Dengue fever is a disease caused by one of a number of viruses. These viruses are spread by the bite of mosquitoes and are transmitted to the human body.
The disease is very common in tropical and subtropical areas of the world (including some islands in the Caribbean, Mexico, most countries of South and Central America, the Pacific, Asia and parts of tropical Africa). In these locations, the dengue fever arbovirus is endemic, meaning that the dengue fever virus naturally and consistently lives in that location and the virus are not carried by mosquitoes.
Who gets Dengue Fever?
Dengue fever can occur to people of all ages. Children usually have a milder disease than adults.
~What’s are the causes of Dengue Fever ?
When a mosquito carrying dengue fever virus bites a healthy human, the virus travels in the blood stream and then starts multiplying itself in the whole body. Dengue fever is not contagious, which means one person cannot pass it directly to another.
Dengue fever is also a type of arbovirus, which is short for arthropod-borne virus. The main virus causing dengue fever is carried by a mosquito named “Aedes aegypti” which transmits the virus to humans through its bite. An organism that carries a disease, without actually developing the disease itself, is called a vector. Aedes aegypti works as a vector for transmitting the disease.An another cause for dengue fever is a virus name flaviviruses. More than 100 million cases of dengue fever occur every year in a whole world. A little bit percent of these develop into dengue hemorrhagic fever. It is possible for a traveler who has returned to the United States to pass the infection to someone who has not traveled. Risk factors for dengue hemorrhagic fever include having antibodies to dengue virus from prior infection and being younger than 12, female, or Caucasian.
What’s are the symptoms of Dengue Fever?
The symptoms of dengue fever are generally seen in around three days after transition of virus to humans through mosquitoes bite and after that patient starts feeling very weak. Dengue fever, however, is not a fatal disease.Dengue fever may vary on an individual basis for each patient. One should always remember before looking for treatment that over-medication in dengue fever is likely to lead to further complications and some times it may also turn slight serious. A mild attack of the fever may pass off without having to administer any medicine.
Some of the main symptoms of dengue fever are listed below:
Dengue fever usually starts suddenly with a rapidly climbing high fever, that’s why the temperature in dengue fever is called a ‘saddleback’ type temperature.
severe headaches.
Retro-orbital pain behind the eye.
nausea & vomiting.
loss of appetite.
rashes develop on the feet or legs 3 to 4 days after the beginning of the fever.
Swelling and pain in muscles and joints.
The joint pain in the body has given dengue fever the name that is “breakbone fever”.The common symptoms of dengue fever may go in around 10 days, but complete recovery from dengue fever can take more than a month.
~Herbal Treatments for Dengue Fever
There is no specific treatment for the treatment of classical dengue fever, and like most people you will also recover completely within 2 weeks. For severe dengue symptoms, including shock and coma, early and aggressive emergency treatment with fluid and electrolyte replacement can be lifesaving.Some treatment options that may enhance the curing of classical dengue fever are listed:
Mix 360 mg of Shunthi Churna with 125 mg of Hinguleshwar and now take this mixture at least 4 times daily, you may take with tea or hot water. If case the temperature of the patient rises beyond 104°F (40°C), then you may apply cold pad, on the forehead till the temperature subsides.
Another ayurvedic medicine used for treatment of dengue fever is tulsi (holy basil). Medicinal properties of tulsi are very useful in ayurvedic therapy. The leaves of tulsi are used to produce soothing effect on the nervous system. Tulsi leaves strengthen the stomach and induce copious perspiration.
Description of dengue as Dandaka Jwara is found in the parishishta chapter of Madhava Nidana.It has been described that a particular species of mosquito is the basic cause of spread of fever called Dandaka jvara. This fever mostly subsides within a week, however, it is said to be more dangerous for the children and old people.
Severe breaking pain in bone and joints as if some one has been beaten by stick. Reddish or purpuric rashes on the body, fleeting/shifting joint pain associated with swelling may occur. High temperature of 103 to 105 degrees F. may occur which gets subsided and may relapse again within three to four days. On 8th day, it subsides on its own..During fever, pulse is not proportionately as fast as it should be with fever . Symptoms of common cold (Pratishyaya) cough, and throat pain are also common symptoms of dandaka jwara which becomes endemic due to virulence of kapha and vata dosha.Although there is no specific treatment for disease, Ayurveda stresses to strengthen immune system of the body and keeping a control on hyperthermia.Indian scientists have formulated an Ayurvedic drug to cure dengue, claimed to be the first in the world, and the medicine is likely to be available in the market by next year. The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of AYUSH and ICMR’s, regional research centre in Belgaum in Karnataka, have already conducted pilot studies which have proved the clinical safety and efficacy of the drug.
According to Professor Vaidya K S Dhiman, Director General of CCRAS, the Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial, which is a medical study involving human participants and is an internationally accepted method of testing is going on in the medical colleges of Belgaum and Kolar.
This drug has been made with seven herbal ingredients which are in use in Ayurveda system of medicine since centuries, Dhiman said. Dengue is emerging as a major health problem in tropical countries and is drawing the attention of government and all health agencies due to its fatality and limitations of treatment in conventional system, Dhiman said.
Today’s your last unhealthy Sunday. From Monday, work out hard with these simple tipsAs such there is no direct references and description regarding dengue in Ayurveda and Siddha literatures. “We started working on making this drug in 2015 and in the process pilot studies were conducted in Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon, and in the medical colleges of Belgaum and Kolar which proved the clinical safety and efficacy of this drug in the management and treatment of dengue. We had prepared the drug by June last year,” Dhiman said.
During the pilot study 90 patients were given this drug in highly concentrated liquid form. But in the ongoing clinical trial, the drug is given in tablet form. Dengue is caused by the aedes aegypti mosquito which breeds in clean water. The symptoms of dengue include high fever, joint pains, headache, nausea, vomiting, dip in blood pressure along with a characteristic skin rash.Though the fever does not last beyond a week, in some cases there is severe drop in the level of platelets which turn fatal. At present, there is no specific drug or antibiotic to treat dengue and the treatment focuses on providing relief from the symptoms. Rest and fluid intake for adequate hydration is important.
According to WHO, dengue is the fastest growing mosquito-borne disease across the world today, causing nearly 400 million infections every year. India in 2017 has seen 15, 7220 cases of dengue and 250 deaths due to the disease (till December 24), as per the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) data. In 2016, the country registered 129166 cases and 245 deaths.
