Lucknow : Dengue : symptoms and prevention

Dengue : ‘break bone fever’

Dengue is one of the common diseases caused by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes during the monsoons. Also known as ‘break bone fever’, these mosquitoes bite during the day (as against malaria, where these parasites attack during the night time). As the common breeding grounds for mosquitoes are manmade containers and stagnant water, implementing few hygiene and sanitation measures might help to prevent the disease. ,l/oooooooooooooooooo?;

Symptoms :

Caused due to the bite of an infected female aedes aegypti mosquito, the disease can be fatal. Once bitten it takes about four to ten days for the symptoms to show. The most common symptoms are –

• High fever,
• Severe headache,
• Pain behind the eyes
• Nausea and vomiting
• Swollen glands
• Muscle and joint pain
• Skin rash (in some cases)

The more severe forms of dengue are hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. There is no clear treatment for the condition nor is there a vaccine against it, so the best way is to prevent the disease from occurring at all.

Few simple and practical tips to keep dengue away :

1.Turn over empty pails and buckets, so that they do not collect excess water.  If the container that contains water cannot be emptied, remember to cover it well when not in use.

2.Remember to clean out empty flower pots and not to over water potted plants. It is advised to not have any stagnant water around as it acts as breeding ground for the mosquitoes.

3.Apply mosquito repellents on all exposed areas, during the day as well as at night on a regular basis to prevent dengue.

4.Make sure your window and door screens do not have any holes. If so, block those areas properly to eliminate mosquitoes.

5. If someone at home is ill with dengue, try to not let the mosquitoes bite them or others in the house.

6. Always sleep under a mosquito net (especially small children as they sleep during the day and hence, the chance of mosquito bite is high during this time).

7. If you use a cooler remember to empty out and clean the water tray regularly, even when not in use .

8.Always cover your trash can or dustbin when not in use.

9.A natural method to keep mosquitoes at bay is to plant tulsi near your window. The plant has properties that do not allow mosquitoes to breed.

10.Using camphor as a repellent also works wonders. Light camphor in a room and close all the doors and windows. Leave it this way for about fifteen to twenty minutes to have a mosquito free environment.

By Meenakshi Sharma