Symptoms and Treatment of Dengue

Symptoms

Symptoms of dengue vary as per the severity of the disease.

Mild dengue fever

The symptoms could appear up to a week post the mosquito bite with the virus.

They include:-

• Aching joints and muscles
• High fever
• Body rash which could disappear & reappear
• Intense headache
• Vomiting & feeling nauseous
• Pain behind eyes

Symptoms generally disappear post a week and mild dengue seldom involves some serious or lethal complications.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever or DHF

Initially, the symptoms of Dengue hemorrhagic fever can be mild, however, they slowly worsen in a few days. As well as the mild dengue symptoms, there can be sign of internal bleeding.

An individual having DHF can experience:-

• Clammy skin
• Bleeding from gums, mouth or nose
• Damage to lymph & blood vessels
• Reduced count of platelets in blood
• Internal bleeding that can result in black vomit & feces or stools
• Sensitive stomach
• Weak pulse
• Small blood spots beneath the skin

With no prompt treatment, the DHF may be lethal.

Dengue shock syndrome or DSS

This is a severe kind of dengue which can be lethal.

Besides the symptoms of the mild dengue fever, an individual can experience-

• Disorientation
• Intense stomach ache
• Sudden hypotension or a fast dip in blood pressure
• Regular vomit
• Heavy bleeding
• Blood vessels leaking some fluid

With no treatment it can lead to death.

Treatment

There isn’t any specific cure or treatment for dengue as it is a virus. But intervention can assist, depending on the severity of the disease.

For mild forms, the treatment includes:-

• Preventive dehydration– A high fever & vomiting may dehydrate our body. The individual shall drink clean water. Rehydration salts may also assist in replacing fluids & minerals.
• Painkillers like paracetamol or Tylenol– may help to reduce feer & ease the pain.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs like ibuprofen or aspirin, are not advised because they can raise the risk of internal bleeding.

More severe kinds of dengue fever may require:

• Intravenous (IV) fluid supplementation or a drip, if the individual can’t take fluids through mouth
• Blood transfusion for the patients having severe dehydration

Hospitalization allows the person to be properly monitored, if the symptoms get worse.