Well, the rain is starting again, which puts an end to this God-awful heat but also starts a new three-month period of flooding and traffic for the urban city dweller. I'm not so sure which one I dislike more but at least the rain brings good waves for surfing so I think I more dislike the heat but not by much.

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And with all that rain comes stagnant water, and with stagnant water comes the little killer that I was so violently introduced to last week. Dengue fever is no joke so I put together some notes to help you recognize it and deal with it effectively should you find yourself in the same situation.

First signs

You will get a fever that feels like someone beat you everywhere with a stick. Your body will be sore. The fever will go up and down, and will be accompanied by a headache that hurts the back of your eyeballs. You won't be able to get up for the first few days. For me it was three. Get the test done early because during the first two days it will only cost around P1000. If you wait like I did, the tests could run up to P6000.

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My fever never really broke. It backed off, but lingered around teasing, although not as high or severe as the first three days. I couldn't eat until day four, which is when I got the test for Dengue. I didn't even expect that I had it. Misconception is that you will only get it when there is a breakout. I don't know of anyone else who got it. Make no mistake, it is possible.

The fever is just the warm-up. After the fever comes a rash from hell that won't let you sleep. Mine was on my hands and feet, and it felt like fire ants had bitten me. This is when the dangerous part comes. As your body fights this viral invader, your white blood cells, which fight sickness, go down kinda like a gate to a castle, leaving you absolutely defenseless.

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When this happens you get invaded and the virus then impedes your body’s ability to produce platelets, which are responsible for the clotting or thickening of the blood. When your platelet count gets too low, your blood becomes like water, and can come out of places like your nose, gums, or sometimes even your eyes. This can kill you because you lose too much blood.

To help your body fight it, you need to do three things:

1. Hydrate. I was drinking about a glass of water with one Hydrite tab (which you can find at any pharmacy) every 6 hours and another regular glass of water in between, which makes for about 4 liters per day. You have to force it down.

2. Eat! Preferably high-antioxidant fruits and vegetables, to help your body build back the tools to fight. At one point I had to take anti-nausea meds to help me keep the food down and not vomit.

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3. Have your blood monitored daily. I was getting a complete blood count test everyday. If your count gets too low, check in to a hospital so they can monitor you closely. You might wanna look into Philhealth because bills for beating this thing can get pretty gnarly. Remember, nothing beats prevention so take some time to go around the yard and get rid of any stagnant water that are potential breeding grounds for Dengue mosquitoes.

4. You can try traditional herbs like Euphorbia, which I was taking three times a day. Other natural suggestions are Gerry’s Coco Nectar or barley you can get from a company called Herb-All. Talbos ng kamote (camote tops) are reputed to help as well.

5. And finally, make sure you have caring people around you to keep you company and keep your spirits up.

 Do you have any tips for beating Dengue? Share it with us in the comments!

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