“Dengue fever is an infectious disease caused by a virus called the Dengue virus, which is a contagious disease transmitted by the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. When these mosquitoes bite a person infected with dengue fever during the high fever stage, the dengue virus remains in the mosquito for life and is passed through eggs to the next generations of mosquitoes. Therefore, people bitten by these mosquitoes can become infected with the dengue virus and develop dengue fever….”
Dengue fever can be found throughout the year in every province of Thailand, affecting all genders and ages, but outbreaks are more common during the rainy season because the rain increases the mosquito population. If you experience acute fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle pain, joint pain, bone pain, rash, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, abdominal pain, or bloating along with any of these symptoms, you should promptly see a doctor at the hospital for a physical examination, blood tests, and proper treatment by a specialist.
Dengue fever develops in 3 stages
- Fever stage: All patients will have a high fever. During this stage, symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, and bone pain occur, lasting about 2-7 days.
- Critical stage: This occurs from the end of the fever stage until the fever subsides, lasting about 24-48 hours. Patients will have a significantly low platelet count (usually below 100,000 cells/mm³). Plasma leakage outside the blood vessels causes circulatory failure or shock. Abnormal bleeding can occur in various organs such as the brain, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, or fluid accumulation in the pleural cavity or abdominal cavity. Some patients may experience severe symptoms leading to death.
- Recovery stage: When entering the recovery stage, patients improve rapidly within about 2-3 days. Appetite increases, blood pressure returns to normal, and there may be small white circular rashes on normal skin surrounded by red rash.
How to take care of yourself when having dengue fever
- During the high fever stage, regularly cool the body to reduce fever. You may also take fever-reducing medication such as paracetamol.
- Drink enough fluids to stay hydrated.
- Be cautious to avoid trauma or accidents that may cause easy bleeding.
- Do not self-medicate with drugs such as aspirin.
- If you are an outpatient, regularly follow up on your symptoms and have close family care. If any abnormal symptoms occur, promptly see a doctor.
For dengue fever, the best prevention is to avoid mosquito bites and eliminate standing water around the home, which is the breeding ground for mosquito larvae. Most importantly, be vigilant and take care of yourself. If you notice any unusual symptoms, seek medical examination without delay.