Dengue Fever: Symptoms, Causes, and Natural Treatments

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. This may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash. Recovery generally takes less than two to seven days. In a small proportion of cases, the disease develops into the life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood plasma leakage, or into dengue shock syndrome, where dangerously low blood pressure occurs.

 Signs and symptoms:

Typically, people infected with dengue virus are asymptomatic (80%) or have only mild symptoms such as an uncomplicated fever. Others have more severe illness (5%), and in a small proportion it is life-threatening. The incubation period (time between exposure and onset of symptoms) ranges from 3 to 14 days, but most often it is 4 to 7 days. Therefore, travelers returning from endemic areas are unlikely to have dengue if fever or other symptoms start more than 14 days after arriving home. Children often experience symptoms similar to those of the common cold and gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea) and have a greater risk of severe complications, though initial symptoms are generally mild but include high fever.

Natural cure for dengue:

 1- Aloe Vera: According to Baba Ramdev, aloe vera increases platelets count significantly. Regular consumption of its juice can cure dengue fever. Aloe Vera is one of the most useful herbs as it is used in a number of other treatments as well. He suggested to consume aloe vera in form of juice.
2- Giloy: Giloy (Scientific name-Tinospora cordifolia) has also been proved to be useful in treatment of dengue fever. The juice of Giloy (Guduchi) has proved effective in treatment of patients of dengue, said Baba Ramdev. Ramdev saidd consumption of giloy juice increases platelets count and brings down fever.
3- Papaya leaf: It has been found in several researches that papaya leaf is quite effective in treatment of dengue. Doctors also suggest consuming juice of papaya leaf to increase platelets count in blood.
4- Pomegranates: Pomegranates is considered effective in treatment of anaemia or deficiency in red blood cells. Ramdev suggested that it also improves platelets count that could be effective to combat dengue virus.

 Prevention:

• Exclusion from childcare, preschool, school or work is usually not necessary but people experiencing fever from dengue infection should not be in an environment where they may be bitten by mosquitoes. If this is not possible they should stay at home until they have no fever and are therefore no longer infectious (usually 3 to 5 days).
• There is no vaccine to prevent human infection by this virus.
• Personal protection and the environmental management of mosquitoes are important in preventing illness.
• Prevent access of mosquitoes to an infected person with a fever.
• Protect yourself from mosquito bites at all times in dengue areas. For tips on how to protect yourself, see Fight the Bite.