Malaria: symptoms and Treatments

Malaria: symptoms and Treatments

Malaria is a serious disease that spreads when you’re bitten by a mosquito infected by tiny parasites. When it bites, the mosquito injects malaria parasites into your bloodstream. Malaria is caused by the parasites, not by a virus or by a type of bacterium.

Signs and symptoms of malaria: 

• Fever and sweating.
• Chills that shake your whole body.
• Headache and muscle aches.
• Fatigue.
• Chest pain, breathing problems and cough.
• Diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

Treatments 

Some drugs are given in combination with other drugs. The type of parasite will determine what type of medication you take and how long you take it.

Antimalarial drugs include:

• Artemisinin drugs (artemether and artesunate). The best treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria, if available, is artemisinin combination therapy.
• Atovaquone (Mepron®).
• Chloroquine. There are parasites that are resistant to this medication.
• Doxycycline (Doxy-100®, Monodox®, Oracea®).
• Mefloquine.
• Quinine.
• Primaquine.

Source: my.clevelandclinic.org

Malaria is a serious disease that spreads when you’re bitten by a mosquito infected by tiny parasites. When it bites, the mosquito injects malaria parasites into your bloodstream. Malaria is caused by the parasites, not by a virus or by a type of bacterium.

Signs and symptoms of malaria: 

• Fever and sweating.
• Chills that shake your whole body.
• Headache and muscle aches.
• Fatigue.
• Chest pain, breathing problems and cough.
• Diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

Treatments 

Some drugs are given in combination with other drugs. The type of parasite will determine what type of medication you take and how long you take it. Antimalarial drugs include:

• Artemisinin drugs (artemether and artesunate). The best treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria, if available, is artemisinin combination therapy.
• Atovaquone (Mepron®).
• Chloroquine. There are parasites that are resistant to this medication.
• Doxycycline (Doxy-100®, Monodox®, Oracea®).
• Mefloquine.
• Quinine.
• Primaquine.

Source: my.clevelandclinic.org