What Is Malaria? Is It Fatal?
by Premier Hospitals | August 23, 2018 |
Malaria is one of the deadliest diseases that are caused by mosquitoes. This common waterborne disease caused by the biting of the female anopheles mosquito can often turn out to be fatal, if its symptoms are not caught and treated in time. During monsoons, when water-borne diseases are on the rise, the risk of getting malaria also increases. When mosquitoes that lay their eggs on contaminated and stagnant water bite a person with low immunity, he/she is at a high risk of suffering from Malaria
HOW DO YOU GET MALARIA?
With the mosquito bites, a parasite is released into your bloodstream that travels to your liver and matures and starts infecting the red blood cells. The parasites multiply within 48 to 72 hours making the infected cells burst open.
SYMPTOMS OF MALARIA
- Chills from moderate to severe
- High fever
- Profuse sweating
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhoea
- Anaemia
- Muscle pain
- Convulsions
- Bloody stools
IS MALARIA FATAL?
If left undetected and untreated the condition has the potential to turn fatal. The following can happen if the condition is not addressed and treated in time,- Swelling of the blood vessels of the brain, or cerebral malaria
- Accumulation of fluid in the lungs that causes breathing problems, or pulmonary edema
- Organ failure of the kidneys, liver, or spleen
- Anemia due to the destruction of red blood cells
- Low blood sugar