Dengue Fever: Signs, Symptoms and Prevention Tips

Dengue fever: signs, symptoms and prevention tips

Dengue fever, also known as breakbone fever, is a debilitating mosquito-borne disease common in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

This type of fever is caused by any one of four closely related dengue viruses, which are related to the viruses that cause west nile infection and yellow fever.

Signs and symptoms of dengue fever

People get dengue fever after being bitten by an infected aedes mosquito. The virus does not spread directly from person to person. Symptoms usually occur between 3 to 10 days after being bitten and last for up to 10 days after the incubation period.

The most common symptoms include a high fever (104 degrees fahrenheit or 40 degrees celsius), severe headache, swollen lymph glands, muscle and joint pain, mild skin rashes, and mild to severe nausea. It may also cause mild bleeding from the nose or gums and easy bruising.

When the infection is not controlled in time, the disease develops into the life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever. People with a weak immune system or those who have had this infection more than once are more vulnerable to this problem.

The symptoms during this phase include profuse bleeding from the nose, abdominal pain, excessive vomiting, low blood platelet count, blood plasma leakage, respiratory distess, dangerously low blood pressure and problems with the lungs, liver and heart.

There is no commercially available vaccine or specific medicine, so prevention is better than any remedy or treatment.

If you believe you may be infected with dengue, you should see your doctor immediately. Also, be sure to rest, drink plenty of fluids and take steps to reduce the fever.