Post-monsoon season always brings dengue with itself. If you live in an area where dengue is prevalent, we suggest that you should know a few important things about this disease.

As you might already know, dengue is caused by the bite of female mosquitoes called Aedes aegypti. The mosquito transfers the dengue virus to the bloodstream, which later causes dengue fever.

The symptoms of this disease include headache, high fever, vomiting, pain in joints and muscles, and so on. If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should get yourself diagnosed with dengue.

If you live in any of the following areas, you should be extra cautious about dengue:

• A man-made water stagnant water body
• Near swamps and bushes
• Near Scrapyard or similar places
• Any other area where there is enough space for mosquitoes to lay their eggs

Dengue - Prevention Techniques

The maxim of ‘prevention is better than cure’ never gets old. Here is a list of some prevention techniques that are known to protect people from this disease:

• Destroy Mosquito Habitat: Mosquito habitats are the objects where you find stagnant water like plastic bottles, flower pots, old tires, etc. To ensure that mosquitos do not breed, you can either get rid of such objects or clear the water from them. If there is a water body that contains stagnant water in your neighborhood, you should immediately contact the relevant government authority and make the area clean.

• Grow Plants: There are certain plants that expel mosquito-repellent natural gases. You can grow lemongrass or tulsi in a pot. If you have a garden, you can even plant neem and eucalyptus that have mosquito repelling properties.

• Use Mosquito Repellents: The easiest and most effective way to prevent yourself from dengue is by using mosquito repellents. There are many types of mosquito repellents in the markets such as mosquito repellent creams, mosquito patches, repellent bands, mosquito wipes, etc. All of these products can repel mosquitoes. You can choose any product according to your comfort.
• Stay Inside: If you live in an area that has stagnant pools, grime, or something similar, it is better to stay inside of your home. And if you are traveling, do a bit of homework if that area is known to host mosquitos. Almost all Asian and Latin American countries have outbreaks of dengue from time to time. If you're traveling to these places, keep protective clothing and mosquito repellents with yourself.
• Wear Protective clothing: Another way of dengue prevention is by wearing protective clothing that hides your skin from direct contact with the mosquito. The less you expose the skin, the more is the prevention of mosquito bites. Along with exposure, you can also use color as a way of protection. You can wear light-colored clothes as lighter colors have the tendency to repel mosquitos. Using a mosquito net on the bed is also a great way to keep mosquitoes away from you.
• Use Mosquito deterrents: You can also use mosquito deterrents and other house cleaning solutions to protect yourself from mosquitoes. The most common type of mosquito deterrent is electronic vaporizers. If you keep an electronic vaporizer on, it can kill almost all the mosquitos in a closed room. However, some people are allergic to electronic vaporizers. In such a case, you can add lemongrass or a few drops of citronella in the water for cleaning the floor. Again, the most important part here is to close the room so that new mosquitos can enter the already cleaned room.

Dengue - Effective & Easy Home Remedies

If you are diagnosed with dengue, it’s not compulsory to go to the hospital. But if your symptoms are getting worse, you should definitely reach out to a medical expert.

In case where your symptoms are mild, you can treat yourself with home remedies. Most of these remedies have been in use for centuries. Have a look at them:

• Neem Leaves: In almost all cases of dengue, the blood platelets count decreases. Neem leaves can increase the count of both white blood cells and blood platelets. This, in turn, helps your body in recovering from dengue.
• Papaya Leaf Juice: Another easily available plant that can help you cure dengue fever is Papaya. Papaya leaves contain vitamin C and antioxidants in high amounts. Both of these elements are known to help boost the immune system. Just like Goat milk and Giloy juice, Papaya leaf extract can help you increase your blood platelets count.
• Kiwi Juice: Kiwi fruit is famous for its rich nutritional value. The fruit contains a number of minerals and nutrients that can help you recover after dengue. Fatigue and weakness are two symptoms of dengue, both of which can be overcome by consuming Kiwi fruit or having Kiwi juice regularly.
• `Turmeric: Just a few years ago, scientists found that Turmeric contains a compound named curcumin. This compound has immunomodulatory functions that can help you boost your immunity. Our ancestors knew this use of Turmeric even before the discovery of curcumin, hence they were using Turmeric to cure various diseases for ages.
• Tulsi & Black Pepper: Just like Tumeric, Tulsi and Black Pepper are two ingredients that our ancestors have been using to make medicines. Now we know that both Tulsi and Black pepper contain antioxidants that can give you protection against free radical damage and boost your immunity. Taking Tulsi and Black Pepper in small amounts regularly can help you eliminate the dengue virus.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/179471#symptoms

https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/home-remedies-to-cure-dengue-fever/#HowToCureDengueFeverNaturally

https://neubergdiagnostics.com/blog/7-dengue-prevention-tips-every-indian-family-needs-to-follow/

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