The Signs and Symptoms of Dengue

CEBU, Philippines — It’s summer, and generally the rainclouds are supposed to keep away during the period. But no one can say for sure that there won’t be any rain or cloudy intervals at all. Concerned parents wouldn’t let up their guard over their kids’ health.

Dengue is one of the top scares. Thus, it will help to be familiar with the common signs and symptoms of dengue. It usually takes between three and 15 days after being bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus for the signs and symptoms of dengue to appear.

The website www.myt.mu states that symptoms of typical uncomplicated or classic dengue usually start with fever within four to seven days after you after being bitten by an infected mosquito. The symptoms include:

• High fever, up to 40ºC with chills
• Severe headache 
• Retro-orbital (behind the eye) pain, and the eyes also become reddened 
• Severe joint and muscle pain 
• Nausea and vomiting 
• A flushing or pale pink rash comes over the face and then disappears
• The glands (lymph nodes) in the neck and groin are often swollen
• The rash may appear over most of the body in three to four days after the fever begins, and then subsides after 1 to 2 days. You may get a second rash a few days later.

Fever and other signs of dengue last for two to four days, followed by rapid drop in temperature with profuse sweating. This precedes a period with normal temperature and a sense of wellbeing that lasts for about a day. A second rapid rise in temperature follows. A characteristic rash appears along with the fever and spreads from the extremities to cover the entire body except the face. The palms and soles may be bright red and swollen.

Being familiar with the signs and symptoms of dengue is very important. It can alert the family members of the afflicted person to seek medical attention right away, which in turn can help prevent the condition from turning really bad.