Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever, a Disease that the Elderly Must Watch Out for

Of course, familiar with dengue fever. dengue fever, or commonly abbreviated as dengue is a disease caused by dengue virus. This virus enters the human body through the bite of the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which live in the tropics and sub-tropics.

Dengue can affect everyone, whether children, adults and parents. DHF is estimated to infect around 390 million people every year. A group of older people (seniors) have more chance of contracting the risk of DHF death. The results of laboratory studies in Vitória, Brazil, have shown that older adults (60-80 years) tend to suffer from serious illnesses of young adult dengue (20-59 years).

In Taiwan and Singapore, dengue patients are reported to have the highest rates of dengue virus transmission and represent the most risk of death. The effects of aging that affect the physiological functions of the immune system have a negative impact on the immune system of the elderly.

Disruption of T cell response and production of cytokines as regulators of the immune system make it easy for older people to be infected with dengue virus. In addition, an increase in chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, allergies, chronic kidney, stroke, heart, lung, and other chronic diseases, also makes the elderly vulnerable to DHF.
Symptoms of dengue fever

Dengue fever symptoms usually begin to appear 7-21 days after someone is infected with the dengue virus. Initially, the most common symptom is high fever which can penetrate temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius. Some symptoms of dengue fever, including:

trembling
severe headache
The appearance of red spots on the skin
sore throat
Loss of appetite
stomach ache and nausea
reddish face
Pain in the lower back muscles, arms, legs up
severe pain in the bones and joints
The back of the eye wound
unusual bleeding, such as bleeding gums, nosebleeds and blood in the urine or feces

How to prevent dengue fever

So far a vaccine against dengue has been found, but its effectiveness has not been reviewed. Therefore, the best way to prevent this disease is to avoid being bitten by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which carry viruses and increase endurance.

Here are some ways you can do to avoid mosquito bites:

Clean the house or around your home environment, for example by mosquito spraying (fogging)
Clean the bathtub and sprinkled powder to soothe mosquito larvae dies
Cover, flip, or if necessary, to get rid of media that there is a small container of water around your home
Attach anti-mosquito wire through the vents of your home
Installing nets on your bed to sleep
Portion of lotions against mosquitoes, especially those containing N-diethylmetatoluamide (DEET), which have been proven effective
Wear clothes that can protect you against mosquito bites
Make a good clean life (PHB)

By making effective steps, dengue fever can be prevented. However, if you or a family of symptoms as above, it should not be underestimated and consult your doctor immediately.