Dengue Fever: 8 Most Common Questions That Are Asked About The Disease, And Their Answers

Dengue cases are still witnessing a spurt and more and more people are getting hospitalised. Wondering what to eat, what precautions to take? Here is a dengue FAQ to answer your questions.

Dengue cases continue to rise in different states and hospitalisation rate only seems to be increasing. Usually, the mosquito-borne disease spreads like wildfire during the monsoon and dies down with season change, however, this year it seems otherwise. Dengue fever spares no one and there are several questions that loom when someone gets infected with the DENV virus.

Wondering what is the right diet? Is dengue fatal or what is the right treatment? Here are a few most frequently asked questions on dengue and the answers to solve your queries:

8 MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON DENGUE

Is dengue contagious?

Dengue virus is transmitted from bite of the Adenos mosquito. While the infection is spreading like wildfire, it si not contagious. It does not spread from touch or sneeze, but one always should be careful around people infected with it. Other virus and germs can infect body with usually cold of viral.

What are the 5 symptoms of dengue?

Persistent high fever, severe headache, nausea, rash and pain behind the eyes are five major symptoms that indicate of dengue. It is always important to get checked instead of self-diagnosing any disease.

How long does dengue last?

Dengue causes flu-like symptoms and lasts for 2-7 days. Dengue fever usually occurs after an incubation period of 4-10 days after the bite of the infected mosquito.

What are the three stages of dengue?

The three stages of dengue are as follows:

• Febrile Phase:  It usually lasts for two to seven days with abrupt fever.
• Critical Phase: This is the second stage that comes three to seven days after febrile phase. As the name suggests, it is severe and people may get into shock due to high temperature, internal bleeding brought on by plasma leaking from blood arteries into bodily cavities like the liver, abdomen, or chest.
• Convalescent Phase: It can also be attributed as the recovery stage where the patient begins to reabsorb the fluids supllied to the body.

What should I eat when infected with dengue?

When infected with dengue, it is best to take advise from a medical professional to chart your diet plan. It may differ for individuals. However, people should include fruits, immunity-boosting foods like green vegetables, vitamin C rich diet and increased fluid intake like coconut water.

What should be the platelet count?

A normal platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood.

Can I get get dengue a second time? Is it more deadly?

Yes, anyone can get infected with dengue twice. But, experts warn of second-time infection that may turn out to be more fatal. An individual can get Dengue fever 4 times during is life time. This is because each serotype produces short short-lasting immune response and does not protect against the other serotype, Therefore, a second time fever can cause more body inflammation. While not all second-time infections may be sever, but it is important to take all necessary precautions and stay healthy and safe.

How to identify if I have dengue?

Dengue can only be identified after proper medical tests. However, fever, pain in eyes, nausea, and headaches can be indicator that one should get tested.

Can dengue be cured? Is there a Vaccine For Dengue?
Dengue can be cured with proper medical treatment. But there are no vaccines or specific treatments for dengue infection, but ICMR is currently running trials for the same.