The number of patients coming in with fever and associated conditions has seen a sharp increase this monsoon season. However, doctors have warned that any episode of fever should not be taken lightly as there may be many diseases responsible — the most common being viral, malaria, dengue or chikungunya.
They said there was need to create awareness to identify the warning signals and get expert help at the earliest to avoid co-morbidities. With the monsoon begins varsha ritu. In Ayurveda, it is the time for aggravation of vata or movement functions in the body. While it is a time to rejoice, it is also imperative to take certain precautions, especially in the case of children, failing which they can become susceptible to a host of diseases and infections.
Viral fever
Former Indian Medical Association president K.K. Aggarwal said: “While one should not ignore persistent fever during the monsoon, it is also important to not indulge in self-diagnosis. Fever can be an indication of various conditions and monsoon fever in particular can be deceptive.”
Viral fever is associated with cough, redness of the eyes or nasal discharge. Dengue is accompanied by fever with rash and pain in eye movement. Chikungunya is a triad of fever, rash, and joint pain. Typically, the joint pain increases on compression of the joint. Malarial fever comes with chills and rigors, and will have a normal phase in between two episodes of fever. Fever in jaundice disappears after the onset of the condition. Lastly, typhoid fever is often continuous with a relatively low pulse rate and a toxic feeling, noted doctors.
Drinking water
Many diseases in this season occur due to water stagnation and resultant breeding of mosquitoes. Contamination of drinking water is also common.
It is important to drink clean water to prevent diarrhoea and gastrointestinal infections. Doctors have warned against taking antibiotics unless prescribed by doctors.
“Except for paracetamol or nimesulide, other anti-fever medicines should not be taken indiscriminately as they can reduce the platelet count. Most diseases in this season are self-limiting and take four to seven days to resolve. Basic precaution involve proper hydration, especially on days when fever is subsiding,” said D. S. Chadha, director & HOD, Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital Vasant Kunj.
He added that the most common fever this season — the dengue fever — results in high fever, rash, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle pain and joint pain. Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are also common. A rash usually appears three to four days after the start of fever.
Joint pain
“The patient sometimes gets a transient pink flush on face, with the glands in the neck and groin swelling up. Dengue can last up to 10 days but complete recovery can take as long as a month. There is no specific treatment or vaccine for dengue. It is treated symptomatically. The principal aim is to control temperature fluctuation, maintain hydration and provide relief from joint pain,” he added.