A mosquito carrying the malaria germ can infect you with just one bite. And once infected, the fever and chills rise fast. You need immediate health care from expert doctors. But is there a malaria expert? Well, Infectious Diseases Center, at Hyderabad, specializes in infectious diseases like malaria and provides quality care and treatment for the same.
What Is Malaria?
Malaria is a parasitic infection spread in humans through mosquito bites, contaminated needles, contaminated blood transfusions and from an infected mother to an unborn child. A chilly fever defines the onset of the disease. Malaria means ‘bad air’ and the disease is named so because malaria-carrying mosquitoes breed in dumps. Malaria is preventable and curable but without treatment, this disease is highly fatal.
What Does Malaria Fever Feel Like?
Malaria fever rises high with chills. After the onset of symptoms, they keep getting worse until the treatment starts. To recognize malaria fever, watch out for the following symptoms:
- High fever
- Chills
- Sweating
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Weakness
As the disease advances due to lack of treatment, other health issues can surface gradually. For example, anaemia, breathing & respiratory troubles, organ failures, other infections due to a compromised immune system, etc. At the most severe stage, malaria can affect the brain and gradually lead to death.
How Is Malaria Treated?
Diagnosis of malaria is a very critical thing. If you experience unexplained chills at any time, you must go to a medical care unit immediately. Unless malaria treatment starts within 24 hours of the infection, the health condition of the patient starts deteriorating.
The main aim while treating malaria is to flush out the parasites from your system. A dose of anti-parasitic medicines can help along the way. In addition, some antibiotics may also be used as a support for the weakened immune system. The other symptoms can also be managed with medicines. However, the entire course of medicine depends on the type of infecting parasite, age, pre-existing health conditions, etc.
How Can You Prevent Malaria?
Prevention of malaria is not just a personal healthcare condition; it should be undertaken as a community. As a member of your community, you can take the following preventive measures:
- Avoid mosquito bites. Use a repellant or a mosquito net.
- Wear full sleeves and covering clothes when outside.
- Consult your social healthcare system for a DDT treatment in your neighbourhood.
- Avoid going to places where malaria is a prevalent disease.
There is still no effective or approved vaccination for malaria. The only way to prevent it is to stay away from all sorts of mosquito bites.
Malaria Treatment At Infectious Diseases Center
Malaria fever requires urgent medical care as soon as it is diagnosed. While the antibiotics only run a small course, the patient needs some time to regain his strength. At Infectious Disease Centre, we provide personalized care for children, elderly and diabetic or heart patients, so that, you can recover without facing any side-effects.