Fight Malaria with 14 Easy Home Remedies

Sakhi Bhotika
August 27, 2016
Views : 11817
Fight Malaria with 14 Easy Home Remedies

Why is it that during a particular duration of the year, our parents force us to apply the mosquito repellent cream? I remember my mother forcing me to wear full sleeve clothes in during the days, god how much I used to hate doing that! But this was for a reason.

With growing mosquito breeding during a particular duration, chances of being bitten by an infected mosquito carrying the virus or parasite of fatal diseases are high. Diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya spread affecting the entire population of the country. The most badly hit parts of the nation are the rural areas, where people are not well informed about its prevention, and where the necessary medical care is also not available.

While dengue and chikungunya are spread by the mosquito infected by a virus, malaria is a fatal disease spread by the mosquito infected by parasites. We have all been taught the names of two mosquito breeds, namely, Aedes and Anopheles in school right? Dengue and chikungunya are caused by being bitten by the female Aedes mosquito, while malaria is caused by being bitten by the Anopheles mosquito. While there a number of species of the parasites, there are some species that even takes lives, making malaria a fatal blood disease. What happens is that when an infected mosquito bites a human being, the parasites enter the body and lodges itself in the liver. Here, the parasites start growing and multiplying up to 10,000 times, and gradually enters the bloodstream affecting the red blood cells.

Symptoms of Malaria

Symptoms of Malaria

As mentioned above, the parasites first do their work inside the liver, where they grow and multiply at a tremendous rate, and then enter our bloodstream. This gives a hint that the symptoms of malaria do not occur instantly or like after a day or two of being bitten by the infected mosquito, like in the case of dengue. For symptoms to be prominent and easy to detect, it takes at least 10 days to three weeks post infection. The infected person might feel sick by the 7th or the 8th-day post infection, but the prominent symptoms show only after more than a week or so. At times, it so happens that the symptoms occur after months of being infected! Most common signs of malaria are feeling chills that can vary from being moderate to severe, high fever and headaches, sweating profusely and feeling nausea. Bloody stools and diarrhoea, intense body pains are also some of the most common symptoms of malaria.

While the above symptoms show the basic and not very complicated instances of being infected, a person who might be infected with the fatal parasite can experience the worst. Organ failure and anaemia are some of the situations a person infected by the severe parasite might suffer. It so happens that fluids get accumulated in the lungs, paving way for a number of respiratory diseases, adding to the agony of the infected person.

Diagnosis

Malaria's basic symptom is feeling chilly and fever, which can also be the reason for dengue or chikungunya. Since there isn't any distinguishable symptom for malaria, it can only be diagnosed by blood tests. Getting blood tests done at the initial stage would at times be beneficial in detecting the presence of the parasite, and at times it takes a little longer for the blood tests to detect the parasite. It is important to share each and every detail with the doctor, the symptoms you face, whether you were travelling or not and your health history. The blood tests will not only detect the parasite but will also show signs of vital organs being affected, in accordance with which further treatment would be done.

Treatment

Treatment for malaria depends on from person to person, depending on the severity of the infection. After studying the blood tests, the doctors suggest medicines keeping in mind the reports, the age and gender of the person, and also the medical history. Along with keeping in mind these facts, the doctors generally treat all malaria cases keeping in mind the most severe infection.

Home Remedies

Though malaria has a lot of painful symptoms, it is preventable and curable. Following are some of the home remedies that can be used for treating malaria.

Cold Treatment

No, not the cold treatment we do to someone we do not like! Here, cold treatment refers to dipping a piece of cloth in water and wrapping the body for a few minutes, or you could just cover the forehead with a piece of water soaked cloth.

Grapefruit

Eating a grapefruit is great for the body, be it for weight loss or for stronger immunity. It is also very good for treating malaria, or rather staying away from it. You could drink grapefruit juice, your take. It helps in building the immune system and also brings down the temperature.

Lemon

Lemon for treatment of Malaria

I have started drinking lemon water because of its various benefits, one of which is a stronger immune system. Not just immunity, lemon helps in bringing down the temperature and would also treat your sore throat. Just warm a glass of water and squeeze some lemon juice, and drink it. Refreshing and healthy!

Warm Water

Just like you drank lemon in warm water, you should also drink warm water as it is frequently throughout the day. Warm water helps in keeping the body hydrated and also keeps the bowel movement in function, helping you get rid of toxins easily.

Datura

The name might sound unfamiliar to some of you. Recall the spiky leaf or flower we generally use as offering to Lord Shiva. Yes, that wild leaf works well in treating malaria. Mix it with jaggery and have it, brings down the temperature tremendously.

Tulsi tea

This holy leaf contains a lot of antioxidants and helps in cleansing the body. Tulsi tea is also used for treating dengue and chikungunya. Boil some tulsi leaves and drink the tea, frequently throughout the day. Add some pepper if you want to, it is like an added bonus.

