Can Home Remedies Like Goat’s Milk Or Aloe Vera Treat Dengue? Experts Decode

Dengue is a vector-borne disease, which occurs due to the bite of an Aedes mosquito. It is widespread in the tropical regions of the globe. This disease is mostly on the rise during the rainy season in India. Dengue cases often see a peak between July and November. People suffer from symptoms such as headaches, joint pain, muscle pain and nausea. Ayurveda has defined various remedies to fight dengue fever. Dr Prabhat Ranjan Sinha, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Aakash Healthcare, New Delhi, shared how to treat this deadly disease with herbal remedies that the historical Indian medicine system recommends.

Dr Prabhat Ranjan Sinha said, “We have been noticing increasing bleeding tendencies and cardiac complications in dengue patients, with heart rate decreasing to an abnormal level. The number of patients suffering from multi organ dysfunction syndrome has also increased in the last few years.”

Dr Shrey Srivastav, MD (Internal Medicine), Sharda Hospital, said, “High-grade fever, body aches, and rashes all over the body are common symptoms. Severe pain in the abdomen, recurrent stools, vomiting, and more significant rashes over the body have been observed recently.”

Talking about the link between Covid-19 and dengue, Consultant of Infectious Diseases at Ruby Hall Clinic Pune, Dr Devashish Desai, said, “Dengue fever is not expected to present with respiratory tract symptoms like runny nose, sore throat, or cough. While Covid-19 causes a low lymphocyte count along with a tendency for blood clot formation, dengue causes increased lymphocyte counts and a tendency to bleed.”

He went on to say that cases of dengue with severe complications have risen in the last couple of years.

Sharing the home remedies that work to prevent the disease, Dr Prabhat Ranjan Sinha said, “Goat’s milk, papaya leaf, aloe vera, and uncooked turmeric are some of the popular home remedies people use to treat dengue. I strongly tell my patients not to use these as they cause gastroenteritis and induce feelings of nausea. If a person is already unable to take fluid and vomit inducing foods, these home remedies would not help them. Instead, they should focus on adequate hydration and making lifestyle changes that will help them protect themselves from mosquito bites. Putting oil or kerosene in stagnant water and using mosquito nets are definitely more helpful measures,” he added.

Dr Srivastav stated that he would suggest against using home remedies that one sees on social media, as patients aren’t aware of the consequences that can happen if taken in unprescribed quantities.