Monday, October 25, 2010

Scary Dengue!!


DENGUE HEMORRHAGIC FEVER is an acute infectious disease manifested initially with fever.

>Signs and symptoms:

>Sudden onset of high fever which may last 2 to 7days.

>Joint and muscle pain

>Weakness, skin rashes, abdominal pain

>Nose bleeding when fever starts to subside

>Vomiting of coffee-colored matter

>Dark-colored stools

We just got out of the hospital, my kids were infected by the famous 'dengue fever'. First was my youngest daughter who is only 6 years old. She had a fever for 3 days, she had undergone CBC and platelet count but was still within the normal range value. We went home but the next day we noticed rashes on her skin we went back to the hospital for another platelet count. Now the platelet went really low and she was admitted to the hospital for 3 days. She was given paracetamol and antibiotic.

After 3 days in the hospital, our eldest daughter started to show symptoms of dengue fever. She had a high fever, muscle pain and was vomiting. Anything that she ate, she threw it out. We had her undergone CBC and platelet count, but the platelet count was still high. The doctor advised to admit her to the hospital because she might be dehydrated since she continued to vomit. The next day her platelet count went low. Then she had cough and abdominal pain. They x-rayed her lungs, there was fluid also her liver was enlarged. Red rashes started to appear all over her body. We stayed in the hospital for 5 days.

It was really a nightmare, my two kids were both infected by this dengue virus. Especially my eldest daughter, she was crying because of abdominal pain and can’t sleep because of cough. She had fluids in her lungs. It was her first time to be admitted in the hospital.

Dengue fever is a life threatening disease. Maintaining cleanliness in our homes and communities can prevent the breeding and spread of dengue carrying mosquito. At home we can eliminate mosquito breeding places by covering all water containers, cleaning roof gutters and canals regularly. Use mosquito repellent regularly, keep our doors closed and windows screened. As of now, there's no commercially available dengue vaccine.

Everyone hears about the plant 'tawa tawa', they say it treats dengue fever. But the Department of Health advised to not depend on the said plant since it's not yet scientifically proven.

While my children were in the hospital my Mom bought a dried tawa tawa plant from her neighbor. We boiled it and mixed its water to Nestea then put sliced lemon so the kids won't be able to smell the dried leaf scent. Because if they knew that it was a boiled plant they won't drink it. The tawa tawa plant helped them increase their blood platelet. My eldest daughter stayed in the hospital for only 5 days unlike others were admitted for more than a week.

I agree with the Department of Health, this is only my opinion, though tawa tawa helped increase blood platelet we still need to bring the patient to the hospital. So our medical professionals can check the patient for other complications of dengue fever.