Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunya- Precautions, Symptoms and Treatment

The arrival of monsoon and present climate in the country is known to trigger cases of malaria, dengue and chikungunya. The cities such as Hyderabad have already registered hundreds of cases of malaria along with considerable number of dengue and also chikungunya. Doctors and experts maintain that all the three ailments are preventable, if a few changes in the lifestyle, surroundings and some easy precautions have been followed. As the rainy season is on the cards, people are advised to take preventive measures rather than waiting for the treatment after the spread of ailment.

Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunya are basically vector-borne and are related with mosquito control measures. Mosquitoes could be hidden and breeding in our homes and surroundings such as air conditioners, flower pots, vases, coolers, discarded tyres and also utensils in the kitchen. People with children should be more cautions as Dengue could be life threatening sometimes. It has symptoms like onset of high fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains along with rashes. Dengue may manifest with high fever and rashes in Infants and young children. Another issue to keep in mind is both Dengue and Chikungunya have almost similar symptoms except chikungunya patients suffer from severe joint pains. One should also remember that dengue hemorrhagic fever could be fatal sometimes. Following are some of the important precautions to be taken and also things to be followed during treatment:

Preventive measures / Precautions to be followed:

1. Mosquito repellents must be used at home.
2. Avoid unwanted items that gather around the living area and breed mosquitoes
3. Remove stagnant water from coolers, old tyres, pools, buckets, plastic containers etc.
4. Places where water is stored should be cleaned and closed.
5. Children must wear protective clothing that cover hands and legs completely.
6. Windows can be closed at dawn and dusk to prevent mosquitoes from entering inside the houses.
7. Observe dry day once a week. You should empty everything that holds water on that day.

Things to do during treatment:

1. Adequate rest is mandatory for the patient
2. Keep body hydrated by taking juice, soups, coconut water etc.
3. Children should consume easily digestible and semi solid food.
4. Personal hygiene should be taken care of by the patient and attender.
5. Do not follow self medication. Take medicines only after seeking a physician’s prescription.
6. Pregnant women should take complete bed rest
7. Sponge bath in lukewarm water to reduce fever.