Friday, April 30, 2010

Tranditional medication- Malaria

Herbal Concoction in d treatment of Malaria

World Health Organization (WHO) weekly epidemiological records, the burden of malaria is weighing too heavily on the continent, especially within the poor country.

15 to 40% of children with cerebral malaria, as well as malaria associated anemia die, half of the deaths occurring within 12 hours after arrival at the hospital.

♀♀ Latest Statistics hold that malaria kills b/w 1 to 2 million, of children each year in sub Saharan African

♀♀ Malaria is a parasitic infection transmitted to human through the bites of infected female ( Anopheles )

# MOSQUITOES

♀♀ They spread rapidly through the blood stream to the liver, the parasite emerges again into the blood stream, finally it settle in the red blood cells, where it multiplies.

♀♀ The parasite because of their larger nos can cause particular damage to the nervous system, liver & kidney.

♀♀ Four species of malaria infect humans, through only two, falciparum and vivax causes the vast majority of clinical cases and nearly all of the deaths and serious incidence of the disease.

The erythrocytic stages of all four species of plasmodium

P. falciparus

P. Vivax

P. Ovale

P. malariae

♀♀ Malaria has complex life cycle Infected female mesquites inject malaria sporoztes or parasitic calls that new hosts when they bite, they are carried to the liver where they rapidly infect liver cells.

♀♀ With out causing symptoms, these sporozoities undergo radical change & multiply furiously over the next 4 -5 days

♀♀ tens of thousands asexual stage merozoites or daughter cell of the parasite are release from each infected liver cell, each of which rapidly target and invade a red blood cell.

Every day, the merozoittes multiply ten-fold & burst out to infect other red blood cells

♀♀ this cyclic and massive increase in parasite burden gives rise to the clinical disease we recognize as malaria

♀♀ it is recorded that over 90% of all malaria deaths in Africa occur in young children.

♀♀ Most often, they experience their first malaria infections during the first one to two years after birth, in forms of cerebral malaria, anemia, diarrhea, respiratory infection, and other delicate diseases

♀♀ An estimated 2% of children who recover from celebral malaria infection suffer from

learning impairment,

disabilities,

epilepsy &

spasticity

according to WHO’s Africa malaria report 2003

♀♀ Further more a variety of potentially fatal symptoms, including liver failure, renal failure.

MALARIA

Malaria still remain d leading cause of death for children under the age of five in Nigeria. Pregnant woman & children under five remain vulnerable. Statistics show that malaria leads to 20 per cent of infant mortality and 30% of child hood mortality

In Nigeria, The fight against Malaria through Programms like Roll Back Malaria

- Use of insecticide Treated Net (ITN)

- Receive treatment within 24 hours using anti-malaria

- Ensuring clean environment to prevent breeding of mosquitoes

Controbution of Africa herbs in combating the prevalence of malaria (through d use of medicinal plants like lemon grass for herbal concoction)+

Lemon Grass (Cymbopogen Citratus)

French - citronelle

Potuguese - Citronela

Edo - eti

Efik - Ikon eti

Hausa - fsauri

Igbo - achara

Yoruba - kooko

Ibibo - myayaka makara

Lemon Grass:- can be successfully used to treat drug-resistant malaria, typhoid fever, diarrhea, menstrual problems

Lemon grass oil is found to be anti-microbial, pain killing, central nervous system depressing, fever reducing, aids digestion and anti-oxidant

The Constituents of the oil of Cymbopogon cirtralus (lemon grass)

* geranial - 22.8%

* neral - 19.0%

* myrcene - 10.2%

* citrol - 55%

* Sundryoil- 13% it contain hydrocarbon

* limonene

* dipentene (monoterpenes ) alcohol

* linalool

* geraniol

* Citronellol (monterpenol) - 5%

* fernesol - 12.8%

Note: the fate & figure are subject to empirical verification

General benefits of lemon grass

- Calms nervous exhaustion

- Stress Related Conditions

- It is good 4 acne, athlete,s foot

- Colitic

- Excessive perspiration

- Fevers

- Head aches

- Gastro-enteritis

- Indigestion

- Infectious disease

- Insect repellent (fleas, lice, ticks)

- Muscle tone

- Muscular pain

- Open pores

- Poor circulation

- Pediculosis

- Slack tissue

- Tissue toner

(external use)

mix with equal part of pure coconut oil it makes an excellent liniment for

* lumbago

* chronic rheumatism

* neuralgia (a painful disorder of the nerves)

* Ring worm-it is also a good application for ringworm

Φ Lemon grass oil has been known to be a very powerful antiseptic and bactericide.

Φ Leaves boiled with guava leaves are taken in Nigeria for cough

Herbal concoction (lemon grass)

≈ To Treat Typhoid, Lemon grass leaf is boiled in two litres of water for 30-40 minutes with

· 25 whole limes

· 2 grape fruits

· 2 unripe pawpaw fruits

· 2 unripe pineapples

· cut garlic and d bark of cheese wood

≈ For Malaria pour a cup of boiling water over the lemon grass, let it for five minutes, strain it & drink it

≈ in case of very high fever, dried fallen leaves of paw-paw are put in cold water & is used for cold bath with the water

≈ in mild malaria leaves of bitter leaf and sweet basil taken in a handful were macerated in 350ml strained ready to use

Dosage: A glass (200ml) of the strained liquid taken twice daily for 2-3 day

Herbal Concoction are made with Leaves of

- Lemon grass

- Sweet orange

- Mango

- Paw[aw

- Guava

- Bitter leaf

- Seeds of lime

Leaves of guava, pawpaw, lemon grass, etc are washed thoroughly and boiled together without cutting then into tiny pieces, until, there is a colour change. The liquid (decoction) is strained and ready for used.

A full glass (200ml) of the decoction is taken there times daily for 3 day

Key note

# There is need for a more extensive research on the use of herds in malaria therapy…

# There is need to determine the active ingredient in these herbs & subsequently determine d correct dosage

# The govt. should acknowledge the contribution of traditional herb to the health sector & should organizes workshops & seminars for exchange of ideas

# the govt. must devise a means of monitoring the activities of d herbalists; encourage cultivation, conservation & preservation of plants.

# There should be a clear list of medicinal plants in Nigeria and in Africa as a whole (data base)

# The lack of standards in d use of these herbal preparation needs to be urgently addressed.

# There is also need to standardize the usage of herds so as to play a significant role in malaria prevention and treatment

In conclusion the fact still remain that in Nigeria, some still prefer to use herbal concoction. ( lemon grass) in d treatment of malaria…

Note: the fate & figure are subject to empirical verification

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