What causes Malaria and the Treatment of Malaria?

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What causes Malaria?

According to the reports of the World Health Organization (WHO), the outbreak of malaria in 2013 affected around 19.7 million people across the globe. More than 5.83 lakh people lost their lives. A major ratio of this population consisted of children below 5 years of age. 25th of April is known as the World Malaria Day to generate awareness about the threat of Malaria so that people can take necessary precautions to stay protected.  Let us discuss about the causes, symptoms and the treatment of Malaria in details.

• What is Malaria? 
• What causes Malaria? 
• What are the symptoms of Malaria? 
• What is the treatment of Malaria? 
• How to prevent Malaria?

What is Malaria? 

The deadly disease is caused by the female Anopheles mosquito, which is the vector of the parasite called Plasmodium. The mosquitoes are most common during the monsoons when the rain water gets clogged and contaminated. Stagnant water is the breeding ground for the mosquitoes. When a female Anopheles mosquito bites a healthy individual, the parasite cells enter the body of the healthy individual through the sting.

What causes Malaria? 

• The cause of Malaria is the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito that carries the Malaria causing parasites. 
• The malaria fever is caused by Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum. The parasite Plasmodium falciparum is the most dangerous one as it leads to the death of the affected person. The disease spreads from an infected human to a mosquito and then from the mosquito to a healthy individual. The parasite spreads in this way.
• Malaria is also caused by using an infected needle or exchanging blood from an infected person.  
• If a pregnant woman is infected with Malaria fever, the fetus will also be affected by the same.

What are the symptoms of Malaria? 

A number of symptoms can be noticed in the malaria patients, but each of the malaria patients may not have all the following symptoms.  

• Sickness
• Fever
• Nausea
• Difficulty in breathing
• Loss of appetite
• Headache
• Cold
• Diarrhea
• Tiredness
• Dizziness (Read about- What is vertigo and what is its treatment)

What is the treatment of Malaria? 

• To treat malaria, doctors first prescribe blood tests and an X ray to understand the symptoms.  There are three methods to examine malaria, which are listed below:

1. Microscopic test
2. Rapid immunity test
3. Malaria RTS

• If the symptoms of Malaria are observed, the doctors recommend medicines like quinine, mefloquine and doxycycline.

How to prevent Malaria?

• If the fever is high and increasing, contact a doctor immediately. 
• If malaria is detected and the temperature is not decreasing, the doctor must recommend another blood test. 
• Keep the surroundings and neighborhood clean so that there is no stagnant pool of water that serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. This will reduce the risk of malaria. 
• Orange juice is beneficial for malaria patients. 
• Use a wet towel to reduce the body temperature.  
• Do not take medicines on your own. Consult a doctor for treatment. 
• The patient must not take Chloroquine even after the blood tests.

If you want to know more about Malaria or require treatment, contact a General physician immediately.

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