What does jaundice feel like with malaria?

Jaundice is a colour change rather than a sensation, so it may not hurt or feel different at first. The whites of the eyes can turn yellow, and the skin may look yellow or dull. Malaria can also cause episodes of fever, chills, sweating, headache, body aches and pronounced tiredness. Dark urine may occur when red blood cells break down and bilirubin rises. Nausea, vomiting or discomfort in the upper abdomen can add to the illness.

The pattern may vary, and a fever after travel or residence in a malaria-risk area needs prompt assessment. Other infections and liver conditions can also cause jaundice, so symptoms alone cannot identify the cause.

Seek same-day medical assessment for jaundice with fever, chills or a recent stay in a malaria-risk area. Tell the clinician where you have travelled, when symptoms began, whether you took preventive medicine and every medicine you have used. Malaria can worsen quickly, so do not rely on home treatment or wait for the fever to settle. Testing is needed before treatment is selected.

Call emergency services for confusion, fainting, seizures, breathing difficulty, severe weakness, repeated vomiting, inability to drink or a rapidly worsening fever. Jaundice with reduced alertness or collapse is an emergency, particularly after travel to a malaria-risk area.

Ask which tests will check for malaria and other causes of jaundice, when results are expected, and which warning signs require hospital care. Confirm how to take treatment and whether follow-up testing is needed.