Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Dengue

A couple of weeks ago my wife was diagnosed with Dengue (NS1). She is recovering now and following are the things that we have learnt. This is just my experience and must not be used for jumping to any conclusion without talking to a doctor.

Symptoms:

  • High Fever shooting upto 102 degrees. After taking some medicine (Crocin etc.) the fever comes down to 99 degress but doesn't completely go away. The temperature rises again in 6-8 hours.
  • Shivering similar to Malaria
  • Excruciating pain in bones and joints
  • Itching in body accompanied with slight rashes
  • Nausea
  • Decrease in platelet count 

Treatment: As per doctors, there is no definite treatment for Dengue virus as on today's date. Instead proper monitoring and symptomatic treatment is the only option.

However, we applied following things:


  • Blood test for platelet count on daily basis. When the count fell below 1 lakh, we started monitoring the count twice a day.
  • Lots of liquid intake. In our case, we gave 2-3 coconut waters, oranges, apples and pomegranates on daily basis. Also as much water as possible.
  • Papaya leaf juice. Take one fresh papaya leaf, wash it properly, grind it, filter it, add some water and drink as first thing in the morning. Typically half cup juice should suffice.
  • Proper hygiene. The body becomes prone to catching infections, hence it is mandatory to keep everything as clean as possible.
  • Although we were trying multiple things, hence its not possible to pin point what helped us, but from what we've heard, papaya leaf juice is the best thing.
  • Complete rest.
Avoid:
  • Outside food.
  • Someone who had suffered from dengue told me that Brufane is as bad as poison in dengue.