Filariasis- Let Not One Mosquito Disfigure You Forever

Overview

Mosquitoes not only spread dengue and malaria; but, they are never being safe for human beings. Filariasis is another mosquito-borne disease, which has affected many people worldwide. In this article, let us take you to the details of this disease; describing its causes, symptoms, and treatment.

What is Filariasis?

This tropical disease is transmitted by mosquito bites from infected person to non-infected person and infection is caused while our body gets affected by parasitic filarial worms.

Facts and Figures of Filariasis

This occurs in almost 81 countries all over the world, and tropical areas and subtropical areas like South East Asia, Africa, South and Central America, and Pacific Islands are more affected by this disease. Study says, more than 120 million people are affected by it and approximately 40 million among them are disfigured permanently.

Causes of Filariasis

When a mosquito bites an infected person, then this tiny worm enters mosquitoes’ blood; and another person gets affected by the infected mosquito. Adult worms in our body mate and give birth to millions of such worms in our blood.

Symptoms of Filariasis

Usually, this disease is found to be asymptomatic. However, many symptoms are found:

• Swelling can be seen in lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, and skin.
• If it has become chronic; then it will swell different parts of the body and it becomes extremely painful. Swelling takes place due to the change in lymphatic glands.
• Elephantiasis takes place at the last stage of lymphatic filariasis. In this symptom, legs become inflamed in an awkward way.
• Due to this disease, a small amount of people gets Genital elephantiasis, which takes place due to sexual transmission.

Complications related to Filariasis

Not much information is available about the risk factors of this disease. It totally depends on the number of microfilariae in the blood.

Few major side effects are:

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Fever
• Headache
• Pain in muscles or joints
• Permanent disfigurement.
• Kidney and lymphatic system damage
• Hardening and thickening of the skin
• Sexual and psychological problem

How Long Does Filariasis Last?

It can last forever. And, if you’re not serious about the treatment it can worsen the situation.

Preventions of Filariasis

No vaccine is available for this disease. By controlling the population of the mosquitoes, we can prevent this disease to spread further.
For more protection, people can:

• Sleep under the mosquito net
• Spray insecticides and mosquito repellent around your living area
• Apply insect repellent on your skin to avoid mosquito bite
• Stay inside at dusk or dawn, as mosquitoes are extremely active at that time
• Even if you’re out at dusk or dawn, wear fully covered clothes

How to Identify Filariasis?

There are different techniques to detect this disease:

• In microscopic examination, active infection is being diagnosed by finding microfilariae in a blood smear.
• In other type of microscopic identification of microfilariae, serologic techniques can detect lymphatic filariasis.
• With the help of PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), which is a laboratory-based method, Microfilariae DNA is detected in human blood and in mosquitoes.

Natural Treatment for Filariasis

With the help of natural remedies, one can easily get rid of this problem.

Home Remedies

Few herbs and easily available fruits and vegetables work wonder to treat this problem.

Papaya

Due to the presence of enzymes and other compounds, papaya can be used to reduce the swelling.
In case of elephantiasis, heat few papaya leaves and tie them on the affected area with the help of a cloth.

Himalayan Cedar

Due to antiseptic, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties present in Himalayan cedar oil, it helps to reduce the swelling.
Apply this oil on the affected area to get some relief in pain and swelling.

Cow Ghee

Clarified butter or ghee from cow has anti-inflammatory properties. Many tribes in ancient time used it for the treatment of swelling.

Massage gently on the legs in case of elephantiasis, so that you can see the significant change in swelling.

Brahmi Leaves

Use the paste of Brahmi Leaves on the affected area and apply it twice a day till the time you get relief from this problem.

Agar wood

Prepare the paste of agar wood by adding water in it, and then apply it on the infected area for 20 minutes. Do this process two times in a day till the time you get relief from pain and swelling.

Clove

Enzymes present in clove are responsible for killing any type of immature parasites and eliminate them from blood.
Take ground cloves or full cloves as per your preference. Then, add them to tea or coffee as per your choice and take it for early relief.

Mixture of seeds

Grind seeds of Mustard, Castor, Horseradish, and Damiana. Then, apply this mixture on the affected area.

Betel leaves

These leaves have an analgesic property and they work wonder as the healing agent. In ancient times, use of these leaves could be found to cure insect bites and skin diseases.
To cure elephantiasis, tie 3-4 betel leaves with a cotton cloth on your foot for whole night.
Along with it, take betel leaves powder in a lukewarm water on regular basis.

Turmeric Powder

Due to its antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial properties, it is used as one of the best home remedies for elephantiasis since time immemorial.

Prepare a paste of turmeric with vinegar and water.

Apply that paste all over the feet and leave this remedy for whole night so that you can get relief soon.

Do it on regular basis till the time you get result.

If you’re reluctant to take turmeric in raw, then must try Hakeem Suleman Khan’s Haldi Plus. It will purify your blood and make you stronger from inside.

Dietary Tips

Few Vitamin A rich foods are beneficial for this disease.

• sweet potatoes
• carrots
• apricots

Lifestyle tips

• Take precaution from mosquito by sleeping under mosquito net at night.
• Use mosquito repellent so that mosquito can’t affect you.
• Spread mosquito repellent spray all over your home or where you stay or go.

Suggested Exercise/ Yoga

No such exercise is suggested to heal this problem. However, you can practice certain yoga poses to get rid of the discomfort caused due to this disease.

• Padanguli namana
• Gulpha namana
• Gulpha chakrasana

Precautions in disease (Dos & Don’ts)

Now, we have read how mosquitoes can mess with our life. Thus, we should stay away from mosquito bites or take precautionary measures so that this disease cannot make us disfigured for the rest of our life.

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