Health is wealth and children are a treasure. Safeguarding them both is our priority. As parents, when it comes to children, being extra careful is an attribute that is born as soon as one attains parenthood. One of the current health issues Hyderabad is dealing with is ‘Dengue Fever’. It has become a concern this year, too, as the dengue cases are on the rise. So, how to be safe and keep your children protected? Read on!
What is Dengue? How does it spread?
Dengue is a viral infection which is spread by a mosquito ‘Aedes Aegypti’. This mosquito breeds in freshwater and are more deadly than the Malaria ones. They can breed outdoors as well as indoors. These mosquitos lay eggs outside as well as inside of homes. The eggs laid by them inside the utensils a year ago can spread the virus this year too.
Dengue does not spread directly. The human acts as the source and the mosquito is the carrier. How? When a mosquito bites a Dengue-affected person, it becomes the carrier for the virus. And when it bites another person, the virus is passed on to that person. Dengue is also known as the “Dandy Fever” and “Breakbone Fever”.
What Are The Symptoms Of Dengue?
When the mosquito bites a person, the symptoms start to appear after 4-7 days and lasts up to 3-10 days. The symptoms are not evident if it is a mild case of Dengue, be it a child or an adult. They include muscle or joint pain, reoccurrence of rashes, intense headache, high fever, nausea, and pain behind the eyes.
The severe cases of Dengue fever are ‘Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever’ and ‘Dengue Shock Syndrome’, which are life-threatening situations, in such cases immediate treatment is mandatory.
In Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, the symptoms are the bleeding from gums, mouth and nose, damage of lymph vessels, bruising, rapid breathing, lower number of blood platelets, weak pulse, sensitive stomach, clammy skin, fatigue, unrest, etc. Prompt treatment is mandatory.
The Dengue Shock Syndrome is a severe form of Dengue. Apart from mild fever, the patients may experience regular vomiting, disorientation, intense stomach pain, heavy bleeding, etc.
Who Are The Most Affected By Dengue?
As we already know that Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease, people living in the tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world are affected more. This disease is most common in the western Pacific islands and Southeast Asia. Lately, this virus has spread to the Caribbean and Latin America. Dengue can affect anyone, but people with a weak immune system are more prone to fall ill.
How To Prevent Dengue?
The steps to prevent Dengue are simple to follow:
- Wear clothes with long sleeves.
- Use mosquito repellant creams.
- If you have a lot of mosquitoes in the area, opt for mosquito nets.
- Use of natural repellants like Citronella, Neem Oil, Lavender and Tea Tree oil.
- Remember to close your doors and window screens to stop mosquitos at dawn or dusk which is when
- they are most active.
- Discard any stagnant water around the house.
- Stay in well-screened, air-conditioned houses.
Be quick to visit a nearby doctor if you encounter any symptoms similar to those of Dengue such as abdominal pain, high fever, vomiting, etc. The sooner the treatment, the better it is for the affected person. We wish everyone the best of health!
