 |
print the page |  |
email the page |  |
|
- What is malaria?
- Symptoms of malaria
- Causes of malaria
- Prevention of malaria
- Risk factors for malaria
- Complications of malaria
- When to see a doctor about malaria
- Diagnosis of malaria
- Conventional treatment of malaria
- Alternative/complementary treatment of malaria
- Living with malaria
- Caring for someone with malaria
Malaria is initially diagnosed through the following methods:
- Medical history of symptoms - the doctor will ask a series of questions about the severity and duration of symptoms, when they started and how often they occur
- Physical examination - a doctor will examine the person with suspected malaria to detect the severity of the condition and symptoms
- Blood test - a blood test will be requested to test the blood for the species of the parasite and determine treatment . A blood test can also test if there is any drug resistance to the medications prescribed for malaria to determine if a change of medications is warranted
Advertisement
In remote areas and developing countries, malaria is often not diagnosed until it is fairly obvious from the symptoms that the disease is quite progressed and this means it will often be fatal as there has been no treatment.
Medical outposts usually use the following to diagnose earlier cases of malaria:
- Malaria test kits - a "dipstick" or "cassette" format is used to detect antigens derived from malaria parasites using the test kit. Results are obtained within 2-15 minutes. These mini-test kits are used in remote areas as an alternative to studies under the microscope as they are not available in these areas and the test kits provide a very useful tool in quickly diagnosing malaria as treatment can then be applied to help reduce risk of fatality
Advertisement
Sections: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
< 7: when to see a doctor 9: conventional treatment > Last reviewed: 15 January 2009 || Last updated: 6 January 2010
Related Articles
NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
