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Chikungunya is a viral disease that spreads from the bite of an infected mosquito. Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are the two species of mosquitoes that spread this disease. Even after the cure of chikungunya, at least 10 to 12 days are needed to recover from its effects, like joint pains and swelling. The episodes of this disease peak around the onset and offset of the rainy season. This is because the temperature and moisture conditions during the rainy season are favorable for the growth of the larvae of the mosquitoes.
Effective disease management strategies are crucial for controlling the spread of chikungunya, including mosquito control measures and patient care.
Symptoms Of Chikungunya
- Fever
- Joint pain
- Muscle pain
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Nausea
- Stomach disturbances
- The area around those joints where there is pain gets swollen
Chikungunya needs proper attention both in terms of diet and medicine. After 5-6 days of an infected mosquito bite, the person starts noticing the symptoms of chikungunya disease. Mainly, people recover within a month or two if their hygiene levels are good. They take regular medicines and a proper diet, for the medicines to act properly. But still, many people suffering from this disease take a much longer time to recover completely. The most serious aftereffects of this disease are joint pains and swelling. This symptom is left behind even if the chikungunya virus has been removed from the infected person’s body. Thus, diet plays a key role in the overall treatment and recovery from the symptoms of this disease.
Here, Nidhi Gupta suggests some key dietary recommendations for chikungunya joint pain treatment.
Effective Chikungunya Joint Pain Treatment:
1. Coconut water:
Drinking coconut water three times for 4 days a week is recommended. It helps in faster recovery from this disease as coconut water is rich in potassium and many phytonutrients.
2. Green leafy vegetables:
These are rich in phytonutrients, carotenoids, flavonoids, and many vitamins and minerals. This makes green vegetables a good choice for boosting your immunity. This will help your body to fight against the chikungunya virus.
3. Soups:
Soups like broccoli soup, carrot soup, dal veggie soup, tomato soup, etc are best given to a person suffering from this disease. Soups are rich in vitamin A like carrot soup and vitamin C like tomato soup. These vitamins make a defence line in our body which then fights against the chikungunya virus.
4. Giloy:
Giloy is a climber, which has anti-pyretic, anti-biotic, and anti-viral properties. Its regular use in the form of tea or simply as a decoction drink helps in recovery from this disease. It helps relieve fever, purifies blood, and kills the viruses and bacteria that have infected the body.
5. Herbal teas:
Many herbal teas that can be easily made at home like moringa tea, chamomile tea, green tea, etc have proven helpful in providing relief from the symptoms of chikungunya. These have phytochemicals that help in reducing swelling around the painful joints. These can be easily made at home. You can also use packaged green teas available in the market.
6. Sattu:
Sattu is light on your stomach. It provides relief to a person suffering from fever and muscle pain in chikungunya. It must be given on an empty stomach to the person suffering from this disease. It protects the liver, which is suffering due to chikungunya fever, and also the effect of the medicines being given to treat the condition.
7. Ginger and turmeric:
Turmeric contains curcumin and ginger contains a compound called gingerol. Both have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger or turmeric given in any form helps in recovering from chikungunya faster.
Chikungunya the body’s immune system starts attacking chikungunya virus. Even after the removal of the virus from the body, there are some toxins due to this virus. Now the body’s immune system keeps on attacking these toxins, thereby leading to swelling in the muscles around the joints. This joint pain and swelling is the symptoms that the patient keeps on suffering even after being cured of the chikungunya virus.
Home Remedies for Chikungunya Joint Pain Relief:
- Take a bath in hot water with Epsom salt and neem leaves.
- Use a hot pack made of hot sand or salt wrapped inside a thick cotton cloth. Use this hot pack over the swollen areas around your joints.
- The application of ginger or turmeric paste over the swollen areas of joints also helps in relieving your pain.
- A mixture of sunflower seeds and honey over the swollen areas of the joints also proves helpful.
Conclusion:
Chikungunya is a serious disease in terms of its symptoms. Its recovery becomes difficult and takes a very long time if the patient is not nutritionally strong. Thus, eating a healthy diet if you are suffering from this disease will help you in getting well soon. Keep your body covered during the rainy season, to avoid the bite of a mosquito. So, prevention is better than cure.
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