28/05/2022 / Health and Fitness
10 Signs and Symptoms of Malaria
Everything to know about malaria - Signs, symptoms, causes, risk factors, treatment, and prevention of this disease.
Table of content
Introduction
Malaria is one of the most severe diseases in tropical regions caused by mosquito bites. Malaria disease is caused by the plasmodium species of the female anopheles mosquito. The most prominent symptom of malaria is fever with shaking chills. Malarial deaths are still more common among various groups, especially in south-east Asia and it has to be taken seriously. Though this disease is common, they are more prominent in African countries. In this article, we have discussed the symptoms, causes of transmission, risk of malaria and prevention measures regarding the malarial disease.
What is malaria?
Malaria is a life-threatening severe disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Malaria disease is caused by two of the Plasmodium species - Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum. Though severe malaria can be fatal, it is usually preventable and curable.
Mosquito Transmission Cycle
The mosquito transmission cycle starts from the body of the mosquito, goes through the blood of humans and transmits to other persons.
Uninfected Mosquito
This is the first stage where the mosquito becomes infected by feeding on the blood of the person who has malaria. The parasites start multiplying in the mouth of the mosquitoes.
Transmission of the Parasite
While the infected mosquitoes bite you, it injects the parasites into your body. This transmits the malarial parasites into the blood where they can freely propagate.
In the Liver
When the parasites enter the blood, they enter the liver where they either divide and cause immediate infection or can remain dormant for up to a year.
Into the BloodStream
When they come out from the dormant stage, they leave the liver in the form of the matured parasites. This is when the early symptoms of malaria show up.
Transmission to Next Person
If an uninfected mosquito bites you now, it becomes infected and becomes a source of transmitting malarial parasites to others.
Other than the transmission from infected mosquitoes, malaria can be transmitted through umbilical cords, blood transfusions or by sharing needles. Even Though malaria infects everyone, infants and older adults are particularly vulnerable to developing serious disease symptoms. Also, for the malaria epidemic to end, one needs to focus on maintaining proper health and sanitation. Good hygienic practices are primary for getting rid of malaria. Blood transfusions should be done after proper screening as one improper test can affect everyone.
How common is malaria?
There are an estimated 241 million cases of malaria and 6,27, 000 deaths worldwide within 2020. The African continent stood out among others by 96% of malarial deaths.
Cause of Malaria Fever
Malaria is usually caused by the parasite called plasmodium. These parasites are transmitted to humans through the vectors like mosquitoes. The transmission of the disease from mosquitoes to humans occurs in stages as described above in the flowchart. Though there are two prominent species of plasmodium causing malaria, there are four species which can cause severe malaria,
Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium ovale
Plasmodium malaria
Plasmodium falciparum
Malaria can be transmitted through blood, so it can also be caused by blood transfusions, needle sharing and organ transplants.
10 Signs and Symptoms of Malaria
Here are some of the common symptoms of malaria fever,
1. Fever
2. Chills
3. General feeling of discomfort
4. Headache
5. Nausea and vomiting
6. Diarrhea
7. Abdominal pain
8. Muscle or joint pain
9. Fatigue
10. Rapid Breathing and Cough
The shivers are usually followed by a fever and abnormal sweating. These sequential symptoms of malaria fever when repeated are called malarial ‘attacks.’
Malaria disease symptoms usually begin two weeks after the mosquito bite. However, there are some types of malaria in which the parasites can lie dormant in your body for up to one year. Once infected, malaria takes at least two weeks to recover, if given proper treatment and medications. Among all malaria disease symptoms, the cough would be persistent even if malaria gets cured. Malaria deaths are common in some countries where timely treatment and facilities are not provided. The fatality rate of malaria is very low but timely intervention is needed.
Risk Factors
Before knowing the home remedies for malaria, let us mention to you some of the risk factors associated with malaria infection. The risk of malaria is higher when you are,
Unvaccinated towards malarial vaccines
Being unprotected from mosquito bites
Living in unhygienic places
Being pregnant
Being HIV/AIDS positive
Children under 5 years of age
Complications
If left untreated or if the sanitation is not maintained, it can be fatal. Malarial deaths are equally less in Southeast Asia but more than 94% in Africa. Here are the complications that can occur due to the serious infections,
Cerebral Malaria
Cerebral malaria occurs when the parasites block the small blood vessels, which can cause the swelling of the brain or brain damage. This can lead to serious seizures and coma.
Breathing Problems
Fluids accumulated in the lungs can lead to serious breathing problems. This can cause death if left untreated.
Organ Failure
Malaria can damage the kidney and liver, causing the rupture of the cells. Organs may fail and cause conditions that can be life-threatening.
Anaemia
Due to the rupturing of the red blood cells by the malarial parasites, you can catch anaemia. This reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of your body and causes breathing issues.
Low Blood Sugar
Several forms of malaria can cause low blood sugar conditions or hypoglycemia. If there is a steep reduction in the blood sugar level, it can cause coma or death.
