SEVEN THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT MALARIA

1. BEGINNING

No one knows the beginning of Malaria but earliest reports of symptoms of malaria date back to the Egyptians in 1550 BCE. Who knows, malaria may be as old as man himself, or even older.

2. THERE ARE MORE THAN 1 TYPE OF MALARIA

There are far more than 125 types of malaria parasites(plasmodium) of which only 4 species are of threat to humans. These are Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium vivax, and Plamodium ovale. 

3. ANIMALS CAN ALSO BE INFECTED.

Birds, reptiles, and various mammals can also suffer from malaria. So the next time your dog becomes dull and starts to vomit, bear in mind that it might also be having headache. LOL.

4. MOSQUITOES ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES.

Lets stop blaming mosquitoes alone. Malaria parasites starts from the liver. While in the liver, you don't get sick. Once the malaria in the liver becomes matured, it is released into the bloodstream and that is when  you start feeling sick. How does the other person get infected? If a mosquito bites an infected person, it gets the parasite too and passes it to the next person it bites. But not only mosquitoes. If you share sharp objects with an infected person, you also risk being infected. If you get transfused with the blood of an infected person, you'll get infected too. So next time you talk about malaria and you mention mosquitoes, also remember to include the rest.

4. "MALARIA" IS NOT MALARIA. 

Okay, don't get it twisted. But I mean what I mean.  Malaria is not malaria. I mean "malaria" is not a sickness caused by plasmodium. That word (malaria) means "bad air" and was derived from two Italian words , Mala(bad) and Aria(air). This is based on an early believe that malaria was caused by the bad air coming form the marsh.

5. FATHER OF MALARIA. 

Come on, every scientists deserves a title. Someone needs to take the above title. Who else is worthy of being the father of malaria if not this French army surgeon,  Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran. He broke the long believed myth that malaria is caused by bad air. He is the first man who noticed the parasites in the blood of patients suffering from malaria on November 6, 1880. This is why I dub him FATHER OF MALARIA

6. MALARIA CAN AFFECT THE LIVER AND EVEN THE BRAIN.

Malaria, if not treated for a long time might appetites. There is even a more severe complication known as cerebral malaria.  Victims of this complication may suffer from various disabilities such as epilepsy, impaired memory loss, depression and other abnormalities.  There are over 550,000 cases of cerebral malaria  every year.

7. MALARIA AND SICKLE CELL. 

Sickle cell barely suffer from the deadliest malaria "asymptomatic malaria" caused by plasmodium falciparium. This is often associated with the inability of sickle cells to get enough oxygen.

BONUS FACT

In Nigeria, malaria is considered as a normal illness. It is believed that it can't kill and If it happens that someone dies of the illness, an average Nigerian will never associate the death with malaria but with a supernatural evil.

Tell us which of these fact are new to you and which ones have you known before now. You can also add yours by commenting. 

5 WAYS TO KEEP HEATHY

 

1. PRACTICE GOOD HYGIENE 

 Germs are all around. On your railings , in the air you breathe in, on your skin, anywhere and everywhere you  can think of. Thank God for our immune system, our body can fight most of these germs. Nevertheless our immune systems are not invincible. If you continue to allow germs to build up in your environment, you'd breakdown sooner than later. So here are few reminders about what to do. 

• Keep your environment clean and dry. Just like you and I, mosquitoes cannot breed without water. Same applies to other parasites and the germs they host. By keeping your environment dry and clean, they'll all die of thirst and hunger and they will  never get an opportunity to produce the next generation of trouble makers again. :)
• Wash your hands always. As mentioned above, germs are everywhere. And as humans, we touch EVERYTHING. Worse, we forget to wash our hands after touching everything.  We still pass these germs to the next person when we shake and hug that person all in the name of love. These germs find their ways through our hands to areas where they can find more moisture(nose, mouth, back of the ear, armpit), then they start causing havoc. You can minimize that shit by washing your hand as often as possible.
• Don't keep dishes. Used plates are just the perfect place for pathogens to live. They've got sugar, they've got moisture and all the nourishment they need to survive. Once a bacterium is in your dish, it start dividing in twos every 20-30 mins(2,4,8,16,32,64...). If all conditions are favorable, in 24 hours, you should have 4722366482869645213696(2^72). Wow!  That is too much for your kitchen. Do yourself good by washing and wiping your plates dry with a clean towel as soon as you use them.