Ginger tea

Ginger is one of the most used spices in India. We add ginger in our tea to make it masaledaar and healthy. Now instead of adding ginger to the tea, just boil some ginger in water and gulp down the tea, add some honey if you feel like. This helps in bringing down the temperature and giving an immunity boost.

Cinnamon aka Dalchini

During malaria, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting are very common. To get rid of these issues, it is suggested to drink cinnamon tea. All you need to do is boil some water and add cinnamon powder to it, along with pepper and honey to make it a little drinkable. Cinnamon contains a lot of anti-inflammatory compounds that helps in relieving nausea and the vomit feeling.

Fenugreek Seeds

Fenugreek Seeds for treatment of Malaria

For those who do not know what fenugreek is, it is simply methi. Yes, methi seeds are miraculous in treating malaria and tackling those multiplying parasites inside the body. Fenugreek seeds fight the parasites, giving our body some resistance towards it and also help a lot in bringing down the temperature. Fenugreek seeds are highly suggested by doctors to those suffering from malaria, as it not only helps in treating it, it also helps in faster recovery from this mosquito-borne disease.

Fever Nut Seeds

In Hindi, fever nut seeds are known as Kantkaraj, very useful for treating malaria. It is available at any herbal store, and can be easily preserved. It is suggested to take six grams of these seeds with a cup of warm water, preferably before the onset of fever, and also after the onset of fever. For better understanding, consult your doctor.

Chiryata

Also known as the Nepal neem, chiryata is an ayurvedic herb with a number of benefits. Chiryata leaves works miraculously in bringing down the temperature and also treat recurrent fevers. All you need to do is buy these leaves from any ayurvedic store, and boil 15grams of it in water, along with cinnamon, and drink it at least twice or thrice a day. Might be a little bitter, but bitter batter works wonders!

Alum aka Phitkari

I have seen my father apply phitkari to stop the little blood that comes out while shaving. Alum comes with a number of benefits for our body. For treating malaria, it should be consumed after its is dried, roasted and powdered. Half a teaspoon of alum should be taken a few hours before the expected attack of fever and again after the expected attack. It helps in bringing down the temperature, it also contains anti-inflammatory compounds. To understand when the attack is expected, consult a doctor.

Tamarind aka Imli

Tamarind aka Imli for treatment of Malaria

Taste buds activated after reading imli? I don't know about yours, I am seriously craving for some imli right now! Well, tamarind comes with truckloads of anti-oxidants and compounds that help in detoxification of the body. It boosts immunity and comes with a lot of inflammatory compounds that help in getting rid of nausea and the vomit sensation. Tamarind leaves are highly recommended for treating malaria fevers, and also beneficial for faster recovery. Boil the leaves and drink it as it is, save imli for soothing your taste buds after the tea!

Fruit Juice

One of the most accepted and best ways to treat malaria is to drink only fruit juice during the initial stages. It helps in keeping the body hydrated and a lot of nutrients get easily absorbed by the body, as our body gets weak and digesting solid food becomes a little tough. After a few days, it is suggested to eat only fresh fruits and vegetables, also for the same reason. Milk can also be included in the diet.

The above home remedies are highly recommended and used widely for treating malaria. It is important for all of us to make sure that we do consult a doctor before trying it out and informing him about it. Since you have already got your tests done, doctors can suggest better ways to use these home remedies according to the kind of malaria fever you are suffering from. You might be allergic to some of the above tips, so keep that in mind as well before trying these home remedies!

Read our articles on Dengue and Chikungunya for more ways to treat mosquito-borne diseases, and also how to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes around us!

What the Doctor Recommends!

Doctor recommend for treatment of Malaria

Dr Mohit, our in-house homoeopathy doctor has a list of very effective medicines for treating the malaria fever and also for recovering from the weaknesses associated with fevers.

A combination of three medicines; Tinospora Cordifolia (Q), Carica Papaya (Q), Azadirachta Indica (Q); contains extracts of Giloy, papaya and neem respectively, turns out to be a very effective way to prevent dengue and other kinds of fever. Though these medicines are highly effective for dengue, it can also be taken for malaria as well, as the symptoms of both dengue and malaria are high fever and body aches. So to rule out dengue or malaria at the preventive stage, one can take these medicines. Dr Mohit prescribes mixing 15 drops of each medicine in a little bit of water, to be taken once a day.

Echinacea (Q), to be taken in mother tincture form, helps in building the immune system of the body against infections and fevers. This medicine can also be mixed with the above three medicines.

China (Q), also to be taken in the mother tincture from or rather 15 drops in water helps in treating low-grade and recurrent fevers. In malaria, the patient experiences nausea and loss of appetite which can be taken care of by taking this medicine.

Dulcamara (Q), is a medicine to taken when the patient feels hot during the day and chilly during the nights. In malaria, the patients feels very chilly from time to time, hence this medicine will help to reduce the chilliness especially during the nights.

Sakhi Bhotika

Sakhi Bhotika

Hi, I'm Sakhi, and I love to meet new people and learn new things from them. I strongly feel that make-up can make you look pretty on the outside, but eating healthy keeps you pretty on the inside!

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