Rainy Season Health Alert - Dengue

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Dengue is another disease that we should look out for especially this rainy season.

I remember when an outbreak occurred in this all boys school that I used to stay in. We thought one classmate is just playing by running fast and in circles in the second floor lobby. It turns out that he was already deliriously infected and his case was already life-threathening. He told us that he could not control anymore what he was doing as if he is not control of his mind and actions anymore.

Dengue is an acute infectious disease manifested initially with fever. Aedes aegypti, the transmitter of the disease, is a day-biting mosquito which lays eggs in clear and stagnant water found in flower vases, cans, rain barrels, old rubber tires, etc. The adult mosquitoes rest in dark places of the house.

The following are the most common symptoms of Dengue:

• high fever
• headaches
• joint and muscle pain
• vomiting
• rashes


Most people with dengue recover within 2 weeks. Until then, drinking lots of fluids, resting and taking non-aspirin feverreducing medicines might help. Sometimes dengue turns into dengue hemorrhagic fever, which causes bleeding from your nose, gums or under your skin. It can also become dengue shock syndrome, which causes massive bleeding and shock. These forms of dengue are life-threatening



How to Treat

• There is no specific medicine or vaccine to treat dengue because it is caused by a virus. The treatment is to relieve the patient of the symptoms.
• To treat dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, intravenous fluids and electrolytes are necessary.
• Blood transfusions may be needed to control bleeding.
• Rest is important

How to Prevent

• The best prevention measure is to maintain a clean environment.
• Properly dispose tin cans, bottles, tires and other containers so that these do not become artificial mosquito-breeding places.
• Water drums should be kept covered at all times
• Roof gutters should be kept clean and dry, all the time.
• Keep all vacant lots clean and make sure that no puddle of water exists.
• Turn empty pots, pails, wash basins and coconut shells upside down in order to keep it free of water.



Let us keep our surroundings clean. Be safe everyone.

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Rainy Season Healthcare: LEPTOSPIROSIS

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One of the most common diseases that we should be aware of this rainy season is LEPTOSPIROSIS. Leptospirosis is a rare and severe bacterial infection that occurs when people are exposed to certain environments

Leptospirosis is caused by exposure to several types of the Leptospira bacteria, which can be found in fresh water that has been contaminated by animal urine. It occurs in countries with warmer climates like the Philippines. Although it is not spread from person to person, there are very rare cases when it is transmitted through breast milk or from a mother to her unborn child.

Due to the constant flooding that occurs in our country every rainy season, more and more people are reportedly being infected with this.



The most common symptoms of Leptospirosis are the following:
• Dry cough
• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
• Shaking chills

There could be other symptoms like:

• Abdominal pain
• Abnormal lung sounds
• Bone pain
• Conjunctivitis
• Enlarged lymph glands
• Enlarged spleen or liver
• Joint aches
• Muscle rigidity
• Muscle tenderness
• Skin rash
• Sore throat

The following are the Risk Factors for Leptospirosis:
• Occupational exposure -- farmers, ranchers, slaughterhouse workers, trappers, veterinarians, loggers, sewer workers, rice field workers, and military personnel

• Recreational activities -- fresh water swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and trail biking in warm areas

• Household exposure -- pet dogs, domesticated livestock, rainwater catchment systems, and infected rodent

Normally, if a person is diagnosed with Leptospirosis his or her blood is tested for antibodies to the bacteria. As per doctor's orders tests like CBC or Complete Blood Count, Creatine kinase, Liver enzymes and Urinalysis can be done as well.

You may consult your physician to get the exact medication that you should have. Antibiotics can be used to treat the infection especially if the disease was diagnosed early.

In order to prevent Leptospirosis everyone is encouraged:
• to avoid swimming or wading in waters that might be contaminated with animal urine and
• to drain potentially contaminated water when possible.
• Those who are exposed to contaminated water or soil because of their job or any other activities are advised to wear protective clothings and footwear.
• Those who have open wounds are advised to have more care.
• Control rats in the household by using rat traps or rat poison, maintaining cleanliness in the house.

Your health is your wealth. Sabi nga sa TV, prevention is better than cure.

