Yellow fever is a tropical viral disease that mostly affects under privileged areas of Africa and South America. Yellow fever is not contagious and only can be spread through the bite of certain kinds of mosquitoes. The disease is called yellow fever because of the jaundice yellow look the those who are diagnosed with appear to have. The disease is capable of wide spread epidemics. While advances in modern medicine make it unlikely to die from yellow fever now days, it is possible to die from this viral disease.
Signs And Symptoms Of Yellow Fever
- Abdominal Pains. Sharp and shooting pains in the abdomen can be a sign of yellow fever. This symptom by itself does not necessarily mean that you have yellow fever, but if the pains are accompanied by other symptoms of the disease, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
- Stomach Pains With Vomiting. If you are experiencing pains in your stomach than turns into vomiting, yellow fever might be the cause of your problems. If vomiting becomes severe you should see a doctor right away.
- Signs Of Blood In Vomit Or Feces. If you see signs of blood in your feces or in anything that you have vomited up, you might have yellow fever. This is caused by the hemorrhaging of the lining that it is the stomach.
- Jaundice. Jaundice is a condition that makes the skin appear to be yellow in color. The whites of the eyes will also have a yellow color.
- Bleeding. Yellow fever can cause bleeding to happen from the mouth and from the gums. Bloody noses are also another symptom of yellow fever. Bleeding from the eyes can also be a symptom of yellow fever.
There are a few things that you can do to avoid getting yellow fever. First and foremost, you can get a vaccination that provides you with roughly ninety five percent immunity from the disease. There are also a few practical ideas that you can try.
Helpful Hints And Tips To Avoid Yellow Fever
- Break Out Long Sleeves Even In Summer. Wear long sleeved shirts and pants even if the weather is nice. While using mosquito repellent might be effective in avoiding getting bitten, it is not fool proof. Avoiding exposing a large amount of skin.
- Use Window Screen And Bed Nets. Get a mosquito tent for your bed and window screens for your home to ensure that those pesky bugs are kept at bay.
- Avoid Going Outside. On days when mosquitoes are most active you should avoid going outside. If you do go outside, be sure to use insect repellent to avoid any bites.
Yellow fever can be diagnosed with a simple blood test. There is not currently a cure for yellow fever available yet. The only thing that doctors can do is provide patients with the proper care to help their body fight off the disease. When it comes right down to it, prevention is the best medicine when treating yellow fever.
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