Dengue fever is an acute infectious disease caused by the dengue virus, transmitted through mosquito bites from Aedes mosquitoes. The illness often starts suddenly, causing high fever, headache, digestive issues, and a red rash due to subcutaneous hemorrhages. It poses a risk of damaging many organs in the body, including the eyes, which can affect vision.

Doctor Doan Thi Phuong Nhi, from the High-Tech Eye Center at Tam Anh General Clinic District 7, explains that when the dengue virus attacks, an overactive immune response damages blood vessels and increases vascular permeability, causing plasma to leak into eye tissues. Simultaneously, the disease reduces platelets, affecting vascular walls and blood clotting ability, which creates conditions for hemorrhages within ocular structures.

Eye complications from dengue fever typically appear in the first week after fever onset, though some may occur after the illness has resolved. Common symptoms include blurred vision, red eyes, distorted vision, central blind spots, seeing "floaters", or reduced color discrimination. These can be due to conjunctival hemorrhage, macular edema, or retinal edema.

Doctor Nhi examines a woman's eyes. Illustration: Tam Anh General Hospital.

Most symptoms recover well after dengue fever treatment. However, if the disease causes retinal hemorrhage, vitreous hemorrhage, or optic nerve damage, patients risk prolonged vision loss, even blindness, if not detected and treated promptly.

Treatment methods are determined by the severity, location of damage, and overall eye condition. Patients require a comprehensive eye examination, including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fundus photography (FO), for diagnosis and damage assessment.

Doctor Nhi advises dengue fever patients to monitor their vision during and after the illness. If any unusual signs are noticed, such as sudden blurred vision, an increase in "floaters", eye pain, or prolonged red eyes, they should visit a hospital with an ophthalmology department for timely examination and treatment.

Beyond affecting vision, dengue fever can also lead to coagulation disorders and organ failure. Without early diagnosis and timely management, these complications can be fatal.

Doctor Nhi recommends that everyone proactively get vaccinated against the disease. She also advises keeping living spaces airy and clean, and regularly spraying insecticide to prevent mosquito breeding. If unusual symptoms like high fever or prolonged fever are observed, patients should seek medical attention for examination and treatment.

Ngoc Kim Tham