QUESTION How to identify malaria? My son has fever and headache for the past three days and also vomiting. Is treatment is necessary and what type of treatment he needs? ANSWER You need to take your son to the doctor or to a clinic where they can do a blood test to look for malaria. They will either look at his blood under a microscope or use his blood in a "rapid diagnostic test" (RDT), … [Read more...]
Paracetamol to Control Fever
QUESTION If I take paracetamol to help control my temperature will it affect my blood test results— can they fail to detect the plasmodium? ANSWER No—taking paracetamol (also called acetaminophen, and sold variously as Tylenol, Panadol and other brand names) is a good way to control your temperature during malaria infection, and it won't affect your blood test results. If you … [Read more...]
Malarial Attack Recurring
QUESTION My Father aged 65 years was diagnosed with malaria 15 days back and was on medication. Fever was recurring frequently and he had developed a lung infection. Three days back fever stopped and did not occur for 2 days and malarial infection was reducing. Now the Fever has started coming but other parameters are normal. Can you please suggest what needs to be done? ANSWER If your … [Read more...]
Malaria Treatment with Fansidar
QUESTION My husband has Malaria following a trip to Kenya and has had a fever for three days. We are in Russia and the only drug available at the pharmacy was Fansidar (we also have some Doxcycyclin). He took three Fansidar tablets last night and feels better but the fever has still not completely gone. What should we do? Take more Fansidar? Thanks for your help. ANSWER A single dose of … [Read more...]
How is Malaria Treated
QUESTION how is malaria treated? ANSWER Malaria can be a severe, potentially fatal disease (especially when caused by Plasmodium falciparum) and treatment should be initiated as soon as possible. Patients who have severe P. falciparum malaria or who cannot take oral medications should be given the treatment by continuous intravenous infusion. Most drugs used in treatment are active … [Read more...]
Is Malaria Incurable?
QUESTION is malaria incurable? ANSWER No. Malaria can usually be very easily treated, if diagnosed early and if appropriate medication is given promptly. The World Health Organization recommends artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) as the first line treatment against uncomplicated malaria; intravenous quinine is usually the first-line recommended treatment for severe, … [Read more...]
Relapsing Malaria
QUESTION I'm constantly on malaria drugs, fall ill every 2 weeks and always diagnosed with malaria.I'm getting really fed up and need a permanent solution to all of this. I want to live a healthy life and I'm tired of being on malaria drugs. How do I overcome malaria permanently? ANSWER It is very unusual to be reinfected so constantly with malaria. First of all, how are you getting … [Read more...]
Malaria Fever
QUESTION My Father aged 65 years was diagnosed with 2 types of malaria almost a week back. he has been given medicines but temperature is fluctuating and not coming down. all other organs are functionining properly except platelet count which is little less. Now he has been suggested new medicines for a duration of 14 days. How fast can he recover from this malaria and when will the fever … [Read more...]
Curing Malaria
QUESTION What is needed to cure malaria? ANSWER Malaria is usually cured through treatment with an anti-malarial drug. The World Health Organization recommends use of an ACT (artemisinin-based combination therapy, such as Coartem) as first-line treatment for all non-complicated (i.e. not severe) malaria, and especially P. falciparum malaria (which in most places is resistance to … [Read more...]
Treatment and Management of Malaria Parasite
QUESTION What are the treatments and management of malaria? ANSWER Treatment is actually part of the strategy for managing malaria, so I will come back to that later. The other main ways in which malaria is controlled is through prevention, diagnosis (followed by treatment if necessary) and education. 1) Prevention: There are a number of ways to prevent malaria. These can be placed … [Read more...]