Sypmtoms
Many people, especially children and teens, may experience no signs
or symptoms during a mild case of dengue fever. When symptoms do occur,
they usually begin four to 10 days after the person is bitten by an
infected mosquito. Signs and symptoms of dengue fever most commonly
include:
- Fever, up to 106 F (41 C)
- Headaches
- Muscle, bone and joint pain
- Pain behind your eyes
You might also experience:
- Widespread rash
- Nausea and vomiting
- Minor bleeding from your gums or nose
Most people recover within a week or so. In some cases, however,
symptoms worsen and can become life-threatening. Blood vessels often
become damaged and leaky, and the number of clot-forming cells in your
bloodstream falls. This can cause:
- Bleeding from the nose and mouth
- Severe abdominal pain
- Persistent vomiting
- Bleeding under the skin, which may look like bruising
- Problems with your lungs, liver and heart
When to see a doctor
If you’ve recently visited a region in which dengue fever is known to occur and you suddenly develop a fever, see your doctor.
Causes
Dengue fever is caused by any one of four dengue viruses spread by
mosquitoes that thrive in and near human lodgings. When a mosquito bites
a person infected with a dengue virus, the virus enters the mosquito.
When the infected mosquito then bites another person, the virus enters
that person’s bloodstream.
After you’ve recovered from dengue fever, you have immunity to the
virus that infected you — but not to the other three dengue fever
viruses. The risk of developing severe dengue fever, also known as
dengue hemorrhagic fever, actually increases if you’re infected a
second, third or fourth time.
Risk Factors
Factors that put you at greater risk of developing dengue fever or a more severe form of the disease include:
- Living or traveling in tropical areas. Being in
tropical and subtropical areas around the world — especially in
high-risk areas, such as Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean
— increases your risk of exposure to the virus that causes dengue
fever.
- Prior infection with a dengue fever virus. Previous
infection with a dengue fever virus increases your risk of having
severe symptoms if you’re infected a second time. This is especially
true for children.
No comments:
Post a Comment