Chikungunya

Chikungunya means “to become contorted”, and the word “Chikungunya” has been derived from the Kimakonde language.

It is the virus spread by biting mosquitoes, and the initial first cases were detected in American, African, and European countries.

Headache, joint pain, muscle pain, and joint swelling are the common symptoms of chikungunya, hence, these are not all symptoms, there are many others that you will come to know in this blog ahead.

It’s very important for you to have enough information about it because, at the current time, there is not any vaccine for chikungunya.

In case you are suffering from chikungunya, you will need proper treatment for it, whether it can be at your home or at the hospital.

Prevention is better than cure, and cure should be conducted in a proper way with good knowledge.

So, Let’s explore everything about chikungunya.

What is Chikungunya?

Chikungunya is a disease that affects your bones and joints, letting you feel constant or frequent pain and fever.  

Some people feel the pain constantly, some feel it while bending or using the bones and joints, and some people feel the pain in a particular season like winter.

Note This: You will be able to detect the chikungunya within 2 to 7 days after biting the chikungunya mosquitoes.

Well, it’s not too dangerous for your life, hence, it affects your life temporarily and forces you to pass through unwanted pain and fever.

What Are The Causes of Chikungunya?

As you read above, chikungunya is caused and spread by chikungunya viruses infecting mosquitoes, luckily, it is not transmitted directly such as by breathing, but still, we need to prevent it by taking some crucial actions.

It can be spread in two ways, first, if a mosquito bites the chikungunya-infected person and then bites another person.

In the second scenario, in the transmission of blood from a chikungunya-infected person to a normal person.

According to the CDC report, babies are not infected by chikungunya by breastfeeding.

The names of mosquitoes that spread the chikungunya virus are “Aedes aegypti” and “Aedes albopictus” mosquitoes, and these mosquitoes also spread the dengue virus.

What Are The Symptoms of Chikungunya

The most common symptoms of chikungunya are joint pain and fever, well, these are the common symptoms, apart from this, chikungunya can be detected with different kinds of symptoms in people.

Such as some people may feel crippling joint pain also, some people may experience a sudden high fever, etc…

Apart from these, headache, muscle pain, swelling in joints, rashing, vomiting, myalgia, fatigue, and nausea are the other seen signs of chikungunya.

Whenever you feel any of these symptoms, whether they seem normal, you should not wait for more effects, and need to visit the specialist immediately.

Is There Chikungunya in India?

Yes, chikungunya is still present in India, Hence, the frequency of it has been reduced, from 67,769 to 8,067 from 2017 to 2022 respectively.

These stats show that chikungunya has not been eliminated from India, just the infection of it is reduced, in this situation, it’s very important to conduct prevention.

Chikungunya Treatment Options

First of all, let me tell you that there is not any specific or dedicated vaccine that has been developed for chikungunya till now, and also there is not any specific antiviral treatment there for now.

The doctor or healthcare specialist will start your treatment based on the symptoms caught during the blood test.

However, you need to take rest, and fluids, and consume over-the-counter pain medicines that have been prescribed by the doctor.

Over-the-counter medicines are: 

• naproxen
• ibuprofen
• acetaminophen

Meanwhile this medication, your doctor will prescribe you paracetamol and acetaminophen which help to fight against the pain and fever.

Along with these all, the firstest step you have to take is that you must prevent mosquito bites, and manage your living area according to it.

The reasons behind this are two. First, it will help you to recover very soon, and other members of your family will automatically be prevented from chikungunya.

After the treatment, you will fully recover from the fever, however, you may or may not get free from the joint pain, and you might feel it for a longer duration also.

According to the data, almost 20% of people suffer from pain after 1 year of chikungunya recovery.

Prevention of Chikungunya

Above are the ways for treatment for chikungunya, however, you can escape from taking medication and passing through the fever and joint pain if you work on preventing chikungunya.

For this, you must keep your residence and working area clean so that the mosquitoes do not develop there. Pay attention to the food that you are taking, especially in the monsoon season.

You must keep yourself aware of the treatment guidelines for chikungunya that can help you to prevent it, and if it happens, it will help you to recover quickly.

Let me guide you in avoiding mosquito bites of chikungunya. You should keep your area clean, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, use anti-mosquito coils or liquids, and use the mosquito net while sleeping at night.

Treatment For Chikungunya at Home

If you are suffering from chikungunya, medication from a doctor or healthcare specialist is the best and best way.

