What are the Symptoms of Dengue Fever In Children And Adults?
February 2, 2018
Health and Wellness,Mother & Baby Care

Of late there has been an increasing menace in my house, a huge surge of pesky mosquitos. The culprit is the increase in redevelopment around my neighborhood; Construction sites are the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.
As any mother would, I have been panicking about how to protect my family from this menace and also keeping myself aware on the precautions as well as signs and symptoms of dengue, malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. While doing some research online, I came across an alarming report from Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine which found that the number-one cause of ICU admissions in India is dengue!
Of course I take all possible precautions to keep mosquitoes at bay, however it is still advisable to be alert and aware of the symptoms of dengue fever so that you can diagnose and treat the infection in time.
What are the Symptoms of Dengue Fever?:
Symptoms of dengue fever usually begin to show 4-6 days after getting infected and can often get mistaken for viral flu. Some of the signs and symptoms of dengue include:
- High fever 103-105 degree which lasts for 3-5 days
- Severe headaches
- Severe joint and muscle pain
- Fatigue and nausea
- Pain behind the eyes
- Muscle and joint pain
- Skin rashes, which may last for 2-5 days after the onset of fever
If you are exhibiting high fever and two of the above symptoms as well, it is best to visit a doctor who might recommend a blood test to check for presence of the virus.
In some extreme cases, the infected person may develop Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever or Dengue Shock Syndrome. Symptoms of this include:
- Vomiting
- Bleeding from the nose and the gums
- Severe abdominal pain
- Blood in urine, stool or vomit
- Sudden drop in blood pressure
If you are exhibiting any of these symptoms in addition to high fever, it is best to visit an emergency room immediately.
Signs of Dengue Fever in Babies and Toddlers:
Especially as a mom to a toddler, it is important for me to be extra vigilant because he still cannot express himself if he is feeling something like pain or nausea. So it is up to me to me to look out for early indications of the virus. In addition to the above symptoms of dengue fever, look out for the below signs and symptoms of dengue in children:
- Irritability, restlessness, crankiness
- More sleepy than usual
- Bruises
- Vomiting 2-3 times a day
- Difficulty in breathing
- Cold or clammy skin
Remember that with proper precautions and good treatment, patients infected with dengue can fully recover. What is crucial is to catch the symptoms and get diagnosed in time.
An informative post which has some real valuable information for babies during the time of dengue…Thanks for sharing it
Quite informative.. mosquitoes can be a big menace
A much needed information..it is important to be aware of the symptoms before this proves to be fatal..
Mosquitoes are a nightmare these days. This is such an informative post. Will keep this saved for future use.
With so many varieties of fever doing the rounds, it’s just not possible to take a fever lightly. This is very informative.
You are right, sometimes we get confused with fever. We feels it’s normal.seasonal or viral but it is much more than that. Your post is quite informative in terms of which are the alarming signs.