The Malaysia Ministry of Health reports a total of 19450 cases in the first 2 months of 2023 alone with 15 deaths in total. It is expected and predicted that a major outbreak for dengue fever will be around in 2023. Dengue fever fluctuates throughout the year and in previous years, it shows the same pattern. This translates to dengue fever being an all-year-round disease. You may have already known that dengue fever is caused by the Aedes mosquito but do you know that only female and infected ones are able to affect humans? The mosquito is said to be infected when it bites another human with dengue virus already circulating in the human body.
Common symptoms include fever that lasts 2 to 7 days, headache especially with pain behind the eyes (retro orbital headache), muscle pain (myalgia), arthralgia (joint pain) and skin rash. When a person does have any of the symptoms, it is important to get checked for dengue infection and to ensure the person can get immediate medical support. During the 3rd to 7th days after the first dengue symptoms, some of the symptoms may disappear and at this point, some may think that they have already healed from the infection. However, this is not true. In fact, it is during this phase that some people may end up with severe dengue presented with the worst symptoms. Severe dengue can lead to complications or even death when it is not treated properly. This phase is known as the critical phase that lasts 24 to 48 hours. Hence, it is important to get checked for dengue infection whenever a person shows any dengue symptoms even if it is mild. Symptoms such as vomiting more than 3 times in 24 hours, bleeding nose, bleeding gums, vomiting blood, presence of blood in stool, severe stomach pain, cold pale skin, breathlessness and unconsciousness should be taken seriously as this may be a sign of severe dengue. Severe dengue needs to be addressed by healthcare professionals as soon as possible as it is an emergency.
You may have heard some traditional products saying or claiming there is a remedy that cures dengue. With all due respect, there is no such thing as there is no cure for dengue fever. Since there is no cure for dengue, you may have wondered what is the point of getting treated at a hospital. Although there is no cure for dengue, there are treatments available to help support patients and alleviate patient’s sufferings. In mild cases, patients may not need to stay in the hospital and be allowed to stay at home and make sure to drink plenty of fluid. Taking paracetamol is allowed to help treat fever and pain. However, in severe cases or when dehydration is suspected, patients are needed to stay at hospital to receive fluid replacement therapy through intravenous fluid. If patients experience serious bleeding issues or manifested with bleeding symptoms, blood transfusion may be considered especially in severe dengue such as dengue shock syndrome. In hospital, paracetamol may be received in injection or intravenous apart from the typical form tablet or liquid.
In essence, there is no cure for dengue fever. Treatments available are not specific and aim to support patients’ overall wellbeing. Since there is no cure for dengue fever, the saying of “prevention is better than cure” indeed plays the biggest role in preventing this disease. Below are the preventative measures you can take to protect against dengue.
1) Eliminate unwanted containers that could hold water including solid waste. Properly dispose of it to ensure there is no breeding medium for the mosquitoes.
2) Always clean plant pots and pet water containers by scrubbing it once a week.
3) If you do have water storage such as in the bathroom or outdoors, do add larvicides according to the recommended dose as proposed on the products label.
4) Use aerosol repellent, mosquito coils or electric vapour to steer away mosquitoes.
5) Sleep or take naps in bed surrounded by mosquito nets.
6) Wear long sleeved clothes or long dresses to minimise skin exposure to mosquito bites.
7) Use special medicated lotion to keep mosquitoes at bay.
It is worth noting that preventative measures may not provide 100% protection but it is important to do this especially if you have a loved one who is susceptible to infection such as young children and old people as their immunity level may not be strong enough to fight the infection. Hence, reducing the risk for dengue infection can greatly protect them from the disease. Any dengue symptoms should be taken seriously especially if a person close to you or your neighbourhood is already diagnosed with dengue fever. Remember, there is no cure for dengue and you may be surprised to know that your human body is able to fight the infection given the strong immunity level. Ask your doctor whenever you want to use traditional remedies to help improve your body’s immune level.
