Best Ways To Prevent And Treat Dengue Fever (You Might Have It And Not Know It!)

Photo credit: bigstock.com

1. Remove Standing Water

Since mosquitoes breed in standing water, the first step is to remove standing water in and around your house as much as possible. Look for water that hides in places like garbage pail lids, unused, uncovered garbage cans, flower pots, empty planters, large water bowls for pets, clogged rain gutters, even inside the leaves of some plants, such as bromeliad, which have funnel shaped leaves that hold water inside, any place where water sits still can hold mosquito larva. Remove any standing water. In the instance of things like kiddie pools, dump them each night when the kids have finished playing. Bird baths can be treated with a few drops of bleach to kill the larva or you can run a hose and spritz out the water every other day to ensure that there is no larva.

2. Eat Antiviral Foods

To protect yourself from becoming infected, you can eat foods and herbs that have known antiviral compounds. Some of the best antiviral herbs are oregano, astragalus root, olive leaf, cat’s claw, mullein, elderberry, licorice root, and lemon balm. If you are pregnant or if you are taking any kind of prescription medication, you should speak with your doctor before you consume any herbal supplement. Ginger and garlic should be used liberally in your cooking or drink several cups of ginger tea. Green tea is also another terrific antiviral. Two or more cups a day can offer you some protection.

3. Use Mosquito Repellents and Traps

If you enjoy being out in the garden, you might try planting some mosquito repellent plants such as lemongrass, garlic, lemon eucalyptus, and citronella. Although mosquitoes are especially active at dawn and dusk, they can come out anytime, day or night, which is why you need to apply a good mosquito repellent on all exposed skin. Make your own by mixing some witch hazel with a few drops of essential oils such as eucalyptus, peppermint, lemon, lemongrass, lavender, or citronella. Apply liberally and often.

You can also try high-tech gadgets such as electronic bug zappers, ultrasonic mosquito repellents, and electronic devices that attract mosquitoes, then suck them up like a vacuum into a small container that they cannot escape from. Make your own traps by putting some yeast, brown sugar, and a bit of water in a two liter plastic bottle with the top cut off and then inverted into the bottom half. This mixture will emit carbon dioxide (which is how mosquitoes find us!) attracting the mosquitoes, then they crawl inside the bottle but can’t find their way out. Be sure to replace the mixture every 10 to 14 days so that it works at top efficiency.

Continue to Page 3