Chikungunya: How To Identify Chikungunya Fever Symptoms?

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It has been over a week now and the national capital Delhi is reeling under the spate of chikungunya cases, so much so that it has turned fatal for a few as well. The most worrying fact is that currently there is no drug or vaccination available to treat this deadly disease.

The only way out is prevention. Many people are still not aware as to how chikungunya fever is different from a normal fever or that of a dengue. So how do we identify the symptoms of chikungunya?

Also Read: Remedies For Chikungunya

Like dengue, chikungunya is also transmitted by the virus that is transmitted from human to human by the bites of infected female mosquitoes which mainly belong to two species - the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Usually these mosquitos bite during the late afternoon and also early mornings.

The symptoms which generally start off with fever are seen to occur after 3-10 days following the bite of the infected mosquito.

Also Read: Monsoon Diseases In India

Many of us tend to think that it is a common fever and ignore it. This is one of the major reasons many of the chikungunya cases turn fatal.

Here is a list of 8 major symptoms which will help in identifying and differentiating chikungunya from the normal fever. Take a look.

1. Sudden Onset Of Fever:

The fever will set in abruptly, that too a very high fever. Also the fever is frequent and lasts for about a week. Unlike in malaria where the fever is predominant in the evenings, in case of chikungunya the fever is persistent throughout the day. The medicine used to control the fever will fail to work.

2.Joint Pain:

Along with the fever, chikungunya comes along with severe joint pains and swelling. The pain is more severe in the hands, feet and back. The pain is so severe that it makes few people disabled as well. The pain remains for several weeks and for some, especially the elderly the pain remains for a year.

3. Muscle Pain:

Muscle pain ranging from slight to severe is yet another symptom of chikungunya. You will feel as if the muscles have tightened and it affects your movement.

4. Headache:

Severe headaches which are frequent need to be checked, as this is one of the major symptoms of chikungunya. The headache is so severe that it affects one's day-to-day activities. It becomes difficult to sleep as well.

5. Nausea:

In case of chikungunya, the fever and headache is also accompanied by nausea. You feel sick and vomiting becomes common.

6. Fatigue:

Along with the fever, headaches and joint pain yet another major symptom of chikungunya is fatigue. You tend to feel tired, restless and drained out. This is a case which is common when one is infected with chikungunya.

7. Rashes:

When one is affected with chikungunya, due to the high fever one starts getting rashes that are generally flat. The part of the skin that are affected turns red with small pore like things. It is normally seen around the torso, face, palms and the soles.

8. Eye Pain:

Yet another peculiar symptom of chikungunya is eye pain. The eyes start turning red and they tend to face difficulty while facing the light. They are also likely to get conjunctivitis.