Malaria is a disease that can be potentially fatal, and is caused by a parasite called plasmodium. It spreads via a bite from a female mosquito that has been infected. Once infected, an individual could suffer flu-like symptoms, fevers, diarrhea, fatigue or many other symptoms. If a person has any of these symptoms within a year of returning from an infected area (normally tropical or sub-tropical regions), then they should get tested immediately; if anything, just to rule out malaria.

As mentioned, malaria can have the tendency to be fatal, but if diagnosed and treated early enough, most individuals make a full recovery. The disease is usually treated by using anti-malarial medications, the type and length of any treatment depending on a variety of factors, including where the infection occurred, the type of malaria contracted, age of the patient, whether pregnant or not and the severity of the symptoms.

Five types of drug are usually used to treat the disease and depending on what type of malaria is present, the doctor may prescribe a certain one, or combination of these drugs. These five drugs are atovaquone plus proguanil, chloroquine, doxycycline, mefloquine and proguanil.

Mild cases of malaria can be treated at home once prescribed the medication, whereas more severe cases will require hospital treatment. Sometimes these drugs can be administered intravenously. All malaria treatments can make you feel tired and weak for several weeks.

Malaria

The testicles are found within the scrotum which is a loose sac of skin hanging down behind the penis.  The function of the testicles is to produce sperm and the male sex hormone testosterone.  Most of the time any lumps or swelling within the testicles are benign but it is natural for people to worry when they have found a lump.

Testicular torsion results in swelling of the testicles if the testicle has become twisted.  This interrupts blood flow and causes a large tender distension.  It often happens in developing boys who are experiencing puberty but has also been know to happen in men in their 20’s although it is quite rare.  Testicular torsion is a medical emergency due to the fact that it needs to be rectified by surgery within 6 hours or there is a risk that the testicle will be lost.

Symptoms of testicular torsion include nausea; vomiting; swelling of the scrotum; fever; abdominal pain; the need to urinate often; and, excruciating pain in one testicle.  The cause of testicular torsion results from a spermatic cord that is too long.  The spermatic cord is where the testicles hang from and in some boys this cord is too long leading to increased movement of the testicle which means the cord becoming twisted.  If it twists too much it will cut off the blood supply and the testicle will die.  Testicular torsion can sometimes just happen for no reason at all or it can be the result of strenuous exercise or other physical activity.

An ultrasound scan can be done to confirm suspicion of testicular torsion. Surgery needs to take place almost immediately to save the testicle.  The surgeon will have to cut the scrotum and untwist the cord.  He will then sew the cord to the scrotum to prevent this happening again.

Testicular Torsion

Scabies is an infection caused by a tiny mite that burrows under the skin usually on the hands, ankles, wrists or male genitalia.  They then live there and lay eggs.  Having these mites under the skin induces an allergic reaction which in turn causes a rash with extreme itching.  Scabies is more common in children but can occur at any age.  It is highly contagious and is spread through direct person to person contact.  The scabies mite cannot live long outside the body but sometimes it can be spread from contact with clothes, linen, etc if the infected person has just touched them.

Scabies

The rash usually develops between two to six weeks after the person has become infected.  The itching usually worsens at night or after a bath or shower when skin is hot. Sometimes burrow marks can be seen on the skin but most often they are hidden by marks caused by scratching or the rash itself.  These burrow marks are thin zigzag lines and are easier to see on hands or feet.

Scabies is treated with a scabicide which is a lotion or cream but it needs to be applied correctly or it may not work.  It needs to be applied twice with a week between each application and should be applied to cool dry skin.  The cream then should be washed off between eight and twenty four hours later.

Everyone in close contact with a person who has been diagnosed with scabies needs to be treated at the same time to make sure the infection has been completely erased.  All bed linen should be washed at a high temperature to make sure that all mites are killed.