2. FIND A GOOD WATER SUPPLY

 Did you know?

• That unsafe water is one of the causes of diarrhea? This disease is responsible for the death of 760,000 children every year 
• Hepatitis(inflammation of the liver) can be transmitted through water
• Contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause over 500,000 diarrhea death every year.
• 1.8 million people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces.

No doubt, contaminated water sources can cause a lot of havoc to your health. If you doubt the purity of your water source, here are suggestions

1. BOIL. Best approach is to boil your water as if you want to burn it to ashes. 
2. PURIFY WITH CHEMICALS. Use chlorine and or any trusted water purifying tablet. Follow the maker's direction. If no water treatment chemical is available, use household bleach. 8 drops per gallon, 2  drops per liter.  Don't be scared, its totally safe.
3. In case there are dirt, get a good water filter. I'm sure you don't want to drink that water with break dancers in it.

3. EAT HEALTHY

 Watch what you eat. Take too much fats and sugar and you risk becoming overweight. Reduce sugary beverages, drink water instead.  Eat more fruits and vegetables rather than sugary desserts. Too much salt and sodium can raise your blood pressure. If this is your problem, use herbs and spices instead of salt.

How much you eat can be as important as what you eat. Don't keep eating after you are no longer hungry.

One out of 6 American fall sick from food poisoning every year. You can minimize the risk by

• Washing your vegetables well before cooking
• Washing cooking utensils well before using.
• Never reusing a plate that has been used for a while without washing.
• Discarding perishable items left at room temperature for an hour or two
• Promptly refrigerate any perishable item and cook your food to until it reaches the right temperature

 4. STAY PHYSICALLY ACTIVE

Yes. You are very busy. You get to work by 9am everyday,  you stand up only 3 times between that hour and 4 pm.  The cab stops in front of you house, then to the bathroom. From the bathroom to the dining table, from there to the bed.
Well done! But if you really want to keep on working in years to come, you should try something new.  Run! If you're too old to run, jog! If you're too old to jog, take a brisk walk. Just stay physically active and keep your blood running. No way for DVTs, no chance for CVDs, no chance for obesity.

 

5. HAVE ENOUGH REST

 The amount of sleep needed varies from person to person. Most newborns sleep for 16 to 18 hours a day, toddlers about 14 hours, and preschoolers about 11 or 12. School-age children generally need at least 10 hours of sleep, adolescents perhaps 9 or 10, and adults from 7 to 8.

Getting the right amount of rest should not be considered optional. According to experts, sufficient sleep is important for:

• ·         Growth and development in children and teenagers.

•  Learning and retention of new information.

•  Maintaining the right balance of hormones that impact metabolism and weight.

• Cardiovascular health.

•  Disease prevention.

Insufficient sleep has been linked to obesity, depression, heart disease, diabetes, and tragic accidents. Surely these give us good reason to want to get enough rest.

So, what can you do if you realize that you have a problem getting enough sleep?

• Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day.

• Make your bedroom quiet, dark, relaxing, and neither too warm nor too cold.

• Do not watch TV or use gadgets while in bed.

•  Make your bed as comfortable as possible.

•  Avoid heavy meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime.

·           If after applying these suggestions you still suffer from insomnia or other sleep disorders—such as excessive daytime sleepiness or gasping for breath while sleeping—you may want to consult a qualified health-care professional.

We cannot totally be free from illnesses due to certain factors we cannot control like genetics, the taxi you sit, that director you can't afford not to shake hands with, that girlfriend/boyfriend you can't afford not to kiss and that week or month when you can't afford not to overwork and deprive yourself of sleep.