Ahhh… holiday time. Don’t you just love the feeling of being free and exploring the world? Imagine being deep in a tropical rainforest with family and friends - having a great time, savouring the freshness of the air, enjoying the softness of the lush green abundance of leaves, and feasting your eyes on the happy and lively ambiance nature is showing off around you.
You close your eyes, take a few deep breaths releasing any built up tension, feeling happy and content with life, and hope that you can just stay there forever, away from the buzz of everyday city life.
Then you feel this sharp and tingling sensation in your neck. “Ow!,” you say. Then you feel it again in your legs. And in your arms. Oh no! Mosquitoes are all around you feasting on your soft silky skin. You panicked and head back to your cottage before being eaten alive.
Seven days later at work, you asked your boss if you can leave early because you’re not feeling well. “Sure, take a rest,” your boss said. On the way home you suddenly feel a high fever, chills, headache, and muscle pains all roll in and blind you. You grab your phone and look up “mosquito bite tropical rainforest” in Google.
Symptoms confirmed. Malaria links confirming how you feel are screaming at you.
Okay, so that’s a typical Malaria case.
Well, on a serious note, I’m sure you’ve already heard Malaria is a deadly, widespread mosquito-borne disease that threatens people across the globe. In fact, we annually celebrate World Malaria Day every 25th of April to commemorate the global advocacy in fighting this disease.
One way to combat Malaria is to get annual immunization to be able to prevent this disease. But the best way to treat malaria is to never catch it in the first place, especially if you’re strolling around a tropical rainforest.
Q: Are there any natural remedies I can apply to treat Malaria?
A: YES! In fact, we collected the information of the Top 6 Efficient Natural Remedies for Malaria.
There are many natural remedies to treat and prevent malaria and they include ginger, grapefruit, cinnamon, citrus fruits, orange juice and warm water enemas amongst others. Most of the home remedies and herbal treatments lack the side effects of powerful antimalarial drugs, which make them far more appealing.
Let’s take a closer look at 6 of the best natural remedies for Malaria:
A common and popular treatment for malaria is the use of ginger. Fortunately, ginger is easy to access and can be boiled down into a powerful decoction that will boost your immune system and help speed up the recovery process after an infection. Ginger’s active ingredient gingerol, and its unique hydrocarbons, are known for their anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities in the body, making it one of the most effective natural remedies.
There is a powerful substance found in grapefruit, similar to quinine, which has been directly linked to neutralizing malaria-inducing parasites. You can extract this substance for a concentrated dose or simply add some delicious grapefruit to your diet. Grapefruits are widely available in tropical areas and can do wonders in promoting overall health and rapid recovery.
One of the best ways to get rid of malaria is to tackle its symptoms, namely fever, headache, and diarrhea. Cinnamon is a comprehensive remedy, as it can help improve multiple symptoms at the same time. Cinnamon has a powerful organic component, cinnamaldehyde, which has anti-inflammatory properties and has been connected to a reduction in malaria’s violent and painful symptoms.
4. Citrus Fruits
Although this is a rather vague suggestion, citrus fruits, in general, are often recommended for the treatment of malaria. Limes and lemons are easy to get a hold of in many malaria-prone regions, and the antioxidant compounds, vitamins, and minerals in them can help eliminate fever, prevent the spread of the infection, and speed up the healing process. Mixing a few drops of lime and an entirely squeezed lemon into a glass of water is a popular approach or you can just take a bite of those healthy fruits!
5. Orange Juice
Vitamin C is known as an incredible immune system booster and this has certainly proven true in the treatment of malaria. Since it can be difficult to keep away from food while suffering from malaria, many people choose to go on a water and orange juice diet, to keep the body hydrated and promote a concentrated attack on the infection. The antioxidant and immune-system boosting effects of vitamin C are often enough to kick-start the recovery process.
6. Warm Water Enema
Malaria can also infect the bowels, which is why diarrhoea is a common symptom, so it is important to keep the bowels clean, and not provide a new place for the parasite to thrive. A warm water enema can keep the bowels clean, while also cutting back on inflammation and discomfort during the bathroom trips a malaria sufferer will inevitably need.
Furthermore, adding mosquito netting to your bed and windows, so you can sleep peacefully, knowing that you won’t wake up with any symptoms of malaria, is well worth it. Make sure that there are no large pools of standing water near your home, as they are the perfect place for mosquitoes to lay their eggs.
So the next time you go out in the woods or in a tropical rainforest prone to humid environments, be sure to wear the proper clothing, lather up with a good insect repellent or wear a repellent wristband, to avoid getting bitten and potentially catching Malaria, Dengue or other nasty diseases. It will definitely put a sour ending on your holiday, no point in that!
Remember: prevention is always better than finding a cure!