Kay Kay Menon Speaks On His Malaria Diagnosis; Know How The Disease Impacts Your Health And Tips To Stay Safe

Kay Kay Menon revealed that was hospitalised after contracting malaria. Menon told Zoom, “I was hospitalised with malaria on September 29. Things got worse in the next two days, and had to be transferred under emergency into ICU for ten days.”

Menon said that doctors have advised him to take atleast two weeks of rest as he has “lost too much weight.” He wrote, “I am unable to speak much because my voice is still not in order. Hence communicating through text. I am assuming that by November 10 or so, I shall be fit enough to resume my professional work.”

Malaria is a life-threatening disease spread to humans by some types of mosquitoes. It is usually preventable and curable until the condition becomes severe. Symptoms can be mild or life-threatening. Mild symptoms are fever, chills and headache. Severe symptoms include fatigue, confusion, seizures and difficulty breathing.

Malaria usually spreads to people through the bites of some infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Blood transfusion and contaminated needles may also transmit malaria. The first symptoms may be mild, similar to many febrile illnesses and difficult to recognize as malaria. If left untreated, malaria can progress to severe illness and lead to death within 24 hours.

Malaria parasites destroy red blood cells (RBCs) as they replicate, leading to anaemia. With fewer RBCs to transport oxygen, you might feel fatigued, weak, and have shortness of breath. This impairs daily functioning and slows recovery.

When the parasites burst out of RBCs, they release toxic byproducts, thereby, causing intense immune responses. This leads to recurrent fevers and chills. This cycle also leads to sweating, dehydration and weakens your immune system and this makes the body more susceptible to other infections.

Severe malaria can affect major organs like the liver and kidneys. Inflammation and the accumulation of infected RBCs can obstruct the small blood vessels, leading to organ failure. The liver may swell, causing jaundice, while kidney damage can lead to fluid imbalances and electrolyte disturbances.

The parasites can also clog blood vessels in the brain in certain cases, leading to cerebral malaria. Symptoms include seizures, confusion and coma and it also can cause long-term neurological problems like cognitive impairment.

Frequent malaria infections weaken immune responses, thereby, making people, particularly children and pregnant women more vulnerable to other infections and slowing recovery.

Sleeping under insecticide-treated nets helps create a protective barrier against mosquito bites during the night, thereby reducing the risk of malaria.

Applying repellents containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus on exposed skin and clothing reduces mosquito bites, especially during peak mosquito activity.

Wearing long sleeves, long pants and socks provides physical protection from mosquito bites, especially in areas where mosquitoes are active at dawn and dusk.

In high-risk areas, taking antimalarial medications such as prophylaxis helps prevent malaria by killing the parasite in the early stages of infection.

Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, therefore, eliminating standing water in areas like puddles, containers and ditches helps reduce mosquito populations and the risk of malaria.

Regularly applying insecticides to the walls inside homes kills mosquitoes that rest on these surfaces.

Installing window and door screens or using air conditioning keeps mosquitoes from entering homes.

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