How to quickly distinguish between 'dengue fever' and 'malaria' for proper treatment.

(Baonghean.vn) - Both dengue fever and malaria are caused by the bite of infected mosquitoes. How can we distinguish between them when the symptoms are both fever and chills?

Mosquitoes are vectors for malaria. (Illustrative image)

How to distinguish them:

Reason

Dengue fever:Transmission occurs through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito. It can spread if a mosquito bites an infected person and then transmits the disease to others. Dengue mosquitoes typically attack during the day.

Malaria:It is transmitted through the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito. Unlike dengue fever, it can only be spread through the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito. Malaria mosquitoes typically attack at night.

Incubation period

Dengue fever:Symptoms of dengue fever appear 4-5 days after being bitten.

Malaria:Malaria symptoms appear 10-15 days after being bitten.

Symptom

Dengue fever:Dengue fever attacks patients suddenly, with persistent headaches and symptoms such as bone pain. While it may disappear quickly, it often recurs, causing a skin rash.

Malaria:The fever is shorter in duration but has more symptoms such as joint pain, nausea, sweating, anemia… Malaria often recurs with symptoms such as chills, slight fever, and profuse sweating.

Diagnose

Dengue fever:It can be thoroughly verified through a chemical process such as antigen testing and assays.

Malaria:It can be detected through testing by examining the image of the virus under a microscope.

3 common types of malaria:

- Uncomplicated malaria is the most common type, but patients often don't seek medical attention because they mistake it for a common cold, flu, or other infectious disease. Residents living in high-risk areas are often aware of the symptoms of uncomplicated malaria and self-treat it.

- Severe malaria can weaken internal organs and may even be fatal. Severe malaria requires immediate medical attention.

- Recurrent malaria after the first episode is often not easily recognized because the disease usually does not have prominent symptoms.

Uncomplicated malaria can occur in episodes and usually lasts from 6 to 10 hours. (Illustrative image)

Recognizing the symptoms of uncomplicated malaria:

Uncomplicated malaria can occur in episodes, usually lasting from 6 to 10 hours. During each episode, the patient will experience a cold phase, a hot phase, and then a sweating phase.

During the cold phase, the patient will feel freezing cold and shiver all over their body.

During the acute phase, patients will experience fever, headache, and vomiting. Young children may also experience seizures.

During the sweating phase, patients will feel tired and sweat profusely even though their body temperature is normal.

Other symptoms may include a slight yellowing of the skin and shortness of breath.

Severe malaria symptoms:

Severe malaria can be fatal and requires immediate medical attention.

Many patients will experience nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue, headache, nausea, vomiting, or body aches. If the disease progresses to a stage affecting internal organs, blood, or metabolic function, the symptoms will become more severe.

Severe malaria can be fatal and requires immediate medical attention. Contact your doctor or call emergency services immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms:

+ Unusual behavioral changes

+ Loss of consciousness

+ Convulsions

+ Anemia (looking pale, feeling tired, weak, dizzy, or having a rapid heart rate)

+ Urine is red or dark in color (due to hemoglobin).

+ Difficulty breathing

Abnormal blood clotting process

+ Low blood pressure

+ Kidney failure (infrequent urination, swelling of the legs or toes due to fluid retention, chest pain)

+ Low blood sugar (especially in pregnant women)

Regardless of whether or not you have symptoms of malaria, you should inform your doctor that you have been to a high-risk area for malaria. While patients in high-risk areas often wait to see if uncomplicated malaria progresses, those in low-risk areas should not. If you suspect you have malaria, call your doctor immediately for testing and prompt treatment.

Ways to prevent malaria

If you notice any symptoms of the disease, you should contact a doctor for timely treatment. (Illustrative image)

Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent malaria. Therefore, to prevent malaria, we need to prevent mosquito bites by:

- A damp, unsanitary environment provides ideal conditions for malaria parasites to thrive and multiply. Therefore, to prevent the disease safely, everyone needs to be conscious of maintaining a clean living environment.

- When sleeping, you should use a mosquito net to avoid mosquito bites, and use insect repellent spray to get rid of mosquitoes.

If possible, install mosquito nets in doorways or windows, and use fans to improve air circulation; this will prevent mosquitoes from having a place to hide.

- Wear light-colored clothing that covers your skin instead of dark clothes to avoid attracting mosquitoes.

- If you notice any symptoms of the disease, you should go to the hospital for examination so that a doctor can advise you on timely treatment methods.

Hoa Le

(Synthetic)