What Is Dengue Fever?
Common in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease that ranges in severity. Mild dengue fever is characterized by fever, rash and joint or muscle pain. Severe dengue fever, however, can cause severe bleeding, a rapid drop in blood pressure and even death. This form is known as hemorrhagic fever. The prevalence of dengue fever is somewhat alarming at several million cases worldwide, particularly in Southeast Asia and the western Pacific islands, ranging from individuals experiencing no symptoms to those succumbing to the condition.
Symptoms of the fever typically occur between four to ten days after the individual is bitten by an infected mosquito and generally progress from mild to severe. The most common symptoms of the fever include high fever, headache, muscle, bone and joint pain and pain behind the eyes. Additional symptoms may include widespread rush, nausea and vomiting, minor bleeding from the gums or nose. Severe cases are characterized by progressive symptoms including profuse bleeding from the nose and mouth, abdominal pain, continuous vomiting, bleeding beneath the skin, and problems with the lungs, liver and heart.
Spread by mosquitoes, dengue fever is caused by any of the four dengue viruses. A mosquito bites an infected person and then carries the virus to another individual as it bites another individual. Contracting and recovering from dengue fever develops an individual’s immunity to the one strain with which he or she was infected.
Dengue fever is characterized by a number of additional symptoms that can cause increased health concerns. Natural methods can be used to treat the fever itself as well as its symptoms. Barley grass helps maintain a healthy platelet count while goldenseal cures the virus. Ho nam peh lo and mangagaw are Chinese herbs that cure dengue and support platelet levels as well. Neem, papaya and sweet potato leaves also treat the condition and its symptoms.
