I almost went deaf catching malaria
Eastenders and I’m A Celeb star Larry Lamb recalls his brush with death after a charity trip to Africa. The dad of four warns those travelling to the tropics to avoid the mistake he made and take precautions to beat the bugs
I’M turning 70 in October but I don’t think there will be any big celebration. Being alive is enough for me. Seven years ago I went on a trip with the charity Plan International in Senegal. At the time there wasn’t a big risk of malaria where we were going but it was decided everyone on the trip should take precautions. So I took a course of anti-malarial tablets. You are supposed to take them before you go, while you’re there, and then carry on when you are back.
But I stupidly did not follow the instructions on the box and keep going for a week once I was out of Senegal.
We were staying at a hotel in the capital Dakar. They didn’t have a problem with mosquitos. It wasn’t a place where you needed mosquito nets or anything.
I just thought it would be okay not to take the last few pills but it doesn’t work like that.
About two or three days after I got back to the UK, I was suddenly hit by what appeared to be a terrible hangover, which wasn’t possible because I wasn’t drinking.
Headaches, feeling really physically sick, having these terrible sweats at night – this hangover went on for the next two months. I have never been so ill but it took me a while to realise that my illness and the trip could be related.
I had a really bad fever and twice my partner had to call an ambulance and I was put on a saline drip.
My GP had referred me for blood tests at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, North London, which confirmed I had malaