Pakistan has endemic dengue
fever, which is transmitted locally year-round with seasonal peaks. However,
the number of recorded dengue infections is much greater in 2022 when compared
to the same time frame during the 4 past years, likely as a result of the worst
flooding the country has ever experienced, which started in mid-June.
Why Are Some People More Affected?
First of all, We’ll have a look at why dengue mosquito bites some people more than others. What is that attractive force due to which some people often fall prey to mosquito bites while others rarely experience any.
At Rockefeller University, Newyork a research was done to know the answer to this question. It was very detailed research but here I
am writing a simple version for a better understanding of everyone.
So 34 students of the university were asked to wear nylon
stockings on their forearms so that the smell/fragrance of their skin got into
those stockings (everyone has a particular smell of their skin and by that, I
don’t mean that it's something unpleasant).
Then those stockings were exposed to mosquitos especially Female Aedes
Aegypti which causes dengue.
According to the results, some
people produce more carboxylic acid on their skin compared to others. This is
food to good bacteria on our skin. People who have more carboxylic acid
on their skin would experience more mosquito bites because of their special
body scent.
This carboxylic acid is a
kind of attractive force for mosquitos, especially dengue mosquitoes. But now
the question arises what is its solution?
Solution:
The simple answer is there is no solution but only prevention.
People who often experience mosquito bites should apply mosquito repellent lotions on their bodies and try to cover their full body for instance: wearing a shirt with full sleeves. Use mosquito nets. Do not let water stand still anywhere in your home.
Try to take all the preventive measures in
this regard because dengue fever is really getting serious nowadays.
What Can We Do After Infection?
Now, Coming to the 2nd
part i.e, whenever you experience dengue fever, your first priority should be
to consult a doctor or go to your nearby hospital.
You can divide it into two time periods: The first time period is when the patient is suffering from a fever after being infected.
During this time period, try to take rest as much as possible
and take paracetamol thrice a day(better to talk to your doctor about it).
Try to intake lots of water, ORS and juices.
In this initial stage, the
problem is Dengue Shock Syndrome in which your body loses the maximum of its water.
And this too much dehydration causes a severe drop in blood pressure that can
be fatal. Unfortunately, it has been seen that a lot of people have lost their
lives just because of this dengue virus.
To prevent this, try to maximize your liquid
intake when you are suffering from dengue fever.
As this is a viral
infection, so try to avoid taking painkillers or antibiotics. They are of no
use in a viral infection.
Once the patient is done
with the fever, it is a must to have a CBC test done which will clearly show
the levels of your WBCs and Platelets which usually drop during dengue fever.
It is commonly seen that in
this post-fever time period, Platelets drop for a certain time and then they
rise to their normal count.
If your platelet count is
less than 1.5 or 1 lac then you must immediately talk to your doctor or get
admitted to a nearby government hospital because this is a very alarming situation.
In these days, there is no
need to have lots of liquid intake. Despite of that, you should try to come
back to your normal healthy eating routine.
The Final Note
So summarizing it here I
would say when in fever, try to maximize the liquid intake and in the post-fever
time period keep a strict check on the platelet count and take steps
accordingly.
These days are really very
crucial. Please take good care of yourself and your loved ones.
Wow
ReplyDeleteMuch needed one
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