When Dengue Fever Becomes Dangerous..

Dengue is hot on the news after veteran filmmaker Yash Chopra died due this life threatening viral infection. Dengue fever is slowly becoming an epidemic in big metropolitan cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Needless to say that there is a lot of panic surrounding this fever. Part of the panic is also due to the fact that there are no medicines for Dengue. It is a viral infection that will run its course; only the complications have to be managed.

While there is need for caution and preventive measures, you need not be at the edge of your nerves in fear. Dengue fever is not a fatal disease as such. In fact, a vast majority of people survive dengue. If the symptoms of dengue are identified and treatment is started, it can be cured.

Dengue fever can be life threatening under the following circumstances.

Low Platelet Count: One of the main symptoms of Dengue is a sudden drop in the amount of blood platelets. Once Dengue has been diagnosed, the blood platelet count has to be checked on a regular basis. If it drops below a certain point, then the patient needs to be hospitalised and given platelets through intra-venous needles.

Bleeding: A bleeding nose, vaginal bleeding or bleeding gums are signs of the fever taking a fatal turn. Bleeding happens only in very serious cases of Dengue fever; so do not ignore it. If any kind of bleeding happens, the patient must be hospitalised immediately. Dengue is a hemorrhaging fever that can send the body into trauma.

If It Is Undiagnosed: It is not easy to identify the signs of this fever. We always think that Dengue means very high fever but some evolved strains of this virus do not cause abnormally high fever. It is better to get a blood test done within the first 5 days of getting a fever. You maybe able to sustain on paracetamol for a week but it will only worsen your case.

Dengue Kill Children And Old People: A virus always attacks your immune system and affects every organ in your body. That is why babies and elderly people are worst hit by viral infections. Dengue is no exception.

If Your General Health Is Bad: If your general health is weak, then a severe viral infection like Dengue will totally throw you off the hook. You need to build up your strength by having healthy foods and lots of water.

If the symptoms of Dengue are severe in your case, do not hesitate to get yourself hospitalised. It is better to be safe than sorry.