What are the symptoms of dengue virus?

When dengue hit me, the first sign was a deep, breaking ache in my joints and lower back that completely stopped my morning asana practice. Then came a sudden, hot fever and an intense pain behind the eyes which felt very heavy. Please rest completely and practice deep, gentle breathing to keep the mind calm while your body heals.

My family physician explained that dengue classic symptoms are high fever, severe headache behind the eyes, and severe joint pain, which is why it is called breakbone fever. He also told us to watch out for critical warning signs like persistent vomiting, bleeding gums, or extreme lethargy, which require immediate hospitalization. Don't just treat it with basic paracetamol without a proper blood test.

Honestly, when I had dengue last year, I thought it was just a normal viral flu at first. But the weakness was on another level, I couldn't even walk to the bathroom without feeling dizzy. If you have high fever along with extreme nausea and zero appetite, please go get a complete blood count done immediately.

I was just reading about this because there are so many mosquitoes in my society lately. Apparently, the classic symptoms are sudden high fever, intense headaches, pain behind the eyes, and joint pains that start 4 to 10 days after the bite. It’s scary how similar it looks to normal viral fever initially, so a blood test seems to be the only way to be sure.

Please do not ignore this or try self-treating at home for too long. My platelets dropped dangerously low within three days and I had internal bleeding, which landed me in the ICU. If you feel dizzy, see any red spots on your skin, or experience severe stomach pain, rush to a hospital immediately as dengue can become life-threatening very quickly.

With my high BP, any viral fever like dengue makes me super nervous because dehydration can mess up blood pressure levels completely. Along with the typical high fever and severe muscle pain, it can cause sudden weakness and dizziness. I always advise people to monitor their vitals daily and keep checking platelet levels with a doctor.