Malaria Treatment FAQ:
and other diseases that mosquitos are spreading? I’m going to asia this year and I wish to stay alive. is there a vaccine or what should I use?
I will already use sun protection cause of the strong sun, so is there a sun protection that can also prevent mosquitos from bitting?
and other diseases that mosquitos are spreading? I’m going to asia this year and I wish to stay alive. is there a vaccine or what should I use?
I will already use sun protection cause of the strong sun, so is there a sun protection that can also prevent mosquitos from bitting?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I am going to asia aswell!
Talk to your doctor. I have to get that too.
I believe you’re doctor can give you a pill that you take just before you go and every week that you are in asia.
Just talk to you’re doctor about ordering it in.
Maybe talk to your doctor if an antimalarial, such as hydroxychloroquine(Plaquenil), is what you would need.
Great information on prevention in the article I’ve cited.
I don’t know whether there is a sun screen with mosquito repellent, but wouldn’t that be a great idea? I’d buy loads of it.
Malaria is spread by mosquitos.
Use mosquito repellant, mosquito nets, and stay away from jungles.
There are drugs you can take to reduce the chances of getting malaria - ask your doctor and make sure to follow the dose and schedule.
If you plan to travel to a country where malaria is common, you’ll probably take a medicine that may keep you from getting malaria. This is called “prophylactic” malaria medicine. Remember, however, no medicine can protect you 100% and you should still take other precautions to prevent malaria.
Prophylactic malaria medicines require you to start taking the medicine a few days or a week before you leave on your trip. You keep taking the medicine during your trip and after your trip for about 1 to 4 weeks, depending on which medicine you are taking. It’s important to keep taking the medicine after your trip because the malaria parasites could still be in your blood. If you stop taking the medicine too soon, it could give the parasites an opportunity to grow and make you sick. Malaria medicines have some side effects, and not everyone can take them. Your doctor can tell you which medicine is right for you. What type of medicine you take also depends on where you will be traveling.
Mefloquine (brand name: Lariam) and atovaquone/proguanil (brand name: Malarone) are two medicines you can take. If you can’t take one of these, your doctor might recommend you take doxycycline (brand name: Vibramycin). Doxycycline makes you sunburn easily, so you must wear a hat, long sleeves and sunscreen whenever you’re outside during the day.
If you’re traveling to parts of Central America, the Dominican Republic, Haiti or some areas of the Middle East, your doctor may prescribe chloroquine (brand name: Aralen).
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In addition, you should do whatever you can to keep from getting mosquito bites. If you can, sleep in a room with screens on the windows and doors. Use a mosquito net over your bed. If possible, spray the net with permethrin (one brand name: Elimite). (Permethrin is a spray that repels mosquitoes.)
During the evening, wear light-colored pants and shirts with long sleeves. It’s important to protect yourself with a bug repellent spray that contains no more than 35% of a chemical called DEET. Avoid going outdoors without protection in the evening, when mosquitoes are typically more active.
For the prevention of malaria, CDC recommends an insect repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) as the repellent of choice. Many DEET products give long-lasting protection against the mosquitoes that transmit malaria (the anopheline mosquitoes).
A new repellent is now available in the United States that contains 7% picaridin (KBR 3023). Picaridin may be used if a DEET-containing repellent is not acceptable to the user. However, there is much less information available on how effective picaridin is at protecting against all of the types of mosquitoes that transmit malaria. Also, since the percent of picaridin is low, this repellent may only protect against bites for 1-4 hours.
At this time, use of other repellents is not recommended for the prevention of malaria because there is insufficient data on how well they protect against the mosquitoes that transmit malaria.
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Precautions When Using Any Repellent:.
1.Use only when outdoors and thoroughly wash off the repellent from the skin with soap and water after coming indoors.
2.Do not breathe in, swallow, or get repellent into the eyes or mouth.
3.If using a spray product, apply to your face by spraying your hands and rubbing the product carefully over the face, avoiding eyes and mouth.
4.Never use repellents on wounds or broken skin
5.Pregnant women should use insect repellent as recommended for other adults. Wash off with soap and water after coming indoors.
6.Do not get repellent containing DEET into the mouth. DEET is toxic if swallowed.
7.Higher concentrations of DEET may have a longer repellent effect; however, concentrations over 50% provide no added protection.
8.Timed-release DEET products, which are micro-encapsulated, may have a longer repellent effect than liquid DEET products.
Lastly, take a flying insect spray on their trip to help clear rooms of mosquitoes. The product should contain a pyrethroid insecticide.