It is a most common and dangerous disease all over the world, especially in tropical and subtropical countries such as Asia, Africa and America. The main and most important cause of this disease is the tiny parasites called plasmodium in the blood which spread when an infected mosquito bite a healthy person. In this blog, our main motive is to give complete overview of malaria and explain what it is? How it is caused? Its symptoms, treatment, prevention, and also the efforts and practices that are being made to control the elimination of this virus.
What is Malaria?
It is a serious illness that people can get when they are bitten by that specific type of mosquitoes that have plasmodium in their blood. The common types of plasmodium that affects humans are:
- Plasmodium Falciparum
- Plasmodium Vivax
- Plasmodium ovale
- Plasmodium malariae
Among all of the above, Plasmodium Falciparum, is most dangerous, fatal and can cause severe illness and might be the cause of death even if it is not treated. So, you must understand that it is not a common disease and you must treat it on time.
How does it spread
The cause of the spread ness of this disease is female Anopheles mosquito. When an infected mosquito bite a person then the person get plasmodium into its blood stream also. These parasites then travel to liver where they multiply and grow. After few days the parasites leaves the liver and enter into blood stream where they multiply and grow in large numbers. This causes the red blood cells to girls and release more parasite to the body and making the person feel sick.
It’s important to understand that this disease is not spread from one person to another person like cold and flu. You never caught it by touching the person who are being there to the person who get malaria. The only way by which you get malaria is bite by infected mosquito.
Symptoms of malaria
The symptoms of malaria usually appear about after 10 days to 4 weeks after the infected mosquito being bitten. However, in some cases, its symptoms commonly appear even after several months. The symptoms of malaria includes:
1. High fever
The fever is very intense and often comes and go and even often can be very high.
2. Chills and sweating
The people often feel cold and shivering followed by the sweating even as fever goes down.
3. Headache
The person usually feels severe headache and it is the most common symptom of getting malaria.
4. Muscle and joint pain
Severe pain in muscle and joints are the most common symptom of this disease. People often feel pain in muscles, legs and joints.
5. Nausea and vomiting
The people with malaria feel nausea and their stomach not feel comfortable, they are not feel well-being from their stomach and feel vomiting.
6. Fatigue
Patients of this disease usually feel themselves tired and weak.
Malaria often led to more dangerous diseases like anemia,( lac of red blood cells) kidney stone, kidney failure, cancer seizes and even coma. It may also lead to death if it is not treated in time.
How is malaria diagnosed?
To find someone that if it has Malaria or not doctors usually take a test, in which they take a small sample of blood and put it under the microscope and examine it that while it has plasmodium parasites or not. This test is also known as blood smear.
Treatment
It can be treated by common anti-malarial drugs. The antimalarial drug are those which are used to treat this disease. The most common antimalarial drug is artemisinin based combination therapy ACT which is very affected in those areas where plasmodium falciparum is very common. The treatment of this disease must be started as soon as possible after the symptoms of this disease appears. If it is not treated quickly it can be worse and even major cause of death among patients. In some cases doctors also give some medicines for fever and floods to prevent dehydration.
Prevention of Malaria
This disease is very common especially in those areas where the mosquitoes are really common. The several ways to prevent this disease is as follows:
1. Avoided mosquito bites
The most common way to prevent this disease is to prevent yourself from being bitten by mosquito. This can be done by sleeping under mosquito net, wearing full sleeve clothes and using insect repellent. The usage of mosquito net is very important for children because they are at the greater risk of getting malaria.
2. Spraying insecticides
In some areas healthcare workers also used to do home spray of insecticides which help to kill the mosquitoes, and reduce mosquito bites.
3. Global efforts to control malaria
It is the major health problem all over the world especially in Asia, Africa and America. Every year millions of people getting sick because of this disease and even young children die especially due to malaria.
To fight with Malaria many countries and different organizations like World Health Organization (WHO) and centers disease control and prevention (CDC) are working together on global to take control on this disease.
Developing vaccines
Scientist are working together to make the vaccine that are used to prevent peoples from malaria. One vaccine called RTS,S/ASO1 can be approved in Africa to treat this dangerous disease which have to prevent children from getting malaria.
Conclusion
Malaria is a serious disease that can affect all over the world seriously, while it is the disease that can be treated or prevented if diagnosed on time. By using mosquito net, avoid mosquito from biting and use anti insecticides and taking proper care then, if you feel the symptoms can cause preventing you from this disease.
Global efforts to control, treat to eliminate this disease are making difference but there is still a lot of work to do with it. With continue research education and cooperation we can hope that we will have a future without Malaria thread and risk of death and well being of health around the world.
This type of guidance is such a need in this polluted environment.