Frequently Asked Questions About Dengue Fever
Dengue fever, commonly known as breakbone fever, is an infection spread by mosquitos that can cause a severe flu-like illness. It is spread by Aedes mosquitoes and is caused by four distinct viruses.
Dengue virus is the name of the virus that causes the disease (DENV). There are four different DENV serotypes, and you can infect the virus up to four times.
In some Asian and Latin American nations, severe dengue fever is a primary cause of serious illness and death. It needs the intervention of medical personnel.
Even though most DENV infections are mild, DENV can induce an acute flu-like infection. In some circumstances, severe dengue fever can be fatal.
It is the peak time of Dengue Fever, and to learn more about it, you can read our blog Do You Know About Dengue Fever?
Let’s look at some of the common queries related to dengue fever.
What causes dengue fever?
Humans are infected with dengue viruses by mosquito bites from infected Aedes species (Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus). Dengue fever is a prevalent source of sickness in high-risk areas, affecting more than half of the world’s population.
Is dengue fever a serious disease?
1 in 4: About one out of every four people infected with dengue fever will become unwell. Dengue fever symptoms can range from mild to severe. Within a few hours, severe dengue can be life-threatening, necessitating hospitalization.
What are the warning signs of dengue?
Warning signs of dengue include:
- Abdominal pain
- Persistent vomiting
- Accumulation of clinical fluid
- Mucosal bleeding
- Restlessness
- Enlargement of the liver > 2 cm
- Increased HCT, along with a fast reduction in platelet count
If you and your loved ones have any signs or symptoms of dengue fever, get free teleconsultation with our expert doctor at 88569-88569.
What is the best treatment for dengue fever?
Dengue fever has no specific treatment. If you suspect dengue fever, take acetaminophen-based pain relievers and avoid aspirin-based medications, which might increase bleeding. You should also get enough rest, drink plenty of water, and consult your doctor.
You can read our this blog for Get an In-depth Knowledge About Dengue Treatment
How is dengue fever diagnosed?
If a dengue infection is suspected, a blood test will be performed to check for the virus. A tiny needle is used to draw a blood sample from a vein in your arm during a blood test. The sample is then taken to the lab to examine under the microscope and confirm the diagnosis.
What are the three stages of dengue fever?
After a typical incubation period of 5–7 days, dengue fever hits, and the illness progresses through three stages: febrile, critical, and convalescent.
- Febrile Phase:
- Fever is typically biphasic and lasts for 2–7 days.
- Severe headache, retro-orbital eye pain, muscular, joint, and bone pain; macular rash and minor hemorrhagic manifestations such as petechia, ecchymosis, purpura, epistaxis, bleeding gums, hematuria, or a positive tourniquet test result are some of the other signs and symptoms.
- In the initial 24–48 hours of onset, some individuals have experienced injected oropharyngeal and facial erythema.
- Critical Phase:
- Dengue fever enters its crucial phase during defervescence and lasts 24–48 hours.
- Most patients improve clinically during this stage, but those with significant plasma leakage can develop severe dengue fever within hours due to a significant increase in vascular permeability.
- When diastolic blood pressure rises, physiologic compensatory mechanisms maintain appropriate circulation, narrowing pulse pressure.
- Pleural effusions, hypoproteinemia, and hemoconcentration are common symptoms of significant plasma leakage.
- Despite early indicators of shock, patients may appear to be OK. However, if hypotension sets in and systolic blood pressure drop rapidly, resuscitation may not be enough to prevent irreparable shock and death.
- Patients who have been in prolonged shock may experience severe hemorrhagic symptoms such as hematemesis, bloody stool, or menorrhagia. Hepatitis, myocarditis, pancreatitis, and encephalitis are some of the uncommon symptoms.
- Convalescent Phase:
- The patient enters the convalescent phase as the plasma leakage stops and the extravasated intravenous fluids and the pleural and abdominal effusions are reabsorbed.
- Hemodynamic state stabilizes as a patient’s health improves and diuresis occurs. Because of the dilutional action of the reabsorbed fluid, the patient’s hematocrit action of bed fluid, the patient’s hematocrit stabilizes or falls limp, followed by a recovery of platelet count.
- The rash may desquamate and become pruritic during the convalescent phase.
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