that you may have to make to boost the healing process. Avoid spicy and fat laden foods as the digestive system is weak and consumption of such foods may lead to stomach disorders such as diarrhea and acidity. Try keeping your diet restricted to warm soups and fruit juices. Another factor you should be aware of is dehydration, as the body tends to lose fluids during this period. Drink a lot of water and fruit juices to keep your fluid intake at optimal levels.

You can also follow some preventive measure to avoid this disorder:
1. Wash your hands with antibiotic soaps
2. Stay away from crowded places
3. Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands

Acute Viral Fever - Know its Causes and Symptoms

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to people by the bite of an infectious mosquito known as Aedes Aegypti. The chikungunya infection is most prevalent in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Indian Ocean islands, where various incidents of these disease and certain outbreaks have occurred over the years.

Humans and different animals are the regular hosts for the chikungunya virus, which can turn out to be very painful if it is not treated on time with proper medical care and intervention. The virus is spread to people by the bite of a female mosquito called Aedes aegypti or Aedes Albopictus. These are the same tropical and sub-tropical mosquitoes that spread the dengue virus. They breed in or close to human habitations and want to feed on people during the daytime in shady zones. These are likely to bite you at during the early hours of the evening or at night. The hatching time frame (time from disease to sickness) can be anywhere between two to 12 days.

Symptoms: Chikungunya infection is characterised by the following symptoms:

1. High or blazing fever
2. Extreme joint pain for the most part in the arms and legs
3. Headache
4. Pain in the muscle
5. Pain in the back
6. Body ache
7. Rash (in about 50% of the infected people)

A vast majority begins to feel better following 7 to 10 days but a few people will go through longer term joint pain.

Treatment:

1. There is no particular medicine to prevent chikungunya. There is no antibiotic that can help in doing away with it - it usually abates on its own. Chikungunya treated on the basis of a patient's symptoms. However, there are some precautions and alternate medications that can be used as a cure.

2. Bed rest, liquids, and medication to soothe side effects of fever and hurting. Asprin should be avoided.

3. Personal protection and a hygienic environment is important to prevent the growth of the illness.

Since this virus does not have a vaccine or any particular medicine, one should try to stay away from mosquitos as much as possible. Covering yourself up while travelling, especially in the evening is the best approach to prevent it.

Preventive Tips and Treatment for Chikungunya

Dengue fever is a disease caused by mosquitoes which mostly occurs in tropical climates. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a type of dengue fever that may lead to decrease in blood pressure and severe bleeding. Dengue may lead to death if the symptoms of this disease are not treated at the right time. The symptoms of this disease are high fever, muscle ache, pain in the eyes, pain in the abdomen and nausea. It may also lead to respiratory problems such as breathing difficulties. Presence of blood in the stool and blood spots around the skin are some other symptoms of dengue.

The symptoms of this disease start after 5 - 9 days after being bitten by the mosquito. The disease usually lasts about 7-8 days. In case the symptoms worsen, the disease may become life threatening. The various methods you can employ to protect yourself from dengue are:

Maintain cleanliness around your surroundings: Make sure you keep your surroundings clean so that mosquito infestations do not occur. Keep your surroundings clean and dry as mosquitoes thrive in moist and humid surroundings.
Mosquito repellants: Spray mosquito repellants to keep your home free from mosquitoes. Spray them keeping the room locked to make it more effective. There are multiple types of repellents available such as liquid or gas repellents.
Clothes: You should preferably wear full sleeved clothes so that your skin is not exposed. It provides additional protection from mosquito bites.
Mosquito nets: Use mosquito nets to protect yourself from mosquitoes when you go to sleep at night. They also provide protection from other insects that may cause infections. 
Don't store waste: Don't store your waste products for long durations as they may turn into a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Clean it regularly and make sure to keep the area dry.
Using natural remedies: You may use natural remedies such as burning camphor as it repels mosquitoes. Take camphor and burn it for 20 minutes in a closed room to get rid of the mosquitoes.

Dengue Fever - 6 Ways You Can Protect Yourself Against it

Dengue is caused from the bite of the  Aedes Aegypti  mosquito. This mosquito has been known to breed and survive in tropical and subtropical regions. A waterborne disease, it causes extreme discomfort and pain, even death is a possibility. Statistics suggest that each year, the number of people afflicted with dengue is around 390 million. Out of this huge number, 96 million tend to develop severe illnesses wherein hospitalization becomes mandatory. 


Causes
It is primarily caused due to the bite of the  Aedes aegypti  mosquito.
A mosquito becomes infected with dengue if it bites an already infected person. The disease can be transmitted to any healthy person that this infected mosquito bites next.
Living near a stagnant water body or an open drain makes you the most vulnerable to this disease. Letting water accumulate in open containers or spaces over a period of time makes it the perfect breeding ground for all types of mosquitoes. 


Symptoms
On being infected, the symptoms generally last for around 10 days. Some of the common symptoms are:
Excruciating pain behind the eyes
Severe headache
Sudden high fever with chills
Vomiting
Fatigue
Skin rash which generally appears two to five days after you get infected
Nose bleeding, easy bruising and bleeding gums
Severe muscle and joint pain


It should be noted that these symptoms can be easily mistaken for high fever or any other viral infection. Therefore, getting tested as soon as these symptoms start appearing is very important.


If the dengue is left untreated or not treated on time, it can result in dengue haemorrhagic fever. This condition causes nose bleeding (due to damage to the blood vessels), high fever and failure of the circulatory system as well as the enlargement of liver.


Ways to prevent dengue include
Avoid storing water in containers
Wear clothes that cover your whole body, if possible
Maintain hygiene and clean your immediate surrounding frequently
Use mosquito repellent
Use a mosquito net around your bed 


In worst case scenarios, death is a possibility as a result of dengue haemorrhagic fever or dengue shock. Many countries consider dengue to be an epidemic. You need to be on complete bed rest while drinking adequate amounts of fluids if you need to recuperate from dengue.


Treatment
There is no specific antiviral medication that is available for the treatment of dengue. In general, Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is usually recommended for treating fever and pain associated with dengue. Medications such as Aspirin, other salicylates, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) must be avoided.

Dengue - Can You Prevent Yourself from it?

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.

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