Chikungunya is one of the most common diseases that spreads during the monsoon season. Just like dengue and malaria, this disease is also caused by stagnant water which provides the perfect breeding environment for mosquitoes. Chikungunya occurs when someone is bit by the mosquito, Mada Aedes. The initial symptoms of chikungunya include viral fever and severe joint pain. A person may experience joint pain for a week during this illness, thereby making the person quite weak and tired.
Causes
- Chikungunya is caused by the bite of the Mada Aedes mosquito.
- These mosquitoes are big in size and often bite their victims during the day time.
- This mosquito can bite multiple people. If a normal mosquito bites an infected person, the chikungunya virus gets transferred to that mosquito as well.
Symptoms
1) High Fever
2) Swollen Joints and Acute Pain
3) Body Rashes
4) Back and Muscle Pain
5) Headache
6) Cold and Cough
7) Discomfort with Light
8) Insomnia (sleeplessness)
Cures
- If you see these symptoms in anyone, take them to the nearest doctor or hospital. Though there is no specific treatment or medication for chikungunya, normal medicines do provide some relief.
- To detect the virus, there are some specific tests that one can get. Like RTPCR Test, Virus Isolation Test and Serological Test.
- It is very important to drink a lot of fluids.
- Don’t take medicines such as disprin and aspirin.
Preventive Measures
- Chikungunya spreads mostly during the monsoons, so make sure you don’t have stagnant water anywhere. Also, if you are unable to drain water add kerosene oil to the water as the oil kills mosquitoes and their eggs.
- Regularly change the water in water coolers.
- Fully cover yourself when you step out of the house to avoid mosquito bites.
- If you have a fish tank, always keep it closed.
- Apply mosquito repellent creams on school-going kids, before they head out.
Ayurvedic Cure for Chikungunya
1. Add neem, peepal/peeper, tulsi and ginger into water and boil them. Strain the water and consume the prepared Kadha.
2. Chikungunya reduces the infected person’s blood platelets. So its recommended to consume giloy and aloe vera juice.
3. Chikungunya affects the liver too. So, one should have pomegranate juice and the juice of Papaya skin.
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