What is the most critical stage of dengue?

The three stages of dengue are as follows:

• Stage 1 (Acute Fever Stage): In this stage, the person has a high fever that can last anywhere from one to five days. This high fever reaches up to 39-40 degrees Celsius (102-104 degrees Fahrenheit). In this phase, the person experiences symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Antipyretics such as paracetamol can be used to reduce body temperature. If the patient or infected children are not able to have an adequate amount of food and are weak, then it is necessary to contact the doctor immediately.
• Stage 2 (Critical Stage): This stage is extremely severe and can affect a person for 5 to 7 days. In this stage, the body temperature starts falling and the blood pressure also starts decreasing. Here, a patient may experience symptoms such as restlessness, weakness, cold skin, rapid pulse, drop in platelets, vomiting of blood, internal bleeding etc.
• Stage 3 (Recovery Stage): This stage is the last, in which the person waits for a few days to come back to normalcy. In this phase, patients feel hungry and their pulse becomes normal. The rash on the legs and arms is the only symptom during the recovery period.

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Some patients with dengue fever may develop the problem of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, which is serious and a fatal form of dengue.

Usually, three to seven days after the onset of dengue symptoms, a person's fever begins to subside. The patient may develop signs of serious illness in the form of dengue hemorrhagic fever during this time. These signs include severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting (at least three times a day), change in temperature, mental changes, etc. The initial symptoms of restlessness, cold skin and fluctuating pulse may persist.

If any of these symptoms are seen during dengue fever, then the doctor should be contacted immediately.

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Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, a syndrome caused by the dengue virus, can be especially bad for children under 10 years of age. Symptoms of dengue in children can include abdominal pain, bleeding, sudden high fever, headache, sore throat, cough, nausea, vomiting, respiratory and intestinal problems, etc. Most of the deaths due to this disease are in children. Babies below one year of age can be especially at risk of death due in such cases.

The above-mentioned symptoms may appear in a person with Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF). In such cases, it is necessary to get admitted to the hospital immediately after contacting the doctor.

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