Dengue fever in adults: Symptoms and treatment

The article is expertly consulted by Master. Doctor Nguyen Thi Nhat - Doctor of Infectious Diseases - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital. The doctor has more than 10 years of experience in the field of artificial kidneys, and in the field of infectious diseases, examining and managing patients with kidney disease and infectious diseases.

Dengue fever is one of the common infectious diseases, appearing seasonally and if not treated promptly, it will cause life-threatening complications for the patient. Dengue fever in adults and children often have similar warning symptoms.

Dengue fever in adults is an acute infectious disease caused by a virus called Dengue. This is a disease that can be transmitted from person to person if bitten by a mosquito (with many white patches on the legs and back) carrying the disease. Children are more susceptible to the disease than adults.
Dengue fever can cause pain in the body, especially in the muscles and joints. Mild dengue can cause a rash, high fever, severe form can cause bleeding, sudden drop in blood pressure and death quickly.

Symptoms of dengue fever in adults have many similarities with dengue fever in children. When infected with the virus that causes disease, the patient will experience one of two cases: hemorrhagic fever manifests outside or internal bleeding.

Symptoms of dengue in adults classic form (mild form)
In this case, dengue fever in adults will have more severe symptoms than in children, often showing typical manifestations and not have complications. Begins with a fever (within 4-7 days after being transmitted by mosquitoes) and is accompanied by symptoms such as:
Pain behind the eyes Severe headache Joint and muscle pain High fever, possibly up to 40.5 degrees C Rash Nausea and vomiting Dengue form causes internal bleeding
Patients can have internal bleeding (gastrointestinal tract and brain hemorrhage ), symptoms of dengue fever in humans Major causes of gastrointestinal bleeding will include a normal headache and low-grade fever, without a rash. After about 2 days, the patient will have blood in the stools, black stools or fresh blood in the stools, the skin will start to appear petechiae, fatigue, pale skin...
In case of bleeding The brain will be very difficult to recognize because the symptoms of dengue fever in adults will not be obvious, the patient may only have fever, headache, paralysis of the legs, arms or hemiplegia and then go into a coma, leading to death. .
Symptoms of dengue hemorrhagic fever (dengue shock syndrome)
This is the most severe form of dengue in adults, which includes all symptoms of mild dengue plus bleeding. , plasma escaping from blood vessels, massive bleeding, low blood pressure...
This case often occurs in patients in the next infection, when the body already has active or passive immunity to a type of infection. virus antigens, after about 2 - 5 days of illness, the disease will have a severe progression, this form of the disease can occur in children and cause rapid death.
>> see more: Levels of dengue fever and accompanying signs - The article was expertly consulted by MSc Nguyen Thi Ngoc - General Doctor, General Health Examination Unit, General Hospital Vinmec Central Park.

Does Dengue fever go away on its own? In fact, many people do not fully understand dengue fever in adults and how to treat it to prevent complications. According to experts, dengue fever is a disease with a high risk of complications and the ability to affect the patient's life is very large. Therefore, determining the severity of the disease is essential to be able to devise an appropriate treatment regimen for dengue fever.
Stage of treating dengue at home: When detecting symptoms of fever from 2 to 7 days, the patient can be treated at home and the only treatment is to rehydrate the patient. Short hospitalization period (12-24 hours): The patient should be admitted to the hospital as soon as oral rehydration measures fail and the patient develops subcutaneous or mucosal hemorrhages. Long-term hospitalization period (>24 hours): Dengue patients need to be hospitalized for treatment immediately when they have cold limbs, lethargy, weak pulse, sore throat, difficulty breathing... Dengue fever Currently there is no drug to treat the disease, the main method of treatment is symptomatic treatment. When dengue fever in adults is mild, it can be taken care of at home, giving the patient rest and drinking plenty of water. Use soft and watery dishes, easy to digest, reduce fever with Paracetamol, cool down when fever is high. Patients need to strictly follow the doctor's instructions, closely monitor themselves at home, and can go to the hospital to perform the necessary tests (if possible).
>> Note: Antipyretic drugs should and should not be used when having dengue fever - The article was professionally consulted by Pharmacist Ngo Thi Thu Thuy and pharmacist Nguyen Hoang Phuong Khanh - Faculty of Pharmacy - Hospital Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

Dengue fever is a disease that can be transmitted from one person to another by means of mosquitoes. Therefore, the most effective prevention measures for dengue fever in adults and children are:
Hygiene The place to live, the surrounding environment is clean. Do not store water in the house. Kill mosquitos by burning incense sticks, mosquito nets, spraying insecticides. Clear bushes and sleep under nets to avoid mosquito bites. Dengue fever is a dangerous disease with a very high risk of complications, so to protect the health of yourself and your loved ones, everyone should actively learn about this disease and take preventive measures. effective.