Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever or DHF is a disease caused by the dengue virus by means of transmission from the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito . This disease is commonly found in areas with tropical climates because DHF itself is a tropical disease. In general, children and toddlers who are infected with the dengue virus for the first time will only cause mild symptoms. Meanwhile, older children to adults will likely cause symptoms from moderate to severe (acute) levels.
Symptoms of dengue fever
There are several symptoms/signs of dengue fever in children and toddlers, namely as follows:
- Sudden high fever, can reach 105 degrees Fahrenheit or around 40 degrees Celsius
- Pain behind the eyes and experiencing joint, muscle or bone pain
- Terrible headache
- Rash over most of the body
- Light bleeding from the nose or gums
- Skin bruises easily
- Sometimes accompanied by cough and runny nose
- Have no appetite
- Frequent nausea and vomiting and itching on the soles of the feet
Phases in dengue fever
As a parent, you should know that there are several phases in dengue fever, which are as follows:
- The first phase of dengue fever: on days 1-3 the patient will experience a high fever phase where the DHF patient will experience a sudden high fever accompanied by symptoms of headache, pain behind the eyeballs, body aches and pains, nausea and sometimes accompanied by red spots on the skin. In addition to the symptoms above, sometimes in this first phase there are also DHF sufferers who experience sore throat, infection of the throat and membranes that protect the cornea of the eye.
- Second dengue fever phase: on days 4-5 DHF sufferers will enter a critical phase, where this phase is characterized by fever and decreased blood platelet levels so that many parents think that their children have recovered from DHF in this critical phase, even though in In this phase, "Dengue Shock Syndrome" will likely occur which can cause bleeding in the mouth and nose, pale skin and decreased consciousness.
- The third phase of dengue fever: on the 6-7th day, the DHF sufferer enters the healing phase where this phase is marked by the patient's condition starting to improve, appetite begins, blood circulation begins to improve and normalize (hemodynamics) and the frequency of urination also begins to improve and return to normal ( diuresis) . In this phase, sufferers must consume a lot of foods that contain balanced nutrition so that the body returns to health and of course increases blood platelet levels which were previously low due to DHF.
Food for dengue sufferers
Foods that are good for consumption by DHF sufferers are:
- Oranges: helps in the development of the body's antibody substances thereby speeding up the recovery process
- Consuming porridge: because porridge is the most easily digestible food for DHF sufferers with the aim of restoring the body's health.
- Coconut water: to avoid dehydration by replenishing lost electrolytes and minerals from the body.
- Vegetable juice: which consists of carrots, cucumbers and other green vegetables that can help the recovery process for dengue fever.
- Lemon juice: serves to remove toxins from our body due to exposure to the dengue virus.
- Consuming soup: to help fight joint pain caused by the dengue virus.
- Milk: containing complex protein, vitamins and minerals in milk can help fight the dengue virus in the body of a DHF sufferer.
- Consuming fruit juices that contain lots of vitamin C: to maintain immunity and help the process of forming adrenal hormones.
- The herbal: contains ginger and cardamom in herbal tea which functions to help reduce fever.
Dengue prevention
Actually, DHF can be prevented through the 3M movement, which is as follows:
- Accommodate regular shelters such as bathtubs and ponds with the aim of reducing the breeding of the Aedes aegypti mosquito .
- Close the water reservoir so that the Aedes aegypti mosquito cannot lay eggs in your water reservoir.
- Bury unused items that allow stagnant water to become the target for mosquitoes to lay their eggs.
After knowing the discussion about Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever , we can be more aware of this disease. In dealing with DHF, prevention is better than cure. So it's good for us to always maintain health and cleanliness of the environment to avoid dengue hemorrhagic fever.