Malaria - Symptom, Causes, Home Remedies for Malaria
What is Malaria ?
Malaria, which is derived from the Italian mala aria-bad air-is also known as ague, paludism, jungle fever, marsh fever, and periodic fever. Malaria is also the main variety of 'intermittent fever' or Vishama which has a tendency to retum or recur after it subsided.
Causes and Symptoms of Malaria
Malaria, as a disease, has been known since ancient times, but it was only in 1898 when it was conclusively proved that the Anopheles mosquito transmits the disease.
Malaria is found all over the world, but is endemic in tropical climates where there are marshes or pools of stagnant water, rank vegetation, and a poorly-fed population.
An interesting fact is that it is the female mosquito that bites the prospective malarial patient. The male mosquito does not carry the parasites which cause the disease. The parasites transmitted by the female mosquito enter the blood stream and reach the liver where they mature and multiply. From there, they are released into the blood stream.
Whatever may be the causative organism, the susceptibility to disease is also another factor. If that were not so, all persons exposed to mosquitoes of the malarial variety would suffer from malaria. According to Ayurveda, this susceptibility increases or decreases according to the vitiation of the three doshas of the body. Acharyas have categorised malaria according to the predominant dosha, whose vitiation leads to an attack of malaria.
For a day or two before the actual fever sets in, there may be headache, vague pain in the body and the limbs, accompanied by a feeling of chill, and a slight rise of temperature. An acute malarial attack h~ three stages: the cold stage, the hot stage, and the sweating stage. The cold stage I begins with a feeling of intense chill even in the hottest weather. In spite of the chill the temperature keeps rising. The hot stage comes on as the temperature of the body rises. It begins with hot flushes, which lengthen till the body feels burning hot, the fever rising to 40.6° or 41.1°C. The patient also experiences headache, dizziness, pain throughout the body, and even delirium. This stage may last for hours. After the fever has reached its highest point, the third stage begins. It starts with profuse sweating and a gradual lowering of the body temperature. As the temperature falls, the dizziness, headaches, and pain in the body recede, and the patient feels relieved though weakness persists.
Types of Malaria
Depending upon the parasite which causes it, malaria can be of three types: quartan fever tertian fever malignant tertian malaria
In quartan fever, there is an intermission of two days before the next attack, that is, if the first attack is on the first day of the month, the succeeding attacks will be on the 4th, 7th, and 10th days.
In tertian fever, the attacks occur on alternate days. Malignant tertian fever refers to tertian fever in a severe form. In aestivo-autumnal fever (relating to autumn, as the name suggests), each attack may last for considerably more than one day and the next attack may come immediately thereafter. The patient is then in a state of fever known as subtertian fever. If the infection is severe, malarial fever may occur everyday. As a rule, after passing through an ague, patients feel completely recovered till the next attack is due, but the fever may not subside. For example, hyperpyrexia (very high fever) may develop and the temperature may continue to rise till death intervenes. The second stage-the hot stage-may continue, without giving way to the third or the sweating stage, and the patient may lose consciousness. If the malarial parasites block the small blood vessels of the brain, cerebral malaria, which is very serious, may develop. This is in most cases, a fatal complication.
The preventive aspect of malaria is as important as the curative one. Protection from mosquito bites is essential. Stagnant pools of water should be eliminated or sprayed over with an oil, the film of which precludes the multiplication of the malarial parasites. Spray.ing of chemical substances is, of course, important, but recent experience has shown that the parasite has developed resistance to insecticides used to kill it. Keeping the body covered at all hours of the day or night against mosquito bites is, therefore, more important.
Home Remedies for Malaria
Cold water should be taken in adequate quantities, and if the temperature persists above 40°C, cold compresses should be applied to the forehead. In case of very high temperature-about 41.7°C or above-the patient should be wrapped in a sheet dipped in ice-cold water.The sheet should be removed after the coolness has been absorbed, dipped in water again, and rewrapped around the patient again. This process should be discontinued after the fever has come down to 39°C.
If the juice of 12 gm of holy. basil (tulsi) is mixed with 3 gm black pepper powder and given to the patient during the cold stage of the fever, it will reduce the virulence of the hot stage when it occurs. Remember that holy basil is a good prophylactic agent against malaria and has been used in India for centuries now. Some Ayurvedic practitioners recommend the infusion of some leaves of tulsi and a couple of black peppers with one's tea as they can help stave off malaria. Even if the disease attacks, its severity would be reduced in a person who has been taking this infusion.
Diet and Other Regimen of Malaria
Solid foods should be replaced by a liquid diet. Green vegetables and fruits are recommended in the post-recovery stage.
If a mild laxative is administered to the patient before an attack comes on, its virulence is modified. Daily activities should be increased only gradually.
Other Fevers Types
Typoid Fever
Meningitis
Chicken Pox
Measles
Malaria
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