Dengue epidemic: why should we avoid self-medication?

The expert warns about the risks and remedies to avoid in case of dengue. Seeking medical care is essential to treating the disease

With dengue fever cases on the rise across the country, any symptom related to the disease already shines a red light, such as fever, headache, muscle aches, pain behind the eyes, tiredness, red spots, among others. And one of the most common mistakes is that people, because they are not aware of the consequences, try to relieve the symptoms with self-medication, which is a big risk, especially if, in fact, the diagnosis is positive for dengue.

Therefore, experts warn about contraindicated drugs in case of suspected dengue fever. If in doubt, the best solution is to always seek help from the emergency room, primary health unit and other similar services. Moreover, the indices of the Ministry of Health highlight that the spread of the disease in our country continues at an accelerated pace: since January this year, more than 500,000 probable cases of dengue have been recorded, with 75 confirmed deaths.

Medicines not indicated in case of dengue fever

General Clinical Doctor and Emergency Department Coordinator at the Vera Cruz Hospital, in Campinas-SP, Carla Roballo Bertelli points out that one of the main classes of drugs to avoid are anti-inflammatories, which are often sold without a prescription and can lead to serious complications.

“By interacting with platelets (which act in the body’s defense system and have the function of clotting blood), they decrease platelet function and reduce blood clotting. Consequently, anti-inflammatories can increase the risk of bleeding, worsening the condition. disease,” he explains. It is important to emphasize that the bleeding caused can be internal, leading to a greater risk of complications of the disease.

The specialist also warns that people who use acetylsalicylic acid, the popular AAS (also known by the commercial name of aspirin), whose function is analgesic and anti-platelet, require particular attention, especially in patients who use it regularly. “In these cases we must carry out daily clinical monitoring to evaluate the platelets and see if it is necessary to suspend the drug”clarifies.

Care must be maintained at home

At home the recommendation is to drink plenty of liquids to ensure good hydration. “Dengue causes inflammation and causes fluids to ‘leak’ from the blood vessels and, therefore, hydration must be very rigorous. In addition to water, teas, coconut water and juices, it is important to ingest serums, which they are found in pharmacies and petrol stations” .health, to replace the salts lost by the body”underlines the doctor.

Remembering that, in case of nausea, if it is difficult to drink liquids at home, the recommendation is to immediately go to an emergency room or hospital of your choice. In this case, they will recommend intravenous hydration.

Dengue symptoms

Dengue is transmitted through the bite of a female Aedes a Egypti mosquito infected with the virus. The initial symptoms are high fever, lasting two to seven days, headache in the body, joints and behind the eyes, tiredness and red spots on the skin.

The most severe cases are accompanied by intense and continuous abdominal pain, vomiting, fluid accumulation, mucosal bleeding and irritability.

“In each of these situations, the best solution is not to self-medicate and to contact a medical service for a more thorough evaluation. Blood tests will be carried out to identify the severity of the condition and the patient will receive information on when to return to the medical service in case of worsening and progression of the disease”concludes Carla Roballo Bertelli.

Information about the Vera Cruz hospital

For 80 years, Vera Cruz Hospital has been recognized for the quality of its services, technological capacity, its team of renowned doctors and for offering humane care that puts life first. The unit has 166 beds distributed in different inpatient units, in individual (apartment) or collective (two beds) accommodation, intensive care and maternity units, and also has sectors of Chemotherapy, Hemodynamics, Radiology (including tomography , magnetic resonance imaging, bone densitometry, ultrasound and X-rays) and a laboratory with the Fleury Medicina e Saúde quality seal. In October 2017 Hospital Care became a partner of Vera Cruz. In almost six years, the alliance has recorded important progress in the provision of services generated by investments in innovation and technology, even surpassing the threshold of two thousand robotic surgeries, a big difference in the region and in the interior of Brazil. In the medium term, the group plans to expand its services with the construction of two new buildings erected in front of and next to the main hospital, for a total of 17 thousand m² of additional built area. 35 years ago, Vera Cruz created and maintains the Roberto Rocha Brito Foundation, a reference in training and health courses in the Metropolitan Region of Campinas, both for professionals in the sector and for non-experts, and is an accredited unit of the ‘American Heart Association. In April 2021, the Hospital was awarded the Seal of Excellence in Good Safety Practices to combat Covid-19 by the Brazilian Institute of Excellence in Health (IBES) and, in December, it was reaccredited with the highest level of Excellence in general care by National Accreditation Organization.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.