QUESTION Is it ok to treat with NSAIDs or aspirin, or is paracetamol preferred? ANSWER If the question relates to headaches caused by malaria, then yes, most over the counter analgesics (pain relievers) can be used to treat the headaches and joint pain associated with malaria. Paracetamol may also assist in reducing fever. … [Read more...]
Blood Test for Malaria
QUESTION I would like to know whether the malaria prevention medicine could impact the blood test result for malaria? For example, if we did a blood test after taking the malaria prevention medicine, will the blood test result could be positive because of that and we are actually not having malaria parasite inside our body? ANSWER Malaria preventative medication should not give you a … [Read more...]
How Many People Have Died from Malaria?
QUESTION How many people have died from this disease today? (2011) ANSWER Estimates for the number of annual deaths from malaria vary, and are not very accurate since they depend heavily on the quality of reporting. Since the majority of people who die from malaria are in sub-Saharan Africa, and often far from decent health facilities, it can sometimes be difficult to determine whether … [Read more...]
Malaria Prevention
QUESTION what is the prevention of malaria? ANSWER There are many ways in which to prevent malaria. I'll break them down into three categories: 1) medical prevention, 2) protection from getting mosquito bites and 3) vector control. 1) Medical prevention Malaria can be prevented using certain medications. Taking drugs to prevent a disease is known as "chemoprophylaxis", and so these … [Read more...]
Aging and Malaria
QUESTION Is there any evidence that successfully treated malaria (when young or a young adult), has any deleterious effects for patients in their 70s and 80s? Is risk of vascular disease, stroke, or MIs any greater? ANSWER I don't think there is any evidence for any long-term deleterious effects of malaria that was successfully treated, particularly if the malaria infection was … [Read more...]
Is it Common to Die of Malaria?
QUESTION is it common to die of malaria? Why? Why not? ANSWER Thankfully, these days it is not very common to die from malaria. Out of an estimated 250 million cases of malaria around the world every year, there are only about 700,000 fatalities. However, 700,000 deaths every year is still a lot! If left undiagnosed and untreated, malaria can progress very rapidly and be a very … [Read more...]
Long term health effects of malaria when young?
QUESTION I'm trying to find out if having malaria at a young age can have long term effects on health. Around 25 years ago when I was 4 years old I contracted malaria when living in central Africa. Unfortunately I do not know the type of malaria, only that I received medication and recovered without complications. Over the last few years I've had a general feeling of poor health and … [Read more...]
Will Malaria Test Work with No Symptoms Present?
QUESTION I believe my fiance who lives in Kenya has malaria but refuses to go for a test. She has headaches and now flu like symptoms. I am returning in late December, if the symptoms have gone can I still take her for a blood test to see if malaria is still present even if the symptoms subside? ANSWER Most malaria diagnosis in Kenya is done by looking at a small sample of the patient's … [Read more...]
Is Malaria Related to Chronic Fatigue and Hair Loss?
QUESTION I was in Ghana one year ans 6 months ago when I contracted malaria. I was hospitalised for one day and treated with coartem for 3 days. I was treated with antibiotics for typhoid also however I had been vaccinated against this prior to my trip. Since my return I began loosing significant amount of hair from my head and suffer fatigue after small amounts of exercise and work. I never … [Read more...]
What is Malaria?
QUESTION what is malaria? ANSWER Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells. Usually, people get malaria by being bitten by an infective female Anopheles mosquito. Only Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria and they must have been … [Read more...]