What Are Malaria Symptoms?

The important thing to know about malaria symptoms is that there is variation in the incubation period of each case. This is the time taken for the signs of the illness to be noticeable after the initial infection.

9 to 14 days is the normal time of incubation, but symptoms may appear in as little as 7 days or after as long as 10 months with the virus just staying dormant in the body.

Causes for this delay.

The seriousness of the infection can vary depending on the immunity of the infected person and their general health

Delays in incubation may also be because one is taking preventive medication but is infected nevertheless.

What is important to know is that especially at the onset, what are malaria symptoms may not follow a specific pattern and one should not strictly use the time factor as the basis for diagnosis. The infection could be present, showing little or no symptoms and yet continue to deteriorate because of staying unattended.

Symptoms

– high fevers

– chills

– vomiting and nausea

– lack of appetite

– Splitting headaches

Lots of sweating

– loss of energy

– fatigue

– dry coughs

– pain in the back and the muscles

– An enlarged liver and spleen

Fever is often the first the earliest sign of malaria and it is important to get diagnosis from a qualified doctor. As stated a malaria attack can be very subtle.

Advanced malaria.

Serious malarial symptoms will be experienced if the disease degenerates because it is left unattended. These include:

– jaundice symptoms

– seizures

– coma and shock

– Liver failure and kidney failure

- a change in the mental state and the onset of cerebral malaria

Malaria kills so if you experience some or any of the above malaria symptoms, get a proper diagnosis.