Dengue Alert: Early Signs, Tests And Treatment Explained

Dengue Alert: Although the disease might not be fatal in many cases, timely detection and treatment are the key points in battling the virus.

Dengue Alert: Early Signs, Tests And Treatment Explained: File Image

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New Delhi: The rising cases of dengue in several states, especially Delhi-NCR, has become a major cause of concern for the people. Although the disease might not be fatal in many cases, timely detection and treatment are the key points in battling the virus.

In this article, we have explained the symptoms and tests to help identify the disease at an early stage and the necessary steps thereon.

Identifying severe symptoms

According to doctors, severe symptoms of dengue include high fever, headache, severe muscle pain, pain behind the eyes, sharp joint pain, fatigue, vomiting and skin rashes. After 3 to 7 days of severe dengue, the patient begins to develop symptoms such as severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, urine accompanied by bleeding, rapid breathing, liquid clotting in the body, bleeding gums and nose, rapid fall in platelet-count, restlessness and lethargy.

In addition, different parts of the body might end up developing red spots in severe cases.

Cure: Contact a doctor as soon as these symptoms start to show up. Any delay in treatment can pose risk and might lead to organ failure. Based on your symptoms, the doctor might treat you with blood or platelet transfusion, intravenous fluid and oxygen therapy.

Identifying mild symptoms

With mild dengue, the patient might feel cold along with fever, body pain, abdominal pain, muscle pain, headache, decreased platelets, weakness, loss of appetite, change in taste buds along with some other symptoms.

Cure: The patient should rest as much as possible. In order to remain hydrated, the patient should have Giloy, kiwi, papaya, pomegranate, beetroot and green vegetables. Coconut water can be consumed during this time. It is advisable to keep a tab on the platelet count and keep the doctor posted on the changes in symptoms and health.        

Essential tests for dengue

There are different types of tests for detecting dengue. But mostly, two tests are conducted to identify the disease.

• NS1, also called the dengue antigen test. It is advised to undergo this test within 5 days of detecting the symptoms. But if your symptoms worsen then this test might not be effective.
• The ELISA test is also conducted to detect the dengue virus. This test is known for its level of accuracy. It consists of two types of tests - IGM and IGG. The IGM test is conducted within 3 to 5 days from the onset of symptoms, while the IGG test is conducted within 5 to 10 days from the first day the symptoms develop.