How can a person prevent getting infected from malaria? and if we get infected, how can we cure from the malaria?
Preventing malaria involves several strategies, primarily aimed at avoiding mosquito bites. Here are some tips:
- Use Insecticides: Applying insecticides can kill adult mosquitoes.
- Sleeping Nets: Sleep under nets to prevent mosquito bites. Nets treated with insecticides are recommended in areas where malaria and mosquitoes are endemic.
- Cover Your Body: Minimize body exposure by wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts. Mosquitoes are more active from dusk to dawn, so care should be taken during these times.
- Apply Creams or Sprays: Mosquito repellent creams or sprays are available. These can keep the mosquitoes away.
- Medication: If you’re traveling to areas where malaria is common, talk to a doctor about taking preventive medicines.
Remember, these measures can reduce your risk of getting infected but they do not provide complete protection. It’s always best to consult with a healthcare professional for advice tailored to your specific circumstances.
Yes, malaria is curable if effective treatment is started early. The treatment for malaria typically involves prescription drugs to kill the parasite. The types of drugs and the length of treatment will vary, depending on factors such as the type of malaria parasite you have, the severity of your symptoms, your age, and whether you’re pregnant.
The most common antimalarial drugs include:
- Chloroquine phosphate: Chloroquine is the preferred treatment for any parasite that is sensitive to the drug. But in many parts of the world, parasites are resistant to chloroquine, and the drug is no longer an effective treatment.
- Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs): ACTs are a combination of two or more drugs that work against the malaria parasite in different ways. This is usually the preferred treatment for chloroquine-resistant malaria. Examples include artemether-lumefantrine (Coartem) and artesunate-mefloquine.
- Other common antimalarial drugs include – Atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone), Quinine sulfate (Qualaquin) with doxycycline (Oracea, Vibramycin, others), and Primaquine phosphate¹.
Please note that while these treatments can help cure malaria, it’s always best to consult with a healthcare professional for advice tailored to your specific circumstances. Also, these treatments should be used in tandem with other preventive measures such as insecticide-treated nets and indoor spraying to prevent the disease.