A mosquito-borne disease by which millions of people get affected around the world every year, happens when bitten by the Aedes mosquito already infected by the Dengue virus. The ills of Dengue fever can range from mild to life threatening, but in any case it lasts up to 10 days and weakens the immunity of the body in its wake. Although, the disease cannot spread from one person to the other. If someone in the family has Dengue, be careful of your surroundings. You need to ensure your house is mosquito free and avoid going to very populated areas.
The disease typically spreads in the monsoon, and if you have recently visited a tropical place or are facing the below symptoms you might want to see your doctor immediately.
Symptoms you shouldn’t ignore:
1. Severe headaches
2. Sudden high fever
3. Excrutiating pain in the muscles and joints
4. Extreme pain behind your eyes
5. Chronic fatigue
6. Nausea
7. Vomiting
8. Sore throat
9. Easy bruising to mild bleeding (bleeding of gums, nose bleed)
10. Skin rashes (this usually happens about 4 to 5 days after the onset of the Dengue fever)
11. Loss of appetite
If you have been experiencing any of these symptoms in the last week or so, rush to your doctor. He might prescribe a blood test to check if you are affected by the Dengue virus.
Something you shouldn’t turn a blind eye to is the fact that Dengue symptoms can also be mild and can be easily mistaken for a viral fever or flu. But it is better to be sure if you face any of the above symptoms by getting a Dengue test. Dengue fever can be extremely serious, some of the outcomes are dengue hemorrhagic fever, a complication caused due to high fever, receding blood platelet count, enlargement of liver, bleeding from nose and gums, and the worst called the Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS), that can even lead to death.
There are no vaccines yet to cure Dengue, but various medications are available to kill the virus, lower the fever and improve the platelet count. But here are some preventive measures you should factor in to keep your household free from mosquitoes.
1. Always use mosquito repellents at home.
2. When indoor try and use the air conditioning as much as possible.
3. In the rainy season, try to wear full-sleeved clothes and full pants every time you step outside.
4. Use mosquito nets, make sure your doors and window screens have no holes in them.
5. Ensure that in your garden there is no flower pot or bowl where rain water has been accumulating.
6. Change the water you leave outside for birds or your pets without an exception, everyday.
Here are a few quick tricks to get rid of mosquitoes from your home:
1. Crush a few pods of garlic. Boil them in water. Now strain the water and spray it around your room to keep it free of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are repelled by the strong pungent aroma of garlic.
2. Slice a lemon and stuff it with cloves and put it in the corner of your rooms. You won’t see any mosquitoes again.
3. Recommended by Ayurveda, by planting a Tulsi shrub under your window you can keep your house free of mosquitoes. There are certain properties in the plant that prevents mosquitoes from even entering the house.
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