How to properly care for dengue fever patients?

Dengue fever is divided into 3 levels. With mild levels, patients can usually control symptoms at home under the guidance of a doctor.

In case of severe disease progression, the patient needs to go to the hospital for timely medical intervention and treatment. The patient should consult a doctor about specific home care for each case.

Proper care of dengue fever patients is very important to help them recover quickly and avoid dangerous complications. Below are some general guidelines for caring for dengue fever patients.

Get plenty of rest

Dengue fever weakens the body, causing fatigue, body aches and consuming a lot of energy. Therefore, patients need to get enough rest, avoid overwork or participating in activities that require a lot of energy. In addition, gentle activities such as walking slowly or doing breathing exercises can help promote blood circulation and support faster recovery.

Full hydration and electrolyte replacement

Ensuring that the body is always adequately hydrated is one of the key factors contributing to improving health and effectively supporting the treatment of dengue fever.

Patients should prioritize drinking a variety of fluids such as purified water, vitamin-rich fruit juices, or typical rehydration and electrolyte solutions such as ORS, to minimize the possibility of severe dehydration. At the same time, it is important to stay away from drinks containing stimulants such as tea, coffee, or carbonated soft drinks.

Not only can these drinks accelerate dehydration, they can also negatively impact the patient’s recovery process, slowing down the health improvements the body needs. Maintaining a scientific and balanced hydration regimen will help support a comprehensive recovery.

Reduce fever properly and safely

During dengue fever, regular monitoring and control of body temperature is extremely important to ensure the patient's health does not experience serious complications.

To reduce fever safely and effectively, patients can use antipyretic drugs containing paracetamol in single form, but it should be noted that all drug use must strictly follow the instructions of a medical specialist to avoid abuse or misuse leading to adverse effects on the body.

Regularly checking your temperature will also help you detect any unusual changes during treatment.

Vitamin supplements to boost immunity

Strengthening the immune system is one of the common solutions to support a faster recovery process when suffering from dengue fever in adults. Patients need to supplement enough water through filtered water, coconut water or juices rich in vitamin C from fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, guavas, etc. to stimulate antibody production and improve overall health.

A nutritious diet also plays an important role in promoting recovery speed. Prioritize foods rich in vitamin A, zinc and protein such as chicken, beef, eggs, milk to support a healthier body and help regenerate cells effectively.

Eat soft, liquid, easy-to-digest and nutritious foods

A proper diet plays an important role in helping patients recover quickly. Foods that are rich in nutrients and easy to digest such as porridge, soup, stew or fruit juice not only provide the necessary energy but also help strengthen the immune system effectively.

In particular, fruits rich in vitamin C such as oranges, grapefruits and watermelons help stimulate antibody production, support anti-inflammation and help the body recover faster.

In addition, patients should avoid eating greasy, spicy foods or raw foods because they can put pressure on the digestive system, reducing the body's ability to absorb nutrients needed to heal.

Avoid taking medication on your own, especially antibiotics and aspirin.

The arbitrary use of painkillers or fever-reducing drugs can pose serious risks to people with dengue fever. Drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen not only increase the risk of internal bleeding but can also contribute to the complicated progression of the disease. Therefore, patients are advised to only use fever-reducing drugs containing the active ingredient paracetamol and must strictly follow the dosage prescribed by the doctor.

In addition to taking health care measures as instructed, patients need to pay special attention to closely monitoring their condition. In case of serious symptoms such as nosebleeds, subcutaneous bleeding, severe abdominal pain or difficulty breathing, they should quickly go to medical facilities for timely support and treatment.

Avoid activities that cause bleeding

To support the treatment process to recover quickly, patients need to pay special attention to the risk of bleeding. When you have dengue fever, the blood vessel walls in your body will become weak, making you prone to bleeding, especially when there is an open wound. Therefore, you should limit strenuous physical activities, avoid collisions, falls and do not overwork to minimize the risk of injury and unwanted bleeding.

At the same time, during this period, it is necessary to avoid injecting the vaccine into the muscle because this can cause bleeding at the injection site. If the patient shows signs such as skin bruising, nosebleeds, bleeding gums or any other unusual symptoms, quickly go to the nearest medical facility for examination and timely treatment instructions.

Clean your body with warm water

Using warm water to wipe the body is considered an effective way to reduce fever, especially suitable for cases of prolonged high fever. Warm water has the ability to dilate peripheral blood vessels, improve blood circulation and at the same time support the body's natural cooling process.

For optimal results, use a soft towel soaked in warm water and wipe the neck, armpits, groin and back. Be careful not to use water that is too cold or too hot as this can cause sudden vasoconstriction, causing the body to lose heat quickly or even increase body temperature.

To keep the body airy

Keeping the body cool is an important factor, supporting the body's heat dissipation process to take place smoothly. People with the disease should avoid wearing tight clothes, covering themselves with blankets or being in hot environments because this can cause the body temperature to increase, prolonging the fever.

Instead, choose loose, breathable, sweat-absorbent clothing. At the same time, the room where the patient rests should be kept cool. If using air conditioning, the temperature should be adjusted to a moderate level, avoiding making it too cold so as not to weaken the body further.

Hospitalize when seriously ill and follow doctor's instructions

In case of severe dengue fever, no signs of improvement or dangerous symptoms appear, the patient needs to quickly go to a medical facility for timely examination and treatment.

Early hospitalization helps prevent the risk of serious illness such as shock due to dengue fever, circulatory failure, or damage to other organs. At the hospital, common treatments include:

Fluid and electrolyte replacement

When the body is severely dehydrated and cannot be rehydrated orally due to symptoms such as prolonged nausea or vomiting, along with a high hematocrit index, the doctor may consider prescribing intravenous fluids to replenish water and essential substances for the body.

Solutions commonly used in this setting include lactated Ringer's and 0.9% NaCl solution, administered as a drip with a maximum treatment duration of approximately 24 to 48 hours.

Monitor blood pressure

Patients with dengue fever are at risk of experiencing a sudden drop in blood pressure, which can lead to dengue shock syndrome and pose a serious threat to life. Therefore, hospitalization for regular blood pressure monitoring is extremely necessary, especially in cases with symptoms of prolonged high fever, fatigue, cold extremities, and continuous sweating.

Blood transfusion

When the platelet count in the blood drops below 50 g/L, the doctor may consider performing an intravenous platelet transfusion to prevent the risk of internal bleeding or cerebral hemorrhage. This decision will be based on many factors such as the level of bleeding, the patient's overall health status and the ability to respond to treatment methods, to ensure maximum safety for the patient.

Timely hospitalization plays an important role, helping patients to be closely monitored and quickly treated when unusual signs appear. This not only shortens recovery time but also significantly reduces the risk of serious complications./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/cham-soc-nguoi-benh-sot-xuat-huyet-nhu-the-nao-cho-dung-cach-post1039688.vnp