Physicians have warned that some dengue patients are becoming critically ill after relying on unverified home remedies instead of seeking timely medical care, the Daily Mirror reports.
Doctors at the Borella National Ayurveda Hospital said patients who used home treatments — including papaya leaf juice, a widely shared remedy believed to raise platelet counts — have in some cases suffered serious complications. They cautioned that such remedies are not a substitute for proper clinical management of dengue.
The warning lands amid one of Sri Lanka’s worst dengue years on record, with cases for 2026 exceeding 80,000 and the death toll reaching 61. As the outbreak has spread, unproven remedies have circulated widely on social media and by word of mouth, prompting concern among clinicians that patients may delay hospital treatment until their condition becomes dangerous.
Dengue can progress rapidly from a mild febrile illness to a severe, potentially fatal condition, particularly during the “critical phase” when a patient’s fever subsides. Medical experts stress that close monitoring of fluid levels and platelet counts, along with early hospital admission when warning signs appear, remain the most effective ways to prevent deaths.
Health authorities have repeatedly advised anyone with a persistent high fever to seek medical attention without delay, and to avoid self-medicating with untested treatments. They have also urged the public to continue destroying mosquito-breeding sites to slow the spread of the disease.
