Antimalarial tablets are used to both treat and prevent malaria. The erythrocytic stage of the condition, which is the phase of infection that leads to clinical sickness, is the focus of the majority of antimalarial tablets. Keep reading to find out more about antimalarials in West Croydon.

What is malaria?

Malaria is a life-threatening condition. The Anopheles mosquito is the main carrier of the infection. Infected mosquitoes carry the Plasmodium parasite. Once it bites you, the parasite enters your body.

Malaria-causing parasites can only stay alive in subtropical and tropical environments. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 91 countries reported 216 million cases of malaria in 2016.

What are the symptoms of malaria?

Malaria symptoms often show up 10 days to 4 weeks after the infection. Sometimes it takes a few months before symptoms show up. Malaria-causing parasites can enter the body and remain dormant for a very long time.

Typical malaria symptoms are:

– Shaking chills that can be mild or severe
– High fever
– Bloody stools
– Severe perspiration
– Nausea
– Anaemia
– Vomiting
– Stomach discomfort
– Diarrhoea
– Muscle ache
– Convulsions
– Coma
– Headache

Can malaria be cured with antimalarials in West Croydon?

If you have the parasite P. falciparum, malaria has the potential to be fatal. Hospitals are frequently used to treat the illness. Depending on the type of parasite you have, your doctor will advise a treatment plan.

The prescribed medication may occasionally be unable to treat the sickness because of parasite drug resistance. If this occurs, your doctor may need to use additional medications or a different type of prescription entirely to treat the sickness.

Furthermore, some malaria-causing parasites, like P. vivax and P. ovale, have liver stages that enable them to survive in your body for an extended period of time before becoming active and infecting you once more. You will receive extra treatment to prevent a future relapse if it is found that you have one of these parasites.

What’s the prognosis for people with malaria?

The long-term outlook for patients who are receiving treatment is frequently positive. If malaria-related issues arise, the prognosis may not be as positive. It is possible for cerebral malaria to cause brain damage by enlarging the blood vessels in the brain.

Poor long-term prognoses are also possible in those with parasites that are drug-resistant. Malaria bouts in these patients can recur. As a result, there can be additional difficulties.

There is no malaria vaccine available. Contact your doctor or pharmacist if you live in or are travelling to an area where malaria is common. To help you avoid the illness, antimalarials could be administered.

These are the same prescription medications that are used for treating the disease, and they should be taken before, during, and after travelling.

What are the types of antimalarials in West Croydon?

The four most common antimalarial kinds currently used to treat malaria include artemisinin derivatives, antifolates, quinoline-related chemicals, and antimicrobials. There is currently no medication available that can stop the parasite life cycle at any point in time. In order to treat malaria, a variety of drugs are typically used at the same time. Treatment strategies are influenced by the degree of clinical manifestation, the likely Plasmodium species, and the region of the infection.

Watch out for counterfeit antimalarial drugs that may have been purchased online or elsewhere. They might not have any active ingredients at all or they might contain dangerous components.

What countries have a high malaria risk?

The Sub-Saharan area of Africa accounts for 92% of malaria cases and 93% of malaria deaths. Infections from malaria were primarily high in just five nations in 2017. Nigeria (25%) Mozambique (5%), Uganda (4%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (11%), and India are among them (4%). Sadly, children under the age of 5 made up 61% (266,000) of malaria deaths globally.

Can I get antimalarials in West Croydon at the pharmacy?

The most popular antimalarial tablet is now categorised as a pharmacy medicine by the UK government’s MHRA, which regulates pharmaceuticals. In July 2017, a statement was made about this, therefore, you can now purchase it from a pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription.

How do you take antimalarials?

You should begin taking antimalarial drugs before travelling to an area where malaria is a danger, as directed by your travel health specialist.

– Some medications are taken a few days before your travel, while others should be started a week in advance or earlier.
– As a result, when you get to your destination, your body will already have enough antimalarial medication to start preventing infection.

Malaria infection might occur if the treatment is not taken as directed and on a regular basis.

Visit or book your appointment with Shivas Pharmacy to get your antimalarials in West Croydon.

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This blog post was written on behalf of Shivas Pharmacy by Pharmacy Mentor.