QUESTION

I was in Ghana one year ans 6 months ago when I contracted malaria. I was hospitalised for one day and treated with coartem for 3 days. I was treated with antibiotics for typhoid also however I had been vaccinated against this prior to my trip.

Since my return I began loosing significant amount of hair from my head and suffer fatigue after small amounts of exercise and work. I never suffered from these ailments before having malaria. I consulted my doctor who suggested multivitamins which have reduced the hair loss however the fatigue persists.

I wish to know is the fatigue related to malaria and is there anything I can do to improve this problem. Generally I am fit and healthy, eat well and engage in regular exercise.

ANSWER

It is very unusual for malaria to have any long term health effects once the infection has been successfully treated. It is possible that you are suffering from some residual anemia, which can be caused by malaria, though is more likely due to iron deficiency in your diet. Given that you clearly were deficient for other nutrients (as shown by the positive effects seen when you started taking multivitamins), I would think that if you do have anemia, it is more likely due to diet than anemia! Try asking for a blood test for anemia from your doctor, and if you are indeed anemic, you can look into taking iron supplements as well, or try to include iron-rich foods in your diet.