Treatment

No specific treatment for dengue fever exists.

While recovering from dengue fever, drink plenty of fluids. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following signs and symptoms of dehydration:

• Decreased urination
• Few or no tears
• Dry mouth or lips
• Lethargy or confusion
• Cold or clammy extremities

The over-the-counter (OTC) drug acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) can help reduce muscle pain and fever. But if you have dengue fever, you should avoid other OTC pain relievers, including aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve). These pain relievers can increase the risk of dengue fever bleeding complications.

If you have severe dengue fever, you may need:

• Supportive care in a hospital
• Intravenous (IV) fluid and electrolyte replacement
• Blood pressure monitoring
• Transfusion to replace blood loss