Common signs and symptoms of dengue viral infection

Dengue refers to a tropical disease caused by four different types of virus. It is usually transmitted by an Aedes mosquito that is infected with a dengue virus. There is no vaccine for dengue and the only way to reduce infections is to improve hygiene levels so as to prevent mosquito bites and prevent mosquitoes from breeding. It’s particularly difficult to create a vaccine because it’s caused by different viruses and there are no animal models available for testing. The disease kills thousands of Indians every year and is a seasonal threat, particularly during the monsoon seasons. Immediate diagnosis and treatment is essential to prevent this condition and its possible complications.

Warning signs and symptoms of dengue fever in detail

High fever: Clinically known as high grade fever. It is one of the primary symptoms of dengue. Easily confused with fever due to other causes like viral fever, doctors suggest testing a patient with high grade fever for dengue immediately to prevent any further complications. A fever of about 104 degrees Fahrenheit is a common indicator of dengue.

Joint and muscle pain: Another name for dengue fever is break bone fever - a name that explains how severe the joint pain can be! A symptom that is confused with viral fever and other forms of malaria, joint and severe joint and muscle pain combined with other symptoms can indicate dengue.

Enlarged lymph nodes: Another trademark symptom of dengue as described by the World Health Organisation - enlarged lymph nodes.

Pain behind eyes: Also known as retro-orbital pain, this symptom is one that is quite common to viral fever and can be easily confused. But when seen in conjunction with other symptoms, it can indicate dengue fever.

Headache: Due to the sudden drop in platelet count, headaches are common in patients with dengue fever.

Diarrhoea: Accompanied with abdominal pain, diarrhoea is also another symptom.

Rashes: Seen all over the body, rashes caused due to dengue are easily discernable and easily diagnosed.

Extreme fatigue: The World Health Organisation categorises this symptom as one indicating severe dengue. Caused due to the drop in platelet count, patients suffering from dengue often suffer from extreme fatigue. Combined with high fever, this symptom is an indicator of severe dengue.

Low blood pressure: Thought to be due to the rapid drop in one's platelet count, low blood pressure is another symptom of severe dengue that requires immediate treatment.

Vomiting: While vomiting and nausea is a common symptom in people with dengue fever. According to the WHO, vomiting blood is a symptom of severe dengue that requires immediate medical attention.

Bleeding gums: Another symptom of severe dengue fever according to WHO, bleeding gums is a sign that the patient's platelet count has dropped to dangerous levels and he/she needs immediate medical attention. That being said, this symptom only when combined with other symptoms should be treated as a medical emergency.

Because dengue fever is a viral infection, there is no specific treatment for the condition. The patient should seek medical advice and drink plenty of fluids. For severe dengue, medical care by experienced physicians can frequently save lives. It is important to maintain the fluid volume of the patient for recuperation of the patient. Also, a patient can suffer from dengue for a second time if the viral strain is different from the initial infection. Moreover, the second infection can be more serious than the period one.

Effective Ways to Control Mosquito Bites

Mosquitoes are responsible for various diseases like malaria, dengue, yellow fever, etc. It is extremely essential to prevent these disease carriers from entering your living area. Since the females often lay their eggs in stagnant water, make sure that you don't have stagnant water in or around your home.

Outdoor Protection

Stagnant water in ponds is often a breeding place for these bloodsucking insects. Breeding mosquito fish, killifish, goldfish, or guppies in the pond is a good option, as these feed on mosquito larvae. It would be a good idea to stay indoors at dusk and during evening hours. If you are planning to spend time outdoors, make sure that you wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks.

Indoor Protection

Protect yourself by either preventing these insects from entering your house or killing them as they enter. Markets are flooded with mosquito control products. These insects can be prevented from entering the house, if you have doors and windows with tightly knit mesh.

Repellents and Coils

Apply an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent cream or ointment on the exposed skin when you go outdoors, especially in woods. Coils are effective for outdoor use.

Electric Flyswatters

These are battery-operated handheld devices that look like tennis or badminton rackets. These are very effective in killing the ones that are flying around. The grid of the flyswatter is electrically charged to a voltage of between 500 and 1500 V DC. It gets activated as you press the button. Some of the electronic bug zappers attract the insects with their ultraviolet bulbs. The insects get killed as they approach the bulbs surrounded by low voltage grid.

Nets

Mosquito nets are an effective means to protect a small living area. You can cover your bed with hanging nets to prevent the insects from coming near you. These nets are very useful for covering beds where children sleep. You can also install nets for your windows and doors to effectively prevent these pests from entering your home. These nets have small holes that are large enough to let the air in, but not large enough to let the insects enter.

Make sure that you take measures to prevent these bloodsucking insects from entering your living area, so as to prevent mosquito-borne diseases.

Lazoi initiates its services to Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Pune

Lazoi Lifecare Private Limited, one of the leading healthcare portals in India today, proudly announces the instigation of its services in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Pune. The portal, which is best known for connecting patients to doctors, booking online diagnostic lab tests and medicines, the company off-late, has been on the expansion mode. Having already established itself in the heart of India (Delhi/NCR), the famous online portal is looking to help patients get the benefits of its services in core cities of Maharashtra. This has not only broadened the company’s area of operation but also the association of more doctors with it.

Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Pune are counted amongst posh cities of Maharashtra, where it is difficult to find the right doctor when someone in your family, relation or loved one falls sick. As per the Maharashtra Government, diseases such as cholera, small pox, high fever, dengue, dysentery, diarrhoea, respiratory problems, malaria are common in these cities. Sadly, number of deaths due to these conditions is also high. One of the factors behind these deaths, as stated by the state government is inability to connect patients with the right doctor. Hence, when patients fail to receive the proper treatment, it ultimately pushes them towards death. Specialists like paediatricians, gynaecologists, pulmonologists, dermatologists etc. are in demand in these high profile cities.  

Citing this very reason, Mr. Suvro Ghosh, founder of Lazoi, turned his focus on these cities. He made it a point that no patient shall be denied the right to appropriate treatment. So when he decided to start services in these cities, it was given a thumbs-up from the government. He further said, “While we have 50,000 + reputed doctors from Delhi/NCR at our portal, addition of few more from these cities will only bolster the business. Plus, patients will be more than happy to book online appointments rather than running here and there to get the right treatment.”

In the last 5 years, there has been a surge in patients looking for doctors who provide online appointment. In short, they are more internet-savvy now. Seeing this trend, a number of healthcare portals have come up in recent years. While some have tasted success (like Lazoi), others have gone down with the wind. Though, it’s a reality that in India where doctor-patient ratio is 1:2000, finding the right doctor is like chewing iron nails. What healthcare portals like Lazoi has done and off course doing is bridging the gap between doctors and patients. Expanding the current range of services to core cities in India is obviously best for business, plus it guarantees that no patient is deprived of quality medical services.     

Sanitation in India: Good health is where hygiene lies

India’s population has crossed 1.2 billion mark. Unfortunately, more than half of the population has no access to proper washrooms. People living in urban slums and rural areas make a good chunk of these numbers. A major rural population still defecates in the open. Slum dwellers residing along the railway tracks in major metropolitan cities have no access to toilets or a running supply of water. The situation in urban area is not as serious compared to rural areas. However, what adds to the existing wows of people is poor sewage system along with crammed living conditions.  

Sewage system, if at all present, suffers massively from poor maintenance leading to over flow. Today, cities have become immensely populated. Many cities in India, including the big ones have over a million residents. Existing sewage system in these cities can only serve the needs of around 3 million people and not 12-15 million people.

What’s making things worse is that the current infrastructure is unable to handle the needs of a growing population. It’s really sad that a big country like India neither has enough water to flush out the city’s waste nor has adequate sewage treatment plants. Only 30% of India’s water gets treated and rest of it mixes with streams and rivers, creating another problem of safe drinking water. According to a report, 75% of India’s surface water is polluted and 80% of this is due to sewage alone.

It’s worth mentioning that this impacts human health in the deadliest manner. Water pollution causes many diseases like diarrhoea and other intestinal infections. Diarrhoea alone is responsible for 535,000 deaths in children below 5 years. Various malnutrition cases have been reported in children due to contaminated water. Malaria and dengue also contribute in deaths among small children.

Unhealthy people, poor sanitary management hamper India’s growth and peg it back each year. Cost of treatments is rising and families are finding it difficult to afford which impacts the economy as a whole. However, a little more effort from the government and overcoming the demons of poor sanitation will help us become a global phenomenon.