Treatment of Dengue Fever

Treatment

There is no specific treatment to shorten the course of dengue fever. Medications are given to alleviate the signs and symptoms. Aspirin should not be given to patients. It will cause severe bleeding. Hence, it is advisable to take paracetamol to relieve muscle and joint aches, fever and headache. The patient may be required to be sponged down with water at room temperature using a wet, squeezed out towel for about 20 minutes at a time. This will help to help lower the high temperature. Ice water should not be used for this purpose. However, bed rest is essential to a speedy recovery and the patient should consume plenty of water which will help to alleviate the illness. Patients should be kept in a room that has screens to prevent mosquitoes from entering or else under mosquito netting until the second period of fever has subsided. Hence, mosquitoes cannot bite them. If the patient is bitten then the dengue virus may be transmitted to the mosquito and then to another host.