Lasting Effects of Malaria

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QUESTION

What are the lasting effects of malaria?

ANSWER

Most people who get malaria and receive the correct treatment in time, usually have no long term affects of malaria infection.

However some people who have suffered severe cerebral malaria (from P. falciparum) may experience some longer term neurological effects. There have been reports that up to 25% of young children with severe malaria experience neurological, behavioral or motor problems afterwards.

Other types of malaria, such as P. ovale and P. vivax, can form dormant life stages which hide in the liver for weeks, months or even years, leading to relapse at a later date. However, apart from these recurrences, there are also no long term effects of infection with these types of malaria.

Short and Long Term Effects of Malaria

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QUESTION

What are the short term and long term effects of malaria?

 

ANSWER

In the short term, malaria can cause a variety of symptoms including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Malaria may also cause anemia and jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and eyes) because of the loss of red blood cells.   Once treated, most people return to normal.  However, in severe cases of malaria, especially in children, those that survive may suffer from  cognitive, motor , behavior problems and even epilepsy.

 

Is Malaria Related to Chronic Fatigue and Hair Loss?

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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.