Swamp fever, just as malaria was previously called, belongs to the group of infectious diseases. They register it, as a rule, in the southern countries of the African continent. An infection is transmitted through the bites of malaria mosquitoes.
That is why in the European countries the disease is usually imported. Every year, according to medical statistics, more than a million cases of malaria end in death. The source of infection can be both a parasitic carrier and a sick person.
Malaria. Symptoms of the disease
A characteristic sign of malaria is a febrile state. It occurs when the concentration of parasites in the blood reaches a certain level. There are four main forms of this disease. They are caused by various pathogens. There are three- and four-day, oval, as well as tropical malaria. Symptoms of all these forms are the same. The patient has fever attacks, anemia occurs and the spleen increases. In addition, each of the forms of the disease is caused by a certain type of pathogen.
Disease periods
Malaria is a polycyclic type of infection. Its course is characterized by four periods:
- primary latent (incubation);
- a period that is characterized by primary acute manifestations;
- secondary latent;
- the period of relapse.
The first period is incubation. Its duration fully depends on the type of pathogen that causes malaria. Symptoms that appear at the end of the incubation period are harbingers of the disease. At the same time, a person complains of headaches, chills, as well as pain in muscle tissue.
The acute period, which replaces the incubation period, is characterized by relapses of fever attacks. When they occur, a clear change of state occurs. Fever replaces chills. It is being replaced by a state of increased sweating.
During the acute period from thirty minutes to half an hour, the patient may experience chills. At the same time, a person, despite an increase in body temperature, cannot keep warm. Limb cyanosis occurs. This is also characteristic of a disease such as malaria. Symptoms of the acute period are manifested in increased heart rate and increased blood pressure. In this case, the patient's breathing becomes superficial.
After a chill, a fever occurs. The patient is warming up. The temperature of his body rises to 40-41 degrees. This period is characterized by redness of the patient's face. In this case, the skin becomes hot and dry. They also noted increased psychoemotional excitability at this stage of the disease, which is malaria. Symptoms of this condition: anxiety, agitation, confusion, headaches and convulsions.
The febrile period is replaced by a state of increased sweating. The patient calms down and quickly falls asleep. This is followed by the stage of apraxia. During this period, the patient will remain in satisfactory condition and normal temperature. However, with a certain periodicity, the seizures will have a recurrence.
In patients with malaria, anemia develops and an increase in the liver and spleen is observed. The infection is affected by the cardiovascular, hematopoietic, genitourinary and nervous systems. The secondary (latent) period occurs after ten to twelve acute attacks.
Symptoms characteristic of a disease such as malaria were listed above. Treatment, in the case of incorrectly selected therapy or if it is ineffective, may not completely eliminate the infection. At the same time, relapses occur after a certain time period (several weeks, or maybe months).
Disease treatment
Means to get rid of malaria are few. The most proven and reliable drug is Quinine. Effective and annual wormwood extract . It contains the healing substance artemisinin. However, this tool is rarely used due to its high cost.