How to Identify Dengue Symptoms Before Platelets Drop

Understanding the Different Stages of Dengue

A typical course of dengue infection begins with febrile phase when a person experiences fever and other symptoms for a couple of days. In some cases, it is followed by more severe symptoms of plasma leakage and other severe conditions. After this phase, the next step in people is recovery period whose condition is getting better.

One of the main phases where things get really dangerous is called a critical phase which is often around the time fever goes down and patients generally feel better, sometimes between 3rd and 7th day when more severe symptoms begin. Actually, at this point, people could wrongly believe that they feel better since the temperature is down. However, one should be attentive about early signs of the illness as the fever subsides.

Early Dengue Symptoms to Watch For

Dengue symptoms may show up even before the platelet levels go down. Being aware of these early indications can enable you to get medical help at an early stage.

1. Sudden High Fever

A high temperature often signals the start of dengue fever. The fever alone is seldom a symptom but is usually accompanied by other signs such as severe headache, body aches, nausea, rash, or pain behind the eyes.

If you have a fever and severe illness, including the signs above, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible. Especially if you have mosquitoes or they have been reported in your area, as they are carriers of dengue virus.

2. Severe Headache and Pain Behind the Eyes

A strong headache is one of the typical symptoms of Dengue fever. In addition, some individuals may feel pain behind or around their eyes, which becomes more severe upon blinking of eyes.

The combination of fever, headache, and retro-orbital pain can be a crucial early sign of dengue, albeit these symptoms can be present in other viral diseases as well. 

3. Intense Muscle and Joint Pain

Due to the pain it causes in muscles, bones, joints, dengue fever is sometimes referred to as “breakbone fever”.

This type of body ache can be widespread and it will often be accompanied by a great exhaustion. If the fever and severe body pains come suddenly, one should consider dengue. 

4. Nausea, Vomiting, and Loss of Appetite

Digestive symptoms are common as well. One might feel sick, throw up, have less of an appetite, or have discomfort in the stomach area. 

Nausea occasionally is normal, but if vomiting happens again and again, it is of particular importance. In fact, vomiting together with fever reduction is one of the severe dengue indicators.

5. Skin Rash

A rash can develop during dengue infection as red or small spots on the skin and can vary in appearance from person to person.

When a rash appears with high fever, body aches, headache, and other characteristic symptoms, medical assessment is advisable to confirm dengue.

6. Unusual Fatigue and Weakness

Intense fatigue can be a symptom of dengue disease and it may remain for long after the fever starts to subside. If in spite of fever reduction you notice the gradual weakening, constant agitation, abnormal somnolence, and deterioration, you should not regard this as just tiredness. All these signs might indicate the development of the illness toward more severe forms.

What to Do If You Suspect Dengue

You might have symptoms that are typical of dengue but only a lab test can tell for sure. 

If the illness started some time ago, your physician might suggest a test like an NS1 antigen test, which is the most effective test during the early days of dengue. If the infection has progressed, you might be tested for antibodies that your body starts producing against the virus. A blood test that examines red blood cells, white blood cells, platelet count, and other components may be requested as well as these can indicate whether the body is going in the right direction after dengue.

Drinking water and oral rehydration salts will help your body deal with dehydration, a condition usually exacerbated by fever, vomiting, and a decreased appetite.

If you are considering taking aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, consult your physician first, as these drugs may increase the risk of bleeding in patients with dengue.

Final Thoughts

Detecting dengue early doesn’t mean only checking for platelet count. Signs such as a spike in sudden high fever, headaches getting more intense, eyes feeling sore behind, muscle and joint pains, nausea, rash, and unexplained level of fatigue can surface well ahead of when platelet count starts to drop off very significantly.

On the other hand, the time when the fever is going into a downward phase may still carry the risk of a major complication and should be watched very closely. It is better to bring the patient directly to the hospital.

Sarvesh Health City offers timely clinical assessment, diagnostic tools, and continuous monitoring with the help of best general physician in Hisar, since early diagnosis can control dengue symptoms before platelets drop.