If you are a diligent follower of news headlines, you already know that viral fever cases are on the rise in India. Viral fever is a generic term for a host of viral infections affecting the body. Infections have symptoms like high fever, burning in the eyes, headaches, body aches, and sometimes nausea and vomiting.
Notably, viral fever occurs mostly among children and older people. This is because immunity is low among these age groups. It is important to know that fever in itself is not an illness. It is a sign of a viral infection occurring in body parts like the intestines, lungs, air passages, etc. The fever comes as a result of the infection. The high fever is actually the body’s immune system combating the intruding viruses.
Often many of us try to self-medicate when down with viral fever. We do so by taking antibiotics, which is a wrong step. Since antibiotics are not for killing viruses, they can only kill harmful bacteria. When consumed unnecessarily, antibiotics affect your stomach lining and kill useful gut bacteria. This in turn causes acidity which damages your liver and kidneys.
If you are showing symptoms of viral fever and have a fever that has reached 103 F/40 C, consult a doctor online or visit a general practitioner. At DocGenie we have a panel of top general physicians for online doctor consultation which will enable you to get medical care without traveling. Our GPs are also highly qualified to take care of genetic diseases such as Edward’s syndrome.
Remember, COVID symptoms often look like early flu symptoms and respiratory infection symptoms. An online consultation with a General Physician is the right way to decide if you need to be tested for COVID-19 and eventually get treatment. In case you or any of your family members had been infected with COVID-19 in the past, think of taking a COVID-19 antibody test in order to test your immunity.
Who is more prone to viral fever?
Following are the situations that make you more vulnerable to catching viral fever –
- Proximity to an infected person
- Travelling to places where viral fever is prevalent
- Living in an area where cases of viral fever cases are on the rise
- Working with people infected with the fever
- Sharing needles for intravenous drugs
Symptoms
- Fever
- Fatigue and dizziness
- Chills
- Headache
- Muscle, body and joint pains
- Inflammation of the pharynx
- Painful tonsils
- Running nose or nasal congestion
- Chest congestion and Cough
- Sore throat
- Burning sensation in eyes
- Skin rashes
- Diarrhoea
- Nausea and vomiting
Also read: 18 Highly Infectious Diseases You Need to Know About
Why children are most at risk?
Most children get multiple respiratory infections every year. This is because children are more exposed to the outside world. Secondly, they also get infected due to coming in contact with dirty water. In India, an array of viral infections including influenza, dengue, chikungunya, and scrub typhus infect children from August to November. In particular, the post Monsoon time witnesses the maximum occurrence of vector-borne diseases like dengue, chikungunya and malaria.
Do you know that dengue and chikungunya happens due to Aedes aegypti mosquito bite which breeds in clear water? On the other hand, malaria-causing Anopheles mosquito breeds in fresh as well as muddy water. Most of the fevers occurring to children during this season are viral, be it, influenza or dengue. The fevers make them very weak and exhausted. Many of them also suffer from body-aches.
Children are mostly symptomatic and complain of fever, body ache, and abdominal symptoms. If your child is showing any such symptoms book an appointment with a pediatrician in Delhi who will suggest some blood tests for proper diagnosis. These fevers are treated symptomatically and need a good hydration level. Dengue treatment includes Intravenous (IV) fluids or medication to normalize blood pressure. Though children mostly get cured at home, in certain cases hospitalization could be necessary. Also, in case of any bleeding or low platelets platelet transfusion could be necessary.
How to protect children
Here are some of the measures to protect your children from viral fevers –
- Be watchful about the mosquito breeding places in and around your house. Do not allow any stagnant water at home. Additionally make ample use of mosquito repellents whenever your child is going out.
- Avoid giving stale food to your children. Make them eat hot and freshly cooked food.
- Make sure that they maintain the general hygienic habits.
Also read: Child Immunisation Dilemmas During The Pandemic
In case your child has a fever that is above 103-104 degrees Celcius and is persisting beyond 3-4 days, consult a GP or a pediatrician immediately. Other signs of alarm are lack of appetite, severe pain in the limbs, body rashes, or a lesser amount of urine. After thorough checking, the doctor will decide if hospital admission will be necessary. If not, the child will be treated in the outpatient department.
It is always better to seek advice early. Chat with one of our doctors by logging onto the DocGenie website. Search for ‘best general physician near me’ and book an appointment now!
DocGenie is an online telemedicine platform that provides you with quality healthcare from the comfort of your own space. On DocGenie, you can book an online consultation with highly qualified doctors as well as book lab tests for home collection.