However, as a proactiveness, you can also help them by following the home remedies of chikungunya cure that will help you to get out quickly from chikungunya.

• Epsom Salt Soak: Epsom salt is a type of salt that has magnesium sulphate crystals, it has the property to reduce inflammation and pain.
• Turmeric: Curcumin has antioxidant properties at a rich level that helps to fight against the chikungunya viruses, and turmeric contains curcumin, which is why turmeric is a very highly effective home remedy to prevent the pain of chikungunya.
• Ginger: Having anti-inflammatory properties and pain-relieving elements, ginger must be used to fight against chikungunya pain.
• Coconut Water: The liver is the attacking place of Chikungunya viruses after infection and coconut helps to prevent that chikungunya and boosts the recovery speed, and coconut oil is one of the most beneficial elements for the liver.
• Tulsi (Basil Leaves): Tulsi is one of the richest antioxidants and has limitless benefits that boost your immune system, which is why you get immune to protect yourself from increasing chikungunya viruses. For consumption, you can chew a couple of leaves of Tulsi, or else you can boil them with water and drink them.
• Sunflower Seeds And Honey: With the great combination of zinc and vitamin E in sunflower seeds and the anti-inflammatory properties in honey are a great combination for curing joint pain.

Apart from these, there are many remedies that you can use at your home without any side effects, however, you should consult with a chikungunya specialist or healthcare specialist for timings and quantity of these to get the best results.

Medical Approaches to Reduce Chikungunya

Along with the home treatment of chikungunya, it’s very important for your health to pass through the medication for chikungunya to recover quickly and avoid the side effects.

You need to contact your nearby or family doctor for the further medication process and let me help you with this also.

You can also consult with Akshar Hospital at Nikol where you will get the help of the most experienced doctors and a very friendly environment.

Akshar Hospital is a multispecialty hospital that offers lots of things that you benefit only such as 24x7 emergency service, membership plans, mega medical camps, health checkups, and many other services.

Whatever your age is, whether you are an adult or older person, or else your child is suffering from chikungunya, you should follow the proper medication process to get rid of chikungunya.

How to Reduce Chikungunya in Children

Chikungunya also affects children, and it can be detected by the symptoms like adults, well, some symptoms are common like adults but some are different indicating the presence of chikungunya in children.

Problems regarding gastrointestinal complaints, frequent aches in the stomach, diarrhoea, vomiting, and sudden hike in body temperature - 104 F, are the symptoms of chikungunya in children.

Apart from these, there are many other signs of chikungunya in children, such as the hands and legs can suffer from itchy rashes.

Moreover, some kinds might be suffering from joint pain or arthralgia, and there can be purpura or red patches would be found on the skin due to busting the blood vessels. 

Recovery From Chikungunya in Children

Well, you don’t need to worry in spite of these kinds of dangerous symptoms in kids, because children recover very soon from chikungunya because of their growing joints.

How to Manage Chikungunya During Pregnancy

A pregnant lady also can be a victim of chikungunya, however, there is not anything to worry about, it can be treated in a simple way.

The first and mandatory thing is to consult with your family doctor or a healthcare specialist, such as Akshar Hospital.

It’s the best way to manage chikungunya during pregnancy, however, you must have enough knowledge such as its symptoms and needed treatment and medications.

The indications of the presence of chikungunya during pregnancy are not too different from the normal condition, they include joint and muscle pains, fever, chills, rashes, headaches, pain in the lower back portion, nausea and vomiting, and fatigue.

If you have any symptoms mentioned above, you should connect with the healthcare specialist first, and after you can follow the below ways to manage chikungunya during pregnancy.

• Enough rest
• Medicines for pain and fever (Under the surveillance of your doctor)
• Use cream or oil to reduce rashes on skin and irritation
• Exercise (under the surveillance of your doctor)

Final Words About Chikungunya and Prevention

Now you know that there isn’t any vaccine or dedicated treatment for chikungunya, it’s very important for you to have enough knowledge about it.

In addition, you should pay attention to preventing chikungunya instead of curing it after it has happened.

However, somehow, if you suffer from chikungunya, the above information will help you a lot.

I again suggest you consult with healthcare professionals in the case of chikungunya to avoid the side effects of it as well.

Nowadays, chikungunya is not a very dangerous disease or infection, it can be cured easily, but if you neglect it, it can be harmful to you.