How to Stay Fit and Stay Healthy

 Is Malaria Always the Cause?

Malaria is transmitted through a female Anopheles mosquito bite or injection. To meet its cyclical reproductive needs, the mosquito requires human blood. It releases its saliva into the human bloodstream in exchange. Africa is responsible for 80% of the worldwide malaria load, with Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo accounting for around 29% of it. It is responsible for 60% of outpatient clinic visits and 30% of hospital admissions in Nigeria, as well as 11% of maternal deaths, 25% of infant deaths, and 30% of deaths in children under the age of five. These are significant figures, but they become even more so when we move away from malaria-endemic areas like Nigeria. A white American visiting Nigeria or any other Sub-Saharan African country for the first time has one last wish: to sleep outside in a marshy area infected with insects without at least a mosquito net. He might need to start writing his will shortly.

So, who is the most affected in this situation? People whose body soldiers (the immunocompromised) have been excessively weakened, pregnant women, children under the age of five, severely malnourished children, and people whose body soldiers (the immunocompromised) have been excessively weakened, and the elderly due to age-related immune system waning.

Malaria was once supposed to be caused by stress, long periods of exposure to the sun, bad air (mal- meaning bad and aria- meaning air), eating too many oily foods, and, ironically, eating too much pawpaw and oranges!

It may surprise you to learn that mosquito bites are not the only way for malaria to be transmitted. It is also possible for a mother to carry the baton to her unborn child, which is known as congenital malaria. Transfusion of infected blood into uninfected people is another method of transmission.

• WHAT DO I DO IF I THINK IT'S MALARIA?

We've all gotten a taste of what it's like to have malaria, but other medical disorders might present similarly to malaria, such as typhoid, fever, or rhinitis, so getting the right diagnosis is just as crucial as getting the right therapy. We don't want our pricey fruit juice to end up in a perforated basket. In many rural locations where advanced equipment is not available for diagnosing malaria, doctors must rely exclusively on their judgment and interpretations of the patient's symptoms.

 These signs and symptoms include Fever that is high in intensity and occurs usually in the evenings, headache, chills, rigors (vigorous shaking from a cold sensation), vomiting, and prostration due to widespread weakness in the joints and muscles. In severe cases of malaria, the patient may become anemic, vomit often, become hypoglycemic (blood sugar levels below 4mmol/L), go into shock, develop kidney failure, breathing issues, and occasionally experience irregular bleeding. If you're not sure if it's malaria, use the Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) or Microscopy to check for the presence of malarial parasites before starting typhoid treatment. To confirm Typhoid fever, the Widals test should be repeated several times.

• MALARIA PREVENTION

Let's start with our environmental sanitation measures, such as regular drainage evacuations, mosquito breeding site elimination, efficient waste management, can puncturing before disposal, sand filling of identified breeding sites, and flood control strategies.

Next, we should utilize the available LLINs (long-lasting insecticidal nets) or ITNs (insecticide-treated nets) (insecticide-treated nets). Another option is to employ IRS (internal residual spraying), which involves spraying insecticides on the walls and ceilings of our homes three to four times each year. In addition to the aforementioned steps, IPTp (intermittent preventative therapy) is the way to go for pregnant women. Other than the ones described below, there are other ways to prevent malaria.

• MALARIA PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

Malaria therapy is normally a three-day procedure. To ensure that you are treating malaria, use an RDT or a microscope to check for the presence of the parasite. These services should be available at any modern health care facility in your area. Consult your doctor about which medications you should take; what works for Mr. A may not necessarily work for Mr. B.

 The majority of the medications sold in your pharmacies are ACTs (artemisinin-based combination therapy). Severe cases of malaria may necessitate admission and rapid IV (intravenous) drug/drip treatment. Do not put the tablets beneath your bed or into the pit latrine because malaria commonly recurs if not treated properly; this is for people who dislike taking medications!