Yesterday, somebody told me:“Nurse, I know it’s malaria. My body is hot, I’m weak, and I have headache.”

And honestly…
that sentence is one of the most common things healthcare workers hear in Nigeria.

The moment many people feel:
tired,
weak,
feverish,
body pain,
the next thing is:
“It’s malaria.”

But here’s the problem:

Not every fever is malaria.
Sometimes it is:
stress,
typhoid,
dehydration,
infection,
ulcer-related illness,
viral infection,
lack of sleep,
anxiety,
high blood sugar,
even severe exhaustion.

And sometimes… people keep treating “malaria” for weeks while the real problem keeps getting worse quietly.

I have seen people take antimalarial drugs multiple times without testing anything.
Some people practically use malaria drugs like paracetamol.

That’s dangerous.
Because when you keep treating what you assume instead of what is actually happening:
you waste money,
delay proper treatment,
stress the liver,
and sometimes damage your health further.

One thing many people don’t know is this:
Malaria symptoms overlap with many other illnesses.

That is why proper testing matters.
A simple test can save you from:
wrong medication,
unnecessary drug use,
and complications.

Another issue is self-medication culture.
In Nigeria, many people become their own doctor, pharmacist, and laboratory scientist overnight 😅

Small headache:
“Buy malaria drugs.”
Body weak:
“It’s malaria.”
Didn’t sleep well:
“Malaria is worrying me.”
Meanwhile the body may actually be crying for:
rest,
water,
nutrition,
proper diagnosis,
or medical attention.

This is not to say malaria is not common. It is.
Malaria is still a major health issue in Nigeria.
But the danger is assuming everything is malaria.

Sometimes the body is trying to warn you about something completely different.

And honestly, one of the biggest forms of preventive healthcare is this:

Stop normalizing guessing.
Test when necessary. Pay attention to your body. Ask questions. Seek proper care.

Your body is not a guessing game.
Have you ever treated “malaria” and later discovered it was something else?