National Dengue Day: Stay Alert! Don't Simply Rely on Home Remedies For Dengue

National Dengue Day is celebrated on May 16 every year to spread awareness about dengue and to increase preventive measures as well as to find out ways to prevent and control the diseases across the country. A viral disease caused by the dengue virus, it is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito (Aedes aegypti) bite infected with any one of the four dengue viruses. The mosquito bites at daylight and a person develop the disease after 3-14 days of the infective bite. People already affected with dengue can infect others by transmitting the virus to other people through the Aedes mosquitoes during 4-5 days of the onset of symptoms. It is very important to take preventive measures to avoid dengue infection.

On National Dengue Day, we will tell you about the commonly used home remedies to get cured of the vector-borne disease. With no known cure for dengue fever, many people turn to traditional home remedies in the hope these will cure them more quickly. Dr. Professor Pratit Samdani, Honorary Associate Professor of Medicine and Head of the Medicine unit at G T Hospital and Sir J J Group of Hospitals in Mumbai, explains why people should increase their fluid intake and look for signs of bleeding rather than simply having papaya juice and basil tea or eating kiwi or dragon fruit.

Dengue home remedies have been a traditional practice in many countries for several years; whenever someone contracts the disease, friends and family share tales of how fruits and drinks can speed recovery.

“With incidence of dengue high and no specific dengue treatment available, people turn to home remedies to aid their recovery,” says Professor Samdani, adding, “Here in India, almost every dengue patient comes to me with a list of home remedies.”

From Papaya Leaves To Wheatgrass Juice

Most often our relatives and friends advise us to drink papaya leaf juice if we are diagnosed with dengue. People take fresh papaya leaves straight from the tree, soak them in water and grind them before drinking two or three spoons four or five times a day.

“I hear it’s got a bitter taste,” says Professor Samdani.

She adds, “Nevertheless, most people take it. Every person admitted to hospital with dengue has a small bottle with green color in it. It will be papaya leaf extract or papaya leaf juice.”

Other common home remedies suggested by relatives include eating dragon fruit and other fruits such as kiwi fruit. They believe these remedies will increase their platelet count, which is often the biggest fear for patients with dengue. Professor Samdani says, “An increase in hemoglobin has a worse outcome than a drop in the platelet count, but many patients are more concerned with their platelet count.”

Some people also believe that basil leaf tea and coriander leaf tea will have an anti-viral effect and improve circulation, which will in turn help relieve them of the dengue virus; others eat pomegranates, drink wheatgrass juice or consume foods rich in vitamin C.

Home Remedies Don't Help

Dengue is a self-limiting disease and a majority of patients simply recover with time. When it comes to dengue protection, home remedies don’t benefit them in any way. Professor Samdani says, "Home remedies for dengue certainly do nothing to speed or improve recovery. They don’t help patients in terms of anti-viral activity, improving platelet count, decreasing hemoglobin, offering symptomatic relief or early recuperation.”

Yet patients are stuck because doctors have nothing to offer them besides symptomatic treatment. Most of them know that there is no treatment apart from the drugs that provide symptomatic treatment. Irrespective of how much doctors like Professor Samdani educate them, many patients continue to use home remedies for dengue. They feel that these will help them.

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“I tell them home remedies do not help with getting better faster and back to work quicker. But if you do want you can continue having them – just make sure they’re well-made and hygienic,” says Professor Samdani.

Drink More Fluids

So, what’s the problem? With the fruit and leaves being completely natural, home remedies for dengue don’t put people at risk for any serious side effects. If at all, papaya leaves may cause some nausea and vomiting because they are very, very sour.

There are, however, risks that come with dengue home remedies – the main risk being the immense confidence they give the patient and their families. Patients feel they are getting the complete holistic treatment they need; that they are preventing the drop in platelet count that they feel is the main risk from dengue.

“We need to raise awareness that it’s not the drop in platelet count that’s more dangerous; it’s the rise in hematocrit and hemoglobin that can lead to more complications. It’s important they drink more liquid and look for signs of bleeding rather than concentrating on these small home remedies for dengue,” says Professor Samdani.

Dengue home remedies are available, but they aren’t a cure for the disease. They don’t help you recover more quickly, and they do nothing to stop hematocrit and hemoglobin levels from rising.

Instead, if you are unfortunate enough to catch dengue, take these three simple steps: drink more, look for signs of bleeding and heed your doctor’s advice.

Precautions One Can Take Against Dengue

The only way to prevent dengue is by avoiding mosquito bite because a vaccine can’t protect against dengue. One has to reduce exposed skin by long-sleeved shirts, wearing long pants, and socks to protect from bites.

Use a repellent with at least 10 percent concentration of diethyltoluamide (DEET). Avoid using DEET to kids. You may also use structural barriers, like screens or netting, helps to keep mosquitos out. Avoid scented perfumes and soaps may attract mosquitos. Try to avoid being outside at dusk and early evening.

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Keep wet garbage separate and covered. Segregate the waste in the house into wet and dry, especially during the season of transmission of dengue. This will prevent the growth and breeding of mosquitoes.