DENGUE- WHY ONE MUST FEAR IT? (RARE BUT FATAL CONSEQUENCES)
Dengue. The word creates ghastly images in one’s mind and, why not? It has serious consequences which can be fatal or lifelong. Many know Dengue causes thrombocytopenia (decreased platelet count), but how many know what it leads to?
Dengue virus causes destruction of platelets hence their number decreases. Platelets are an important factor for blood coagulation to prevent blood loss. When platelets are depleted, stopping bleeding isn’t easy. Apart from platelets the virus also damages cells of skin, mucosa, heart, brain, eye etc. The damage causes cell death/ cell break down. As a consequence there is bleeding/ fluid collection in various body pockets.
The virus is known to affect the cardiac muscles which when injured do not function optimally as a consequence the heart pumping decreases. Many a times this injury recovers over a year but some unfortunate few cases it becomes irreversible. And the person lives with reduced pumping for the rest of the life. It also affects the electrical circuits of the heart which lead to rhythm disorder (abnormal pulsations).
Similarly, the kidneys are also known to be affected causing acute renal failures. Many times, renal affection is self-limiting but kidney involvement can be fatal.Other documented rare complications are permanent loss of sight due to eye involvement, progressive paralysis (GB syndrome). The virus is known to cross the placental barrier and reach the fetus. So, pregnant ladies should be very careful.
Here are some signs and symptomsalong with some preventive tipsthat you can watch for:
Fever for 3 to 7 days
Intense headache and pain behind the eyes
Muscle and joint pain
Loss of appetite
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Skin rash
Bleeding, usually from the nose or gums.
Preventive measures for Dengue:
Clothing: Reduce the amount of skin exposed by wearing long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and socks, tucking pant legs into shoes or socks, and wearing a hat.
Mosquito repellents: Use a repellent with at least 10 percent concentration of diethyltoluamide (DEET), or a higher concentration for longer lengths of exposure. Avoid using DEET on young children.
Mosquito traps and nets: Nets treated with insecticide are more effective, otherwise the mosquito can bite through the net if the person is standing next to it.
Door and window screens: Structural barriers, such as screens or netting, can keep mosquitos out.
Avoid scents: Heavily scented soaps and perfumes may attract mosquitos.
Camping gear: Treat clothes, shoes, and camping gear with permethrin, or purchase clothes that have been pretreated.
Timing: Try to avoid being outside at dawn, dusk, and early evening.
Stagnant water: The Aedes mosquito breeds in clean, stagnant water. Keeping a track and removing stagnant water can help reduce the risk.
The article has been contributed by Ms. Kanchan Naikawadi, Preventive Healthcare Specialist, Indus Health Plus
‘Dynamic…workaholic…humble…taskmaster…rooted…innovative…
Total go-getter…outstanding leader……and much more!’
This spells out Ms. Kanchan Naikawadi, Director at Indus Health Plus, pioneers in affordable, comprehensive and qualitative preventive health check-ups and diagnostics. Established in the year 2000, Indus Health Plus was primarily started to propagate the inherent benefits of preventive diagnostics and create awareness on how preventive health check-ups can reduce mortality and risks related with modern day diseases.
The story of Ms Kanchan Naikawadi is that of an ambitious career woman, successful businesswoman and inspiring woman entrepreneur. Director of Indus Health Plus, a leading preventive healthcare brand in India, Ms Kanchan has been the driving force behind the growth and development of Indus Health Plus. She is blessed with multiple abilities including marketing skills, industry knowledge, superb dynamism, hardworking capability and adventuresome spirit. Of the female entrepreneurs of India, she is a face of women power in the 21 century. She has bagged several prestigious awards for being the leading woman entrepreneur in the healthcare segment.
One of the main pillars and the building forces at Indus, Kanchan serves as an inspiration for all women, to dream big and achieve bigger goals in life. She has balanced her home and work incredibly to develop the company’s operations and expansion plans. ‘Adventure’, being her second nature, is the driving force instrumental in energizing her outlook to each fresh day full of fresh new ideas to be explored.
Born on August 6, 1972 in Mumbai, she completed her schooling from The Blue Mountains, Ooty and graduated in Commerce from the Mumbai University. With an amazing passion for speed, racing and flying, she started her career in 1993 as a counselor with Trade Wings. Thereafter her journey began as she strived to reach the sky, with a deep rooting to the ground.
Her calling came from Pune, where was she trained under her uncle, Mr. Sadanand Bapat, an excellent entrepreneur who molded her personality into what she is today. The de facto Director of HR, Administration and Operations, her expertise and motivation has led to the increase of the Indus family to more than 5 lakh satisfied members and an ever-growing family across cities. Kanchan believes in understanding the finer nuances of every single task. No work is small or big for her. Open to suggestions and feedback from employees across levels, her open-minded and flexible nature is definitely appreciated and respected by all her employees at Indus. A superb organizer and a vivacious worker, her expertise has brought Indus to what it is today, growing each day to achieve a pan-Indian footprint in the preventive health care segment.
A strong headed woman, Kanchan is blessed with the skills of multiplying money and handles this function on a daily basis. Thanks to her guidance, Indus is an extremely sound and financially well-managed company, with well-equipped and renowned delivery partners across the country. With a presence in 17 states and delivery partners in 78 cities across more than 122 centers, this 9001:2008 certified company; Indus Health Plus further expanding its network of delivery centers across the country.
Ms. Kanchan Naikawadi was conferred with Gold Stevie Awards for the category of ‘Female Entrepreneur of the Year and Bronze Stevie Awards for the category of ‘Female Entrepreneur of the Year in Asia, Australia and New Zealand’ held on Nov. 2015. She bagged the Women Leadership Award in Healthcare during the Stars of The Industry Awards held on 14th Feb 2015 in Mumbai. She was conferred the title of Woman Entrepreneur of the Year by CMO – Asia – Women Leadership Awards 2014. She bagged Women Leadership and Innovation Awards 2014 for being the best innovator in the healthcare category. She received Silver Stevie for Female Entrepreneur of the year in Asia and Female Entrepreneur for Consumer Product at Stevie Women in Business Awards 2013. . She was conferred as Woman Personality of the Year during CMO – Asia – Women Leadership Awards 2013 held in Singapore. She received the Women in Leadership and Innovation Award and “Gaurav Stree Shakti Award” in 2013.
A full time mother of two lovely girls, Kanchan has proved that multi-tasking is her forte. Traveling and the ever eagerness to learn is the driving force behind this woman. With an unending love to observe, grasp and implement, Kanchan’s belief is that ‘All work can be play and fun’.
