Last Updated on February 1, 2023 by Shabnam Sengupta
For countless years, malaria has been a major health concern for people. Numerous biblical verses and Hippocrates’ writings make reference to it. Malaria is one of the most significant infectious diseases affecting humans. This is a situation in spite of the fact that medications are available for treatment. This article focuses on all the crucial information about what happens and what should be done after contracting malaria.
What are all the symptoms a person with malaria might experience?
Malaria is most often characterised by fever. Chest pain, headache, muscular pains, nausea, and vomiting are additional frequent symptoms. Malaria patients can also exhibit diarrhoea, and abdominal pain occasionally. Some patients may experience the classic malaria paroxysm, in which there are periods of illness along with symptom-free time as the disease worsens.
The patients diagnosed with the condition must be aware of the successive stages of the malaria paroxysm. In the first stage, patients generally experience shivering and a feeling of cold, which lasts for 15 to 60 minutes. The next stage is the 2- to 6-hour hot stage. During this, fever occasionally reaches 41°C, patients are flushed and experience dry skin, frequent headaches, nausea, and vomiting. The patient sweats, and the fever drops quickly during the 2- to 4-hour stage of sweating.
Malaria patients must be aware that the clinical symptoms are generally nonspecific and provide little assistance in making a diagnosis. Aside from fever, there may not often be any other conclusive findings. Spleen enlargement is typical but might not be noticeable at the beginning of the illness. Additional possible symptoms include liver enlargement, jaundice, low blood pressure, and abdominal tenderness. Both lymphadenopathy and a rash are not signs of malaria.
How long does it take a person to recover from malaria?
With proper treatment, malaria symptoms usually go away completely within two weeks. But if left untreated, malarial attacks of fever, chills, and sweating can come back time and time again for several years.
What steps need to be taken to avoid a malaria relapse?
The current WHO-recommended malaria chemo preventive therapies for people living in endemic areas include the intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy, the intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in infants, and the seasonal malaria chemoprevention for children under five years of age.
Some strains of the malaria parasite, which usually cause a less serious illness, can persist for years and cause relapses. Therefore, if you live in or are visiting a region where malaria is common, you should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites. You should cover your skin and spray insect repellent on your skin and clothing to prevent mosquito bites. You should also use bed nets with insecticide treatment, which are particularly effective at minimising mosquito bites while you sleeps.
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