Preventive measures
If there is not enough sanitation in your locality, it is always wise to take precautionary measures to stop the menace of malaria. Here are some of the steps,
Cover Your Skin
Reduce the exposed surface of your skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts or skirts. This reduces the probability of getting bitten by the infected mosquitoes.
Apply Repellents
Apply insect repellents to the skin or clothes which can shoo away the mosquitoes. This keeps you safe from possible infections.
Sleep Under a Mosquito Nets
Most people get infected while sleeping as you have no control over your body. This is why it is recommended to sleep under mosquito nets.
Treatment of Malaria
Infection from any Plasmodium species can prove to be serious as malaria can affect the liver. Species like viva and oval can affect the liver more quickly than others. The most common treatments for malaria are hospital admission and medications. People who are having parasites in dormant stages in the liver are prescribed medications at various stages to avoid any future incidence of disease. Also, the WHO organization has recommended the usage of the malaria vaccine in countries that have the highest cases of malaria. Administering these vaccines can make you resilient to infections.
When to See a Doctor
If you are having symptoms of malaria, you should immediately try to get in touch with your doctor. Self-medications can cause complications and you can even run into the risk of getting secondary infections. Symptoms and treatments of malaria should be followed and recorded systematically in your medical reports to treat the future incidence of the disease effectively.
Take-Home Points
Malaria is a tropical disease which is transmitted by the vectors, mosquitoes.
Though malaria is curable and preventable, severe malaria can be fatal.
Malaria is transmitted by blood transfusions, sharing needles and also from the umbilical cords.
The common symptoms of malaria are discomfort, fever, chills, diarrhoea, muscle pain, fatigue, rapid breathing and rapid heart rate.
Causes of malaria fever can be mosquito bites, blood transfusions and shared needles.
If left untreated, the disease can develop serious symptoms like cerebral malaria, breathing problems, organ failure, anaemia and low blood sugar level.
Prevention of the disease can only be achieved by using mosquito nets, insect repellents and proper sanitary conditions.
References
FAQ on malaria disease
There is a range of symptoms of malaria namely fever, shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Malaria can also cause anaemia and jaundice due to the loss of red blood cells.
If given proper treatment, you can see malaria symptoms coming down within two weeks. Without proper treatment, the fever may recur periodically and cause discomfort.
Yes! It is called asymptomatic malaria and it can occur if the parasites are present in the blood but not in the organs to cause major fever.
The first sign of malaria is generally fever and chills. All other symptoms like nausea and diarrhoea follow malaria fever.
Yes! You can use paracetamol, ibuprofen, tepid and other antimalarial drugs for treating malaria.
Chloroquine and ACTs are the two commonly used anti-malarial drugs to treat malaria. It’s also better to get the medicines from a doctor’s prescription as self-medication can prove wrong at times. You also have to make sure to take the malaria vaccines to prevent the infections in the first place.
There are two organs, the brain, and lungs which are most affected by malaria. Among these, the lung would be the most affected if malaria is left untreated.
Yes! Antibiotics have been proven effective against malaria.
Yes! Chest pain along with breathlessness is one of the symptoms of malaria.
Yes! Along with weakness and nausea, malaria can cause lower back pain too.
Malaria can cause secondary illnesses like jaundice which can, in turn, give symptoms like dark and yellow urine. When malaria develops into jaundice, it indicates the severity of the illness.
The malarial fever can go as high as 106 F following the symptoms like drowsiness, poor appetite, and sleeplessness.
Keeping yourself hydrated is the only way to get rid of malaria soon. Drink plenty of water along with lemon water, and coconut water, and consume fruits like cucumber for getting enough hydration for your body.
Feelings of nausea and vomiting even after recovery are usually normal. This can cause loss of appetite and weakness.
Not everyone with malaria experience symptoms like itching but it can occur to some people due to allergic reactions from drugs like chloroquine.
Malarial infections are not caused by viruses or bacteria. It is caused by the plasmodium which is transmitted through the mosquitoes.
Yes! Symptoms like dizziness are often found in patients with recurrent malarial fever. Some people develop vertigo out of malarial infections.
Yes! You can experience sore throats along with dry or wet coughs during malarial infections.
Comments ( 0 )
No Comments
Leave a Comment
Related Posts
Dengue: Symptoms, causes, prevention, treatment and platelet count
Learn about Dengue symptoms and the significance of Dengue platelet count. Understanding the impact of platelets in Dengue fever.
How can I avoid getting the Flu (Influenza)
Flu is known for its ability to easily getting transferred from one person to another. The factor of risk involved concerning its transmission is significantly higher as compared to other common diseases. Here are few tips to avoid getting the flu.
Lung Infection: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
Our lung plays an important role in the metabolism of the whole body as it helps in respiration and also in the removal of metabolic gas residues. In this article, we have discussed lung infections, causes and their treatment.
Keerthana A P
Health & Wellness Tips
Subscribe to our blog