Get Acquainted With Dengue Fever And Its Phases

The rainy season is one of the risk factors for the outbreak of dengue fever in Indonesia. Stagnant rain, residual flood currents, and a humid environment are the most ideal means for mosquitoes to lay eggs and breed. Until June, several areas in Indonesia were still experiencing light to moderate rain, so people still need to be aware of dengue fever.

Dengue fever is a disease caused by dengue virus infection which is carried by female Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The mosquito bites humans and infects the dengue virus through the bloodstream. Dengue virus infection takes 4-7 days for the true symptoms of dengue to appear.

There are 3 phases that dengue fever sufferers will go through:
1. ) The febrile phase
This phase lasts for 2-7 days and is characterized by high fever up to 41C, weakness, headache, joint or muscle pain, loss of appetite, and vomiting.
2. ) The critical phase
This phase occurs 3-7 days after fever and lasts for 24-48 hours. In this phase, the body temperature drops to normal, body parts such as hands and feet are cold, and you feel like you have healed. The critical phase is also called the alert phase because shock syndrome can occur. Intravascular narrowing or heavy bleeding due to leakage of blood plasma is a sign of this phase. Usually sufferers will also experience nosebleeds, gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting.
3. ) The recovery phase
This phase occurs 48-72 hours after the critical phase. Characterized by the stability of vital signs, bleeding stops, hematocrit levels return to normal, recovery of dengue rashes on the skin, increased appetite, also increased urine. In this phase plasma leakage stops, along with reabsorption of plasma and fluids.

There are several things that patients should do when they feel they have dengue fever, including:
1. ) Perform physical and blood examinations to ensure fever that occurs due to the dengue virus
2. ) Do consultation with doctor
3. ) Take symptomatic medication prescribed by a doctor
4. ) Compress the whole body to reduce high fever
5. ) Monitor platelet levels and red blood cell levels in the blood until they reach normal limits again
6. ) Consume plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration which leads to a drop in platelets and shock
7. ) Take a bed rest

The mDoc application has a dengue fever service where patients can do teleconsultation, online drug prescriptions, to home-service blood tests or come to the mDoc partner laboratory for blood sampling. One application, the solution to your health problems.