Chikungunya Prevention & Effective Treatment

Chikungunya is a viral infection caused by the CHIKV virus. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. This is one of the most serious illnesses that stem from mosquito bites. Chikungunya is very common in India and the best way to prevent it is by keeping your family safe from mosquito bites. Read on to know more.

Chikungunya fever symptoms

Chikungunya is a viral infection that causes a high fever and other symptoms some of which are:

High fever

A very major symptom of chikungunya is high fever. If you have chikungunya your temperature can go up to as high as 103°F, so be very careful about this.

Severe body pain

Another common chikungunya symptom is severe body pain, especially joint pains. Your joints become inflamed and hurt a lot. Unfortunately, the joint pains can last for months after you recover from chikungunya.

Headache

Headache is commonly associated with chikungunya. When you have a high fever, the headache comes along and you may have to take some painkillers to alleviate the discomfort.

Nausea

Patients who get chikungunya commonly complain of nausea and frequent throwing up. If you experience nausea along with joint pains and a high fever, get tested for chikungunya without any delay.

Weakness

And finally, the CHIKV virus leaves you completely exhausted and fatigued, which causes severe weakness. 

These are the most common chikungunya fever symptoms. If you or anyone in your family shows these symptoms, get tested at the earliest so that the most effective treatment plan can be implemented.

Chikungunya treatment medicine

There is no specific vaccine or medicine that has yet been discovered for chikungunya. However, there are some medicine combinations that are used to treat this illness. They commonly include pain and fever medication, as these are the two main components of chikungunya. 

Hydrating IV fluids are also administered if the patient gets very sick and dehydrated following a high fever. Your doctor may ask you to get hospitalised and manage the illness through IV drugs if your symptoms don’t subside within a few days. The chikungunya incubation period ranges between three and seven days, so you have to be very careful and monitor your health. Also, if one person in the house gets the disease, you have to keep an eye on the others to ensure they don’t have it too.

Preventing chikungunya

The only way to prevent chikungunya is by controlling mosquito bites. Here are some effective tips for you and your family:

Use mosquito nets

Mosquitoes mainly strike at night when you are sleeping in the dark. A good way to prevent this is to use a mosquito net on your bed at night. This is a highly effective way to prevent mosquito bites that lead to chikungunya

Wear full sleeve clothes

If you are in a place that’s infested with mosquitoes, cover your skin as much as possible. Wear full-sleeved shirts and full trousers, along with socks and shoes. Make your other family members dress similarly too. 

Apply mosquito repellent creams

There are some over the counter anti-mosquito bite creams and gels that are widely available. Get them and apply them all over your body to stop mosquito bites.

Fumigate

Fumigate your house and the surroundings regularly. This not just helps to eliminate the mosquitoes around, it also helps to break their nests and kill the larvae too, which leads to a reduction of mosquitoes in the future too. Fumigate your premises, especially if you have a garden or a large open area where the pests thrive. 

Eliminate stagnant water

Stagnant water is the breeding ground for mosquitoes. Never allow water to stay stagnant in any part of your house. Throw away stagnant water from buckets, flower pots, tanks, etc. If you have a pond in the garden, use suitable medicines and keep the water clear at all times. This is a very effective way in which you can control the spread of mosquitoes.

Put nets on the windows

And finally, consider putting nets on all the windows of the house. This will prevent the mosquitoes from entering your house and you will be able to protect your family from the harmful mosquito bites that lead to chikungunya and also other diseases such as malaria and dengue.

Follow these tips and there will be a lower number of mosquitoes around.

The final word

Mosquitoes are very present in large quantities in a country like India. While it may be quite impossible to completely eliminate all the mosquitoes around you, it will definitely be possible for you to reduce the incidents of mosquito bites and thereby prevent chikungunya. If however the illness still affects you or your family, follow the guidelines mentioned above to achieve a full and fast recovery.