Pediatric Malaria Treatment & Management, Essay Example

Headache and vomiting are two major symptoms that are affiliated with malaria. Despite resulting from the same disorder, these symptoms have many differences. The first difference is that they have different physical effects on the patient. Second, they have contrasting relationships with regards to dehydration. Third, they require distinct treatments. There are two separate categories of headaches (Medicinenet). Headaches are ultimately caused by dehydration (MCW Healthcare). In contrast, vomiting occurs to prevent dehydration, although more dehydration can make the vomiting worse (WebMD). While both headache and vomiting are closely related symptoms of malaria, they occur for opposite reasons. Headache occurs because of dehydration and vomiting occurs to resolve this dehydration (WebMD). When vomiting is unresolved over prolonged periods of time, death can occur. Headaches are primarily treated by providing the patients with fluids, while vomiting will only cease if high levels of the parasite that causes the disease are removed (MedScape). Therefore, although both symptoms are related to dehydration, providing the patient with water can only help treat headaches.

Works Cited

MCW Healthcare. 2008. Web. 15 March 2015.<http://www.mcwhealthcare.com/malaria_drugs_medicines/malaria.htm>

Medicinenet. Malaria. N.D. Web. 15 March 2015. <http://www.medicinenet.com/malaria_facts/article.htm>

MedScape. Pediatric Malaria Treatment & Management. 2013. Web. 15 March 2015 <http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/998942-treatment>

WebMD. Symptoms. N.D. Web. 15 March 2015. <http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/malaria-symptoms>