Malaria is a parasitic infection, and it is spread to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. It is a life-threatening disease, and in 2021 almost 247 million people were infected with it. Africa is the home of malaria, where almost 95% of people were diagnosed with malaria, and over 96% of death was caused by malaria the same year.
Children under 5 years, pregnant women and people with HIV have higher chances of having transmission of malaria due to poor immunity systems.
Malaria is usually treated with antibiotics that can kill the parasite. The drug and duration of treatments depend on the following:
There are medications that can be administered to malarial patients so that they can recover from this parasitic infection. Some of these medications are:
Artemisinin Drugs: Derivates artesunate and artemether are among the best antimalarial drugs as they are effective against severe and uncomplicated malaria. Artemisinin is tolerable to both children and adults without causing toxicity.
Atovaquone: It is always used with a combination of proguanil. They are in the class of medication that helps to cure malaria by killing the organism that is causing malaria in the patient.
Doxycycline: It treats various types of infections, including malaria. Doxycycline prevents the spread and growth of the infection.
However, there are some home remedies that can assist medications, for instance, herbal tea of ginger, turmeric or papaya is used to relieve symptoms of malaria. Make sure to eat healthy during this period of infection to boost your immunity. Strong immunity will surely help a person to recover quickly.
Natural remedies are safe to use for most people. But antimalarial drugs have the ability to cause some side effects in patients and especially in people with poor or low immunity. Make sure to provide information about current medications to your doctor. Some common side effects that can be caused by the consumption of these medications are:
Make sure to consult your doctor before travelling to those areas where malaria is common. Ask for some kind of medication, if necessary, as they can reduce the chances of contracting malaria. Most importantly, implement these precautionary steps to lower the chances of infection.
The most common and visible signs and symptoms of malaria include high body temperature, flu, chills, muscle and headaches and constant fatigue. If you or a family member experience these symptoms, seek medical attention.