How Is Dengue Fever Diagnosed and Treated?
Doctors typically diagnose dengue fever from a patient’s history of symptoms and risk factors, including whether that person has been anywhere where dengue fever is found. The doctor looks for three signs: high fever, pain, and rash. These symptoms are known as the dengue triad. To help confirm the diagnosis, doctors may order blood tests or tests on spinal fluid to look for antibodies * to the virus. No specific treatment exists for dengue fever, but the disease usually clears up on its own. In serious cases, supportive care in a hospital can make recovery easier or even save a person’s life. It is important to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration * . Over-the-counter medicine, such as acetaminophen (uh-see-teh-MIH-noh-fen), can relieve pain and fever while the disease runs its course.
