Facts about Dengue
Dengue fever is a severe, flu-like illness characterized by high fever, severe body ache & intense headache. It is also called 'Breakbone fever ' or ' haddi tod bukhar' because of severe bodyache and joint pains as one of its characteristic features. Dengue fever can be caused by any one of the four types of dengue viruses : DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, AND DEN-4. Infection with one virus does not protect a person against infection with another.
HOW DOES ONE GET AFFECTED WITH DENGUE
Dengue is transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes Aegypti mosquito. The mosquito transmits the disease by biting an infected person and then biting a healthy one. The virus cannot spread directly from person to person but an infected can be a source of dengue virus for mosquitoes for about 6 days. Person develops disease after 3- 14 days( usually 4-7 days) of being bitten by an infective mosquito. The entire duration of classical dengue fever is 5-7 days, after which the patient recovers
DIET DURING AND AFTER FEVER
While there is no prescribed diet for dengue, here are few tips that can help you to combat soon from dengue fever are....
During Fever You should drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. Apart from drinking plenty of water, take fruit juices, shikanji (lime juice) and coconut water. This will help wash the toxins away from the body in the form of urine. Fresh orange juice which is filled with vitamin C and energy, will help in digestion as well as promote antibodies for a speedy recovery,as it helps in the production of lymphocytes and strengthens the immune system of body. Have warm ginger or tulsi water as it reduces the effects of nausea experienced by patients during high feverIn order to fight the virus that affects the body, it is important that you eata healthy diet with lots of fresh green leafy vegetables. Do not overload with spices, salt , fried and oily food during and after fever.
Some foods that can increase the platelet counts are ripe papaya, papaya leaf juice, orange pumpkin ,spinach, lime which contains high amount of vitamin C. During fever, appetite is really very low so the food selected should be such which has high energy in small quantities. For example, instead of chapati, give sheera with good amount of ghee and sugar. One chapati to eat would be difficult if compared with sheera. Handful of nuts will also be a good option. In this condition, fruit juice will be considered over whole fruits. Add lemon juice in every portion of food whatever you like,for example sabzii, rice/wheat porridge , soups etc. Soups are also a good option during and after fever as it helps to enhance the hunger and also improves mouth taste. Saturated fats, refined sugar and processed junk foods need to be avoided. During fever, the liver function gets impaired so it becomes very important to supply body with easy to digest food so that the body doesn't have to do extra effort of converting complex food into simple forms. And as the appetite improves, start with high protein diet.
After recovery, Protein rich foods have to be included in the diet to restore all the resources of vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats in the body. Eating chicken, fish, eggs,and other diary products can help patients battle the virus fast.
WHAT CAN HOMOEOPATHY DO
Common homoeopathic medicines used for dengue fever are Aconite, Bryonia, Eupat Perf ,Rhus tox. Some medicines used for prevention of dengue fever are ars alb 200 and Eupt Perf 200 ,which should be taken for a week.Some medicines used to increase platelet count are phos 200, crotalus 30 and Pyrogenum 30. However, it is advised that a qualified homoeopathic doctor should be consulted for proper treatment and care.