What to do and not to do during dengue fever
To Do: | Not to Do: |
Rest in bed
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Avoid any sports/physical activities until you have recovered
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Hydrate your self
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Avoid brushing your teeth to prevent gum bleeding, instead use gargle
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Take simple pain/fever medicine such as paracetamol
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Avoid medication such as ibuprofen, aspirin, ponstan, arcoxia as they may increase risk of bleeding
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Go for your doctor appointment even if you feel better as they may need to monitor your platelet until you recover.
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Do not cancel your doctor appointment even if you feel better or fever has stop. This is because the platelets usually start to drop when the fever lysed.
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See your doctor if you are bleeding or bruising (bleeding from your gum, nose, urine)
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Protect your from being bitten by mosquito to prevent it from infecting others.
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Family members/housemates to check and remove stagnant water in your premises to prevent Aedes mosquito from breeding
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Discuss with your doctor about dengue vaccine when you are well
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Dengue Fever is caused by infection with a dengue virus. There are four serotypes of dengue virus (DENV1-4) circulating in the world.
Dengue is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Dengue fever is not contagious and does not spread directly from person to person. A mosquito is infected when it takes a blood meal from a dengue-infected person and later transmits the virus to other people they bite.
Dengue Fever usually develops within 4 to 7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
Symptoms can include:
- Sudden onset of fever for 2 to 7 days (usually high fever > 38.5C)
- Severe headache with retro-orbital (behind the eye) pain
- Joint and muscle pain
- Skin rashes (usually after 4-5 days) which often itch.
- Nausea and vomiting
- Bleeding from the nose or gums or easy bruising in the skin
Treatment for Dengue:
There is no specific treatment for dengue or dengue haemorrhagic fever.
Treatment for dengue is usually supportive such as simple pain/fever medicine (paracetamol), nausea/vomiting medicine and hydration. Some may need itch medicine when the rash start to appear. Your doctor may need to regularly check your blood for the platelet count until you recover.
Only in few cases where dengue patient need to be admitted for fluid and electrolyte replacement or blood (platelet) transfusions. This is when a patient is dehydrated, has very low blood pressure due to the infection or when the platelet is extremely low.
Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever/Dengue Shock Syndrome is a severe form of dengue fever that could result in death.
Precautions You Can Take:
To prevent the spread of dengue fever, you must first prevent the breeding of its vector, the Aedes mosquito. It prefers to breed in clean, stagnant water easily found in our homes. You can get rid of the Aedes mosquito by frequently checking and removing stagnant water in your premises.
Learn more ways to prevent Aedes mosquito breeding on NEA’s dengue website
A dengue vaccine has been approved for individuals aged 12 to 45 years and had dengue infection before. Individuals should consult their doctor if they wish to find out more about their suitability for the dengue vaccine.
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