For more information, you may check the Department of Health website.

http://www.doh.gov.ph/healthadvisories/leptospirosis

Cervical Cancer Free Screening

I should have posted this before Mothers Day para naman tamang-tama sana para sa kababaihan at hindi a day after but as the saying goes "Better Late than Later".

The Department of Health is giving a month long free cervical cancer screening for women within the age of 30 to 45. This is being offered at all 58 DOH accredited hospitals nationwide in accordance with the celebration of the Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.

For NCR the free screening is available every Mondays of the May.
For Luzon it will be every Wednesdays of May.
For Visayas it will be for Thusrdays of May.
It will be available every Fridays of May in Mindanao.



Cervical cancer occurs when normal cells in the cervix change into cancer cells. It is usually caused by a chronic and persistent cancer-causing type of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection that leads to pre-malignant lesions and progress to cancer.

Kindly tell your moms and all the women you love about this.

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5 Summer Diseases

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The Department of Health (DOH) is asking Filipinos to watch out for the following summer diseases as temperatures in the country start to rise this month:

Health Alert 1: Measles
Health Alert 2: Sore eyes
Health Alert 3: Sunburn
Health Alert 4: Food and Water-borne diseases (such as typhoid, cholera,hepatitis A, food poisoning and diarrhea)
Health Alert 5: Mosquito-borne diseases (such as dengue and malaria)

The DOH provided some useful tips to help Filipinos stay away from these summer diseases:

On eating/drinking and food preparation:
- Cook food properly.
- Eat food immediately after cooking or while it's still hot.
- Refrigerate leftover food and reheat before eating.
- Wash hands before and after food preparation, and before and after eating.
- Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day
- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Make sure to wash and peel them before eating.

At the beach:
- Do not allow children to swim without the company of an adult who can swim and is
not drunk.
- Avoid staying under the sun for more than 3 hours.
- Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
- Wear light clothing.

On the road:
- Check your vehicle before going on a trip
- Always bring a repair kit in case of accidents and emergencies.
- When drunk, never attempt to drive.

Reference: http://doh.gov.ph

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June is the Dengue Awareness Month

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I first witnessed Dengue when I was still enrolled in an all male school somewhere in Lipa City. There was a breakout causing about 25% of the student population to be infected. Most are mild cases and were treated right away. But there are some who had to be confined for days in the hospital. One in particular caught my attention as we all were not aware that he was already in an alarming stage. The person seemed to have lost control of his mind and started to run in circles at the second floor of our dormitory. That is when we realized that he got the disease and so he was brought to the hospital. A classmate even had to donate blood for him. We were told that if he were brought to the hospital a few hours late, he would have died. That is how bad his dengue stage was during that time.

The Department of Health recently announced that this month of June is declared as Dengue Awareness Month. The DOH warns the public that the number of dengue cases in the Philippines is alarmingly getting higher. From January 1 to March 27, 2010 alone, they have already listed 11,803 cases which is 61% than the number of cases reported in the same period last year.

More information from DOH:

DENGUE HEMORRHAGIC FEVER is an acute infectious disease manifested initially with fever.

Transmission

Aedes aegypti, the transmitter of the disease, is a day-biting mosquito which lays eggs in clear and stagnant water found in flower vases, cans, rain barrels, old rubber tires, etc. The adult mosquitoes rest in dark places of the house.

Signs and Symptoms

a. Sudden onset of high fever which may last 2 to 7 days.
b. Joint & muscle pain and pain behind the eyes.
c. Weakness
d. Skin rashes - maculopapular rash or red tiny spots on the skin called petechiae
e. Nosebleeding when fever starts to subside
f. Abdominal pain
g. Vomiting of coffee-colored matter
h. Dark-colored stools

Prevention and Control

>> Cover water drums and water pails at all times to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

>> Replace water in flower vases once a week.

>> Clean all water containers once a week. Scrub the sides well to remove eggs of mosquitoes sticking to the sides.

>> Clean gutters of leaves and debris so that rain water will not collect as breeding places of mosquitoes.

>> Old tires used as roof support should be punctured or cut to avoid accumulation of water.

>> Collect and dispose all unusable tin cans, jars, bottles and other items that can collect and hold water.