Everything You Need To Know About Yellow Fever

You’ve probably heard of yellow fever. It’s one of those conditions that has a famous name that almost everyone can recall having heard at some point. But how much do you really know about it? If you’re like most people, you probably don’t actually know that much, even if you might be aware that it’s a fairly serious condition. Well, yellow fever is a viral infection that is spread by mosquitos. It is most common throughout tropical places such as South America and Africa but often affects travellers and as well as residents of these areas.

 

Yellow fever isn’t necessarily a very bad or dangerous conditions. In its mild form, yellow fever causes headaches, fever, nausea and vomiting. So while it is unpleasant it is not necessarily life threatening. However, there is also the more serious form of the infection which can cause serious damage to your heart, liver and kidneys as well as cases of bleeding. In fact, the serious form of the condition is so dangerous that it is known to be fatal in up to 50 per cent of severe cases. So, given that yellow fever can be such a worrying threat to our lives – what is there that we can do about it?

 

Unfortunately there is no specific treatment that is able to fight off yellow fever – it is mainly down to your immune system and your ability to fight off the virus. It is well known, however, that if you receive the yellow fever vaccine before you travel to areas where the disease is prevalent then it will completely protect you from the condition. This is very good news for anyone who is likely to travel to an area where yellow fever causes problems.

 

So how do you know if you’ve got yellow fever? In the first few days when you have contracted the condition you won’t see any symptoms at all. Unfortunately, it then hits its most acute stage which can in some cases lead to a toxic stage where in severe cases it is known to be fatal. In the acute stage you’re likely to feel sick or be sick, followed by headaches and fever. In the toxic phase you’re likely to see a yellowing of your skin (which is where the condition gets its name from) followed by severe abdominal pain and vomiting, and then possibly bleeding from the nose, eyes and mouth, heart dysfunction and kidney and liver failure. Clearly, these very severe conditions are extremely bad for you.

 

With this in mind it cannot be emphasised enough that if you are travelling to an area that is well known to have problems with yellow fever, you must speak to your doctor well in advance of your travel so that you can receive your inoculations and travel safely to the region. In any case of travel to South America or Africa it is strongly advised that you seek urgently the advice of doctors on this issue as so avoid doing so can be very dangerous for you.

 

If you do find yourself exhibiting symptoms of the condition then it is worth seeking the advice of your doctor as soon as possible. In mild cases there may be little to do aside from rest and improving your health, but in more severe cases it is very important you seek urgent medical attention. Overall, however, it is strongly recommended that you receive inoculations from the condition before you travel as this is the only way to ensure you’ll be safe where you are.

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