Malaria: Treatment and Prevention

Malaria is a parasitic illness that causes a high fever and other serious conditions. It is spread through mosquito bites and is very common in India. Fortunately, many effective cures have been found for malaria and if you or your family members have the illness, it can be treated. Malaria can be detected via a blood test. Read on to know more.

Malaria symptoms

Malaria is most commonly identified via a high fever. Here is a detailed look at the most common symptoms associated with malaria:

Fever

High fever is usually a very common and persistent symptom of malaria. You will get a high fever if you have malaria. The fever can reach very high and go up to temperatures as high as 104°F. Never ignore a fever so high and get to a doctor as soon as possible. Also, monitor the health of the other family members as they too may have been infected by the same illness due to mosquito bites.

Chills

Chills and strong shivering are also tell-tale symptoms of malaria. Malaria patients are known to shiver and this mainly happens due to the high-grade fevers that accompany malaria.

Severe headache

Severe headache is another common symptom of malaria. If you have a bad headache, along with fever and chills, you should get tested for malaria without any fail.

Nausea

Nausea, at times, accompanied by vomiting and diarrhoea, is also common when you have malaria. If you are experiencing these symptoms, speak to your doctor right away. 

Fatigue

Malaria exhausts you and leaves you very fatigued. If you have malaria, you will feel fatigued and that is why resting is very important.

 If you report any of these symptoms, visit your doctor immediately and get the tests done to rule out malaria.

Malaria diagnosis and treatment

To diagnose malaria, the steps include:

Identifying the symptoms

If you (or a family member) have been experiencing the symptoms mentioned above, you should consider malaria. Do not ignore the symptoms or rely on home remedies alone, as malaria can even get fatal if not treated on time. Identify the symptoms carefully and go to the doctor at the earliest.

Getting a blood test

Once you visit the doctor, he or she will prescribe some blood tests. These tests will conclusively detect malaria. After the disease has been detected, the doctor will prescribe the course of treatment which will help you to recover.

Once diagnosed, malaria can effectively be treated. If your symptoms are controllable, the doctor will prescribe medicines and you can recuperate at home. If however, your symptoms are more serious, you need to get admitted to the hospital and stay there so that the doctors can monitor your health round the clock.

Home remedies for malaria

While medical intervention is crucial and you need to have the prescribed malaria drugs, you can try some home remedies on the side to get better even sooner. Here are some handy remedies for you:

Have plenty of fluids

The fever, vomiting, etc can make you dehydrated very soon. This is why you need to keep having fluids. Have a lot of plain water, coconut water, lemonade, fruit juices, soups, etc. The fluids help to reinstate the lost nutrients and you start feeling better.

Ginger and garlic

Ginger and garlic and both powerful natural medicines. While ginger helps to reduce pains and scratchy throats, garlic works as an antibiotic and antioxidant. It is best to have both ginger and garlic in their raw forms, but if not, you can make a ginger tea and fry the garlic lightly and then have.

Apple cider vinegar 

Apple cider vinegar is another wonderful natural cure for malaria. The antibacterial properties in apple cider vinegar help to kill the malaria parasites and this helps to reduce the symptoms quickly.

Neem leaves 

Neem leaves are a highly effective cure for malaria. Chew some tender, raw neem leaves on an empty stomach in the morning and you will be able to eliminate the malaria parasites from your body. It is also a healthy practice to have neem leaves all throughout the year as it prevents malaria as well. 

Follow these tips and feel better soon. However, do not rely on these cures alone when you have malaria. Club them up with the treatment prescribed by the doctor and only then will you recover fully.

Conclusion

There has been a lot of research done in the area and malaria is now effectively treated with malaria antibiotics and other drugs. The typical malaria treatment drug dose should be given by a doctor. Do not take medicines randomly as they can cause a lot of harm to your body. Properly and timely medical intervention is needed when you have malaria, so consult your doctor and get the correct malaria treatment done on time.