Best Tips to Protect Yourself from Dengue Fever - Dispatch Weekly

Dengue is a mosquito-borne ailment common in the tropical regions. The disease caused due to the dengue virus and carried from one person to the other through the deadly bite of an Aedes mosquito. The common symptoms are killer headaches, fever, appetite loss, joint pain, body ache, vomiting, mucosal bleeding, and skin rashes. There is no such treatment for dengue, but adequate fluid consumption and rest is essential for fast recovery.

According to an article published on huffingtonpost.in, dengue affects a whopping 100 million individuals each year, especially the city inhabitants of tropical regions. There are many ways to protect you from dengue fever. Here is how:

Use mosquito repellents containing DEET

Apply a good mosquito repellent with DEET on the exposed areas of your body. You can use it when sleeping or when traveling in a mosquito-prone area. Do not use the repellent on your wounds, cuts, or if you have sensitive skin. If you want to use sprays, spray the liquid on your hands, and face. Wash your hands later on. Make sure kids do not have access to repellents. You can apply the repellent on your child and avoid giving it to the kid. Do not apply the same on your child’s hands. If you have an infant around, do not apply mosquito repellents on them. Let your baby sleep in a screened place. Using a mosquito net is the best way to protect your baby from dengue.

Choose the right testing kits

If you notice any of the symptoms of dengue, choose appropriate PCR kits. It is a kind of testing kit to help in detecting the genetic matter of the dengue virus in your blood. Go for the test within the first week when you notice the symptoms. These tests also help in determining which of the four serotypes is resulting in the infection.

Use mosquito nets when sleeping

Though repellents work, it is better and safer to use mosquito nets when sleeping at night. If your child develops some allergic reactions on the skin with the use of repellents, wash the areas with water and mild soap. Stop using the mosquito repellent and let your child sleep inside a mosquito net at night. Remember a dengue cluster is produced when two or more instances of dengue fever occur with two weeks and homes of the patients are within a range of only150 meters.

Prevent mosquito breeding inside and outside your house

Did you know dengue-causing Aedes mosquitoes breed in decorative containers, plant pots, plant trays, plates, and plastic sheets inside your house? They also breed outside your house, usually in gully traps, perimeter drains, and useless containers having clean, stagnant water. Therefore, you must take the right precautionary measures to stop the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes inside and outside your home.

Spray insecticides in dark corners, especially under your couch, bed, and behind curtains. You can also burn repellent oil inside your home. Do not keep water storage containers open. Cover them instead. Loosen the soil in plant pots to prevent water stagnation on the surface.

Take these steps and you can prevent dengue easily. In case, you experience any of the symptoms, go for a blood test and consult your doctor.