Dengue fever is one of the most common infectious diseases, occurring seasonally and can lead to life-threatening complications if not treated promptly. Symptoms of dengue fever in adults and children often present similarly.
Understanding Dengue Fever and Prevention Methods
Dengue fever is caused by the Dengue virus. It is an acute infectious disease primarily transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes. These mosquitoes usually reside indoors, in dark corners, and damp areas, and are active both day and night.
The spread of dengue fever is rapid; let’s explore some preventive measures below!
What is Dengue Fever?
Dengue fever is an acute infectious disease that can affect anyone, regardless of age, but children aged 3 to 10 years are the most susceptible to dengue fever.
Is Dengue Fever Contagious?
Dengue fever is only transmitted through the bite of an Aedes mosquito that has bitten an infected person. Thus, direct contact between healthy individuals and dengue patients does not transmit the disease.
Diet for Dengue Fever Patients
Recommended Foods
Many dengue patients wonder what foods they should eat, as there is currently no specific treatment for the disease. It is essential, in addition to following the doctor’s advice, to enhance physical strength and immunity through a reasonable diet.
One of the priority foods is orange juice. It is rich in energy and vitamins, aids digestion, increases urine output, and boosts antibodies for quicker recovery.
Orange juice is one of the priority foods.
Coconut Water
Dengue patients should drink plenty of coconut water to replenish electrolytes and minerals lost due to dehydration.
Vegetable and Fruit Juices
Fresh vegetable and fruit juices are beneficial for dengue patients. Experts say that pure vegetable juice can provide essential nutrients and aid in quick recovery. Dengue patients need to increase their intake of vitamin C to boost their immune system. Fruits rich in vitamin C include strawberries, guavas, kiwis, papayas, which help produce lymphocytes. Vitamin C also directly impacts bacteria and viruses.
Porridge
When fighting against the dengue virus, porridge is the best food choice. Eating porridge helps increase strength and fight off illness. If there is a high fever, weakness, difficulty breathing, a pale complexion, loss of appetite, abdominal bloating, and weak pulse occur, it is advisable to consume foods that help restore health: beef, rabbit meat, eel, beef stomach, astragalus, red dates, ginseng, codonopsis, and pumpkin.
Foods to Avoid
Avoid Dark Colored Foods
Dark-colored fruit juices, cola, watermelon, beetroot, etc. are to be avoided because one of the main symptoms of dengue fever is subcutaneous bleeding. Consuming dark-colored foods may lead to confusion in determining if you are experiencing gastrointestinal bleeding during vomiting.
Avoid greasy foods and spices: They can cause bloating and indigestion. Moreover, these foods can slow recovery.
Spicy and Hot Foods
Spicy foods can worsen the condition and affect recovery.
When suffering from dengue fever, a patient’s immunity is weakened and energy levels are significantly depleted. Spicy foods such as ginger, chili, and mustard will increase body temperature. This not only exacerbates the condition but also impacts the recovery of dengue patients.
Eggs and High-Protein Foods
Chicken eggs are high in protein, which generates significant heat after consumption. Eating eggs can raise body temperature in febrile patients, especially children, leading to prolonged fever. Therefore, dengue patients should avoid eggs and high-protein foods, opting instead for plenty of water and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Sugary Drinks
Patients with dengue fever should avoid soda or any pure fruit juices like orange or watermelon juice. Honey and other natural sugars should also be avoided. Consuming sugar can slow down white blood cells’ ability to combat bacteria, making the illness more severe and prolonging recovery. Additionally, patients should reduce caffeine intake, avoid alcohol, and quit smoking during this time.
Tea
Drinking excessive tea or strongly brewed tea can stimulate the brain, increase blood pressure, and raise body temperature in patients. If a dengue patient drinks tea, it may diminish or completely negate the effectiveness of fever-reducing medications. Furthermore, some compounds in tea can cause body temperature to rise, which is not beneficial for patients.
Dengue Fever in Children
Signs of Dengue Fever in Children
Patients typically present with a sudden high fever, having been completely healthy prior. The fever lasts from 2 to 7 days, accompanied by symptoms such as flushed face, congested skin, muscle pain, joint pain, and headaches.
In some cases, children may also experience sore throat, conjunctivitis, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Infants may show symptoms like cough, runny nose, or diarrhea. At this stage, the symptoms are often nonspecific and cannot be distinguished from other viral infections.
Subsequently, patients may exhibit bleeding symptoms such as: the appearance of petechiae (red spots that do not disappear when the skin is stretched), typically on the forearms, lower legs, armpits, chest, and lower back; mucosal bleeding such as nosebleeds, gum bleeding, and blood in the stool. In menstruating females, vaginal bleeding may occur. These bleeding symptoms are less common in the early days. The liver may enlarge after a few days. When a complete blood count is performed during this time, the results show leukopenia, which is a warning sign of potential dengue fever.
From days 3 to 7 of the illness, the child may begin to have a fever drop to around 37.5 to 38 degrees Celsius or lower. Some patients may show warning signs such as lethargy, fatigue, frequent vomiting, abdominal pain, mucosal bleeding, enlarged liver, or in some cases, progress to dengue shock syndrome, manifesting as cold extremities, rapid weak pulse, and low or undetectable blood pressure. All of these cases require immediate hospitalization and adherence to doctor’s orders. If the shock state persists, the child may suffer multi-organ damage, potentially leading to death.
Some children on days 6 or 7 of the illness may experience a resolution of fever and start recovering, eating well, especially showing itchy red rashes on the arms and legs, which may cause parents to worry and bring them to the hospital, but doctors will explain that this is part of the recovery process.
Home Treatment for Dengue Fever in Children
In cases where children with dengue fever are examined by a doctor and treated as outpatients or at home, parents need to know how to care for them.
When a child’s fever exceeds 38 degrees Celsius, administer Paracetamol in a dose of 10-15 mg/kg of body weight, repeating every 4-6 hours if the fever persists. Use warm water to sponge the child to help reduce the risk of complications from high fever, such as seizures.
Nutritional Guidelines for Children with Dengue Fever
- Provide the child with soft, nutritious, and easily digestible foods such as porridge, soup, and milk, and offer smaller, more frequent meals.
- Encourage the child to drink more fluids than usual: electrolyte solutions, plain water, cooled boiled water, fruit juices, orange juice, and lemon water.
- Supplement with vitamins A, B, and C to enhance metabolic activity and boost the immune system, helping the body fight off illness.
Follow-Up for the Child
If any of the following signs occur, take the child to the hospital immediately:
- Cold hands and feet, lethargy, unwillingness to play, refusal to eat or drink
- Abdominal pain, frequent vomiting, dry heaving
- Irritability, restlessness, discomfort, or lethargy
- Nosebleeds, bleeding gums, vomiting blood, or black stools
What to Avoid
- Do not self-medicate the child.
- Do not perform ‘gai cạo’ (a traditional scraping treatment), as it can cause pain and may lead to bleeding or infection.
- Avoid giving the child dark or red-colored drinks such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, or root beer, as they may be mistaken for gastrointestinal bleeding.
- Do not use Aspirin or Ibuprofen for fever reduction (as they can lead to severe bleeding).
- Do not administer intravenous fluids to children with dengue fever at private clinics or healthcare facilities that are not equipped for such treatment.
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