QUESTION For the last couple of days I am suffering from all the symptoms that are mentioned on your website and I am taking tylenol for these symptoms thinking that it is flu but I am feeling better now. Should I still see a doctor or keep taking Tylenol? ANSWER Symptoms of malaria often include high fever, aches, chills, nausea, and headache. When severe, malaria can lead to anemia, … [Read more...]
Malaria or Flu?
QUESTION For the last couple of days I am suffering from all the symptoms that are mentioned on your website and I am taking tylenol for these symptoms thinking that it is flu but I am feeling better now. Should I still see a doctor or keep taking tylenol? ANSWER If you are no longer experiencing high fever, then it is likely just flu. However if you live in a malarial area and your … [Read more...]
Malaria and Menstrual Cycle
QUESTION Does malaria affect menstrual cycle? ANSWER Malaria usually does not last very long—people usually seek diagnosis and treatment within a few days (since symptoms can be severe) and then treatment and recovery follow swiftly, within another few days (100% recovery may take longer, up to a few weeks). Moreover, malaria does not usually interfere with reproductive organs or … [Read more...]
Free Medical Care for Malaria
QUESTION Can you get free medical help for someone In Nigeria that has malaria? ANSWER Theoretically, the Nigerian government should provide basic services, including malaria diagnosis, through primary care clinics which are administered by local government. In addition, Nigeria has recently instituted a National Health Insurance program, which again should assist in providing health care … [Read more...]
Malaria Diagnosis
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...]
Malaria Test – Can Malaria Return?
QUESTION I am working in Tanzania. I felt sick about 10 days ago and I went for a test for malaria and the test was positive. The doctor gave me some pills and said I must come back in one week for a test again. I went back and it was negative but now I don't feel too good. Is it possible for the malaria to come back after 10 days? ANSWER It is unlikely that the malaria has come back, and … [Read more...]
Diagnostic Blood Test: Malaria in Nepal and India
QUESTION My daughter has returned from a 6 week trip to Nepal and then India. About 20 minutes into the flight home she developed pains and aches in her hips and legs, fever, generally feeling dreadful but no nausea or diarrhea. When she arrived after the 10 hour flight her temperature was 100.5. We were concerned about malaria, but when she saw her primary care doctor the next morning she … [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...]
High Count of Malarial Antibodies
QUESTION In 2007 we travelled to Kenya and Zanzibar. We took the normal anti-malarial tablets and were unaware of having been bitten. My older son has recently had a full medical and one of the blood tests which he had to repeat came back with a high count for malaria antibodies for Plasmodium falciparum. The doctor told him that he had had malaria at some time. We are puzzled as he has never … [Read more...]
Severe Head Pain with Malaria
QUESTION Can severe head pain be a symptom of mistreated malaria? My son just returned from an 8 month trip to Ghana. He had malaria 3 times and typhoid 1 time. He is now dealing with a severe head pain in his frontal lobe. He took doxycycline every day and when he got really sick, he took Coartem. He was finally sent home because they couldn't figure out why he has such severe head pains. … [Read more...]