Treating the dengue epidemic in Bangalore

Author: Muskan Jha

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease that occurs in tropical and subtropical countries. Dengue has emerged pandemic viral disease in many parts of India. In Bangalore alone, we had over 1000 cases in 2019. Mild dengue fever causes a high fever, rash, muscle, and joint fever. Severe Dengue or dengue hemorrhagic fever can cause severe bleeding, a sudden drop in blood pressure and death. Book doctor In Banglore in case you have a high fever. An infected female mosquito (Aedes aegypti mosquito) transmits the Dengue virus when it bites someone.

Symptoms

Dengue symptoms usually begin four to seven days after mosquito bites you. Many people especially children and teens experience a mild case of dengue fever. Dengue causes a high fever of around 104 F (40 C) with

  • Headache
  • Muscle and joint pain
  • Nausea and Vomiting
  • Pain behind the eyes
  • Swollen glands
  • Rash

People recover from dengue in a week. Sometimes however symptoms worsen and can lead to life-threatening complications. Blood vessels can become damaged and leak, your platelet (helps blood clot) counts in your blood and is called dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). Symptoms of severe dengue include

  • Severe abdominal pain
  • Continuous vomiting
  • Bleeding from nose and gums
  • Blood in urine, stool, and vomit
  • Bleeding under the skin
  • Difficulty breading
  • Cold and clammy skin

Dengue Hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure and needs immediate hospitalization. Please book doctor In Bangalore in case you suspect you have the dengue virus.

Diagnosis

If you have the symptoms of dengue, it is wise to order blood tests at home. The blood test is the only way to detect the virus. There are several blood tests the best doctors near me can order to confirm the diagnosis. The best doctors in Bangalore orders a blood count test first if they suspect dengue. To detect the dengue virus the blood test at home usually used are

  • Non-structural protein 1 (NS1) test is used early in the infection. The test is ordered in the first five days after the symptoms appear.
  • Immunoglobulin G (IgM) is done if you are experiencing symptoms for over 7 days.
  • Immunoglobulin M (IgG) test or a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test is used in the latter course of the disease.
  • Dengue RNA PCR test is a primary test used to detect dengue virus in the early course of the infection
Treatment

The best doctors in Bangalore treat dengue by providing supportive therapy. They prescribe pain-killers and paracetamol to treat mild dengue. They do not prescribe aspirin or ibuprofen to prevent risk internal bleeding. Doctors advise patients to increase their fluid intake to prevent dehydration.

For more severe cases of dengue, the best doctors in Bangalore recommend hospitalization as the patient may need. Hospitalization will allow for closer monitoring of the patient’s parameter. Treatment given may be

  • Intravenous (IV) fluid supplements or drip
  • Blood transfusion.

Ayurvedic Doctor in Bangalore treats the virus by strengthening the immune system of the body and controlling hyperthermia. In Ayurveda, dengue is known as dandaka jvara. Ayurvedic doctors in Bangalore treat by prescribing medicinal plants such as tulsi, Amrita, Shunthi and Papaya to improve the patient’s immune system and prevent potential complications.