Malaria: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis , Treatment and Prevention

Malaria: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis , Treatment and  Prevention

Describe malaria:

When a mosquito bites you, it transmits the deadly parasitic disease known as malaria. The mosquito injects malaria parasites into your bloodstream when it bites you. Not a virus or a particular sort of bacteria, rather parasites are what cause malaria.

Malaria can result in serious health issues such as convulsions, brain damage, breathing difficulties, organ failure, and even death if it is not treated.

There are just 2,000 cases of the disease yearly in the United States. If you're going somewhere where malaria is a problem, talk to your doctor about how to avoid getting sick. If a mosquito bites an infected person who is visiting the United States and then bites someone else, it could spread the disease.

Causes:

A mosquito gets infected when it bites a person who has malaria. The parasite the mosquito carries enters the bloodstream of the person it bites. The parasites grow there. Humans can contract one of five different types of malaria parasites.

In some instances, women who are pregnant and have malaria may pass the illness to their unborn children.

The transmission of malaria through blood transfusions, organ donations, and the use of hypodermic needles is feasible but improbable.

What symptoms and indicators are present in malaria?

Malaria symptoms are comparable to flu symptoms. Sweating and fever are a couple of them.

• Your entire body shakes with the chills

• Muscle pains and headaches

• Fatigue

• vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea

• Anemia and jaundice can develop as malaria worsens (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)

• Cerebral malaria is the most severe type of  disease, which can lead to a coma. This category accounts for roughly 20% of deaths in adults and 15% of deaths in children.

When do the signs and symptoms of malaria start to appear?

When a person contracts malaria, symptoms often start to show 10–30 days after infection. The severity of the symptoms can vary depending on the parasite species. Some people experience no symptoms for up to a year following a mosquito bite. Sometimes parasites can remain dormant in the body for years without showing any signs.

Depending on the parasite, several kinds of malaria can recur. The parasites are dormant in your liver for years before being discharged into your bloodstream. When the parasites start moving around, the symptoms start up again.

Diagnosis:

Malaria will be identified by your doctor. Your doctor will go through your medical history, including any recent trips you may have taken to a tropical location, during your visit. There will also be a physical examination.

If you have an enlarged liver or spleen, your doctor will be able to tell. Your doctor could request additional blood tests if you exhibit malaria symptoms to confirm the diagnosis.

These tests can determine if you have malaria.

what kind of malaria do you have if the parasite causing your infection is resistant to a certain class of medications if the illness has resulted in anemia

if your key organs have been impacted by the illness

Your doctor will examine you and enquire about your symptoms and prior travel experiences.  For your provider to fully comprehend your risk,  you must disclose information about the recent nations you have been.

To check for malaria parasites, your healthcare professional will draw a sample of your blood and send it to a lab. Your doctor will be able to determine whether you have malaria and what kind of parasite is to blame for your symptoms thanks to the blood test. This data will be used by your healthcare practitioner to choose the best course of action.

How is the disease treated?

Treatment for malaria must begin as soon as possible. To kill the malaria parasite, your doctor will prescribe drugs. Malaria medications can't be used on some parasites.

Some medications are administered along with other medications. What kind of medication you take and how long you take it will depend on the type of parasite.

Drugs used to treat malaria include:

• Drug artemisinin (artemether and artesunate). Artemisinin combination therapy is the most effective treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria, assuming it is available.

• Mepron (atovaquone).

• Chloroquine. Some parasites are resistant to this treatment.

• Mefloquine.

• Quinine.

• Primaquine.

What side effects might drugs used to treat malaria caused?

Drugs used to treat malaria may have negative effects. If you take any other medications, be sure to let your doctor know because antimalarial medications may interact with them. The following adverse effects are possible, depending on the medication: GI problems like nausea and diarrhea.

• Headaches

• Sleeplessness and unsettling dreams

• diseases of the mind and eyesight issues

• An earache that ringers (tinnitus)

• Seizures

• Anemia

Prevention:

If you want to visit or temporarily reside in a region where malaria is prevalent, talk to your doctor about taking anti-malarial drugs. The medications must be taken before, during, and after your stay. The risk of contracting malaria can be significantly decreased by medication. If you take these medications but still contract malaria, you cannot use these medications to treat it.

 To prevent mosquito bites, you should also take precautions. To lessen your risk of contracting malaria, you should:

• To protect exposed skin from mosquitoes, use DEET (diethyltoluamide) insect repellent.

• Apply permethrin, an insect repellent, on clothing, mosquito nets, tents, sleeping bags, and other materials.

• To protect your skin, put on long sleeves and pants.

There isn't a malaria vaccine on the market. If you reside in or are traveling to a region where malaria is prevalent, consult your doctor. To stop the sickness, you could be given medicine.

What is the prognosis for malaria patients?

Malaria can result in major health issues, including death and lasting organ damage, if it is not adequately treated. If you suspect you have malaria or have recently traveled to a region where it is prevalent, it is critical to seek treatment as soon as possible. Early treatment has a substantially higher rate of success.

Malaria can be treated and the infection removed from your body with the proper treatment and dosage. If an infected mosquito bites you after you've already had malaria, you could contract it once more.