Dengue remedies and food: supportive care

Fever, nausea, vomiting and muscle aches can reduce appetite and increase fluid loss. Food does not remove the virus, but manageable meals provide energy while the body recovers. If you tolerate food, choose simple options such as soup, rice, porridge, yoghurt, fruit or other familiar foods. There is no single special ingredient that can reliably treat dengue. Your hydration, urine output and alertness are more useful recovery clues than appetite alone.

Take frequent small sips of water or an oral rehydration drink if advised, particularly after sweating or vomiting. Eat small portions several times rather than forcing a full meal. Avoid alcohol, and be cautious with herbal products because their ingredients and bleeding effects may be unclear. Use paracetamol only as directed by a clinician or product label, and ask before taking aspirin, ibuprofen or another anti-inflammatory medicine. Rest and keep track of fluids, vomiting and urination.

Get urgent care if you cannot keep fluids down, pass very little urine, become faint or confused, feel unusually sleepy, develop severe abdominal pain, have repeated vomiting, bleeding, blood in vomit or stool, or trouble breathing. Contact a GP if appetite remains poor, symptoms worsen, or you need an individual plan for a child, pregnancy or another medical condition.

Ask which drinks are suitable, whether your medicines or supplements should change, how to handle vomiting, and what food or fluid goals are realistic for you.