One of the most serious viruses you can contract while travelling is malaria. It can be fatal, if it is not treated quickly enough and properly. You should know how to handle malaria if you contract is as well as what you can do to ensure that you prevent the mosquito bites that lead to malaria.
Protect Your Skin
The best way to keep yourself safe from malaria is to make sure you don’t contract it in the first place. You can do that by keeping mosquitos at bay. They are the ones carrying the virus, so a strong mosquito repellent will work wonders at preventing malaria. You may not be able to wear the repellent at all times or it may wear off without you noticing. You will want to put up some mosquito netting for when you sleep and around any small children who may not be able to wear mosquito repellent. You can also use sunscreen that doubles as repellent, if you buy the right brand.
Don’t Trust Your Prevention Methods Completely
As you go to different areas of the world and expose yourself to malaria in new ways, you need to realize that none of the prevention methods are completely fool proof. You could miss a spot on your skin when you apply the repellent. Mosquitos could find a way through your netting or something else could go wrong. Whatever method of prevention you use, you do need to realize that none of them are without fault.
Malaria Treatment
It is vital that you be treated for malaria as soon as you think you may have contracted it. The sooner you get help, the better your chances are of being cured and making a full recovery.
This is a terrible virus and not one you want to treat lightly. You should know where treatment centres are wherever you go in another country. As you travel, make sure you know how to contact or travel to a hospital or other treatment facility. You should also keep someone with you at all times to help get you some medical help, if you are unable to take care of yourself.
There are a few different medications used for treating malaria, and which one is used depends on where in the world you are going to visit. Some malaria viruses are resistant to certain drugs in certain parts of the world. You will want to use the correct one to ensure that you make a full recovery. Use whatever the local doctor recommends to you, as that person is most likely to know what works and what doesn’t.
Before you go on your trip, you should be visiting your doctor or pharmacist to get advice on which medication to take. You may be able to treat the malaria as soon as it attacks you, but only if you have the proper medication for it.
Know the Risks
One of the best ways to handle malaria is to be prepared for it. If you travel to humid or wet areas of the world, then malaria medication is a good addition to your travel items. You should always check ahead, though, and ensure that you are properly prepared for the kind of area you are going into. You should find out if the area is known for malaria outbreaks or malaria-carrying mosquitos. This is especially important if you are going to be travelling outside major cities.
This advice should keep you safe from malaria, if you follow it. Now, even if you do contract malaria, you should know what to do in that situation as well.