Dengue Fever is one of the leading infections that has wreak havoc in parts of Southeast Asia, South Asia, Latin America and other tropical countries. It is a mosquito borne disease, since the main culprit is a mosquito with a scientific name Aedes aegypti carrier of dengue virus. There are four different strains of this virus, thus an individual can be infected with each different strain, however when he is bitten by the first strain, he will be immune with the first train but still vulnerable with the rest.

The symptoms of dengue starts to appear until after a period of less than five and at most eight days, until then the person infected with dengue will show signs of "headache, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands (lymphadenopathy), and rash. The presence (the "dengue triad") of fever, rash, and headache (and other pains) is particularly characteristic of dengue."

According to experts, "for typical dengue, the treatment is purely concerned with relief of the symptoms (symptomatic). Rest and fluid intake for adequate hydration is important. Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should only be taken under a doctor's supervision because of the possibility of worsening hemorrhagic complications. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and codeine may be given for severe headache and for the joint and muscle pain (myalgia).

It is a fact that there have been no vaccines against dengue, the measure that should be undertaken is to seek out breeding grounds of mosquito especially "stagnant water" on plants, empty bottles, tires and pots. For personal safety, "use mosquito repellant sprays that contain DEET when visiting places where dengue is endemic."

After I had survived from dengue, I could agree that one could only die from it if he has a weak immune system. I didn't expect I could contract a dengue and you know what, I didn't go to a doctor until I had rashes. At that time, I wasn't really aware about dengue or if it were fatal or not. I only had known I had dengue when my blood was checked in the hospital but the doctor told me I was recovering already. When he asked me about the medicines that I was taking, I honestly told him that it was just Biogesic (paracetamol). He told me it was a miracle that I was able to live. I was wondering why (was not asking why too). I experienced chills, severe headache, got a nose bleed (which I consider normal whenever I got a headache), sore around my eyes, I couldn’t stand for longer than even half a minute because I would feel that my brain inside my head was spinning and I experienced pain in the muscles. I didn’t know I had dengue but I didn’t worry (unaware) and thanks to the ‘miracle’ if I could call it, I was able to survive from it.

According to www.medicinenet.com, the incubation period (after being bitten by a dengue-carrying mosquito) ranges from 3-15 days and usually the signs and symptoms appear 5-8 days. So the signs and symptoms to watch for are:
• Chills
• Headache
• Ache around the eyes esp. when moved
• Low backache
• Pain in the legs and joints
• Temperature quickly rises to 40°C with low heart rate and low blood pressure
• Reddened eyes
• Glands are often swollen
• Flushing or pale pink rash (I did grow goose bumps when I noticed pink rashes esp. when you’d look at them under the sun – it was really weird)
• Fever last for 2-4 days followed by rapid drop in temperature (with profuse sweating) then a sense of well-being then rapid rise of temperature again
The best way to know if one has dengue is to have a CBC. The doctor will inform one if his platelet count has dropped, what not. There are herbal remedies you can try and I believe they’re safe (like drinking a tawa-tawa decoction for fever and increasing platelets as most people claim and eating the fruit durian which is good for increasing blood pressure). Food supplements also have helped to some. One must also remember that when he has a dengue, he is not allowed to eat solid, sweet, fatty foods because it will only add the burden of the inflamed stomach. It’s also a no-no to drink plenty of water as it irritates the stomach more. It’s also advised to avoid sodas and commercial juices as they thicken the blood. Aspirins are also a no-no and most importantly, one should go to the doctor (avoid self-medication) in order to have a proper medication and in order for one’s condition to be strictly monitored. Just recently, there have been said to be medicines for dengue but doctors are alerting the people to be cautious because there might be other dengue strains.

The symptoms of dengue fever are high fever, severe headache and pain behind the eyes, joint pain, muscle and bone pain, rash, and mild bleeding. The first onset of dengue in children is usually more mild than in adults. With dengue hemorrhagic fever, the fever lasts 2 to 7 days. Other symptoms similar to dengue fever are present. Bruising becomes more likely due to a low platelet count. After the fever breaks one may get vomiting, abdominal pain, breathing difficulties. This can be very dangerous because there is a chance of circulatory failure and death.

The best way to prevent dengue is to avoid places where a mosquito lays eggs, which is generally artifical containers with water in them. Any containers with water should be covered and thrown away. Watering dishes for pets should be cleaned once per week.
Try to prevent mosquitos from coming indoors by using air conditioning and apply a 20% to 30% DEET bug repellent.

If you think you have dengue, take pain relievers such as acetaminophen and make sure to avoid aspirin, which is a blood thinner. Rest, drink lots of fluids and see a doctor. If one feels worse after the first 24 hours, go to the hospital. There is fluid replacement therapy available for those with dengue hemorrhagic fever, which is administered in a hospital.

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Dengue symptoms may be observed to an individual who have the following characteristics:

1. High fever
2. Rashes
3. Vomiting
4. Stomach pains
5. Nose bleeding
6. Low blood platelet count
7. Difficulty in breathing

Patient first have 2 days of high fever. It is commonly misdiagnosed as flu or other allergies. Doctors recommend to have a blood platelet count after 2-3 days of high fever plus a cbc count (blood count). Have the results interpreted by a doctor if the disease is a bacterial or viral infection. Once it is classified as bacterial, it is not dengue (H fever) but if it is a viral infection, Dengue or H fever is a possibility.

Treatment:

There is no guaranteed treatment. Once a patient reaches an advanced stage or is bleeding through his nose and gums due to low platelet count blood transfusions are needed. There are articles suggesting a certain plant called "Tawa tawa" to be made as a tea to help increase blood platelet count but there is no medical proof and research done to support the claim of people who used the tea to avoid advanced stages of Dengue. The best cure is still prevention and proper education and diagnosis from doctors.

Tips to prevent the spread of Dengue carrying mosquitoes:

Discard stagnant water around your house such as those found inside used tires, flower vases, fish ponds, roof water spouts, tin cans, flower pots.
Use mosquito nets and protective clothing
Use mosquito repellent lotion
Regularly spray insecticide inside and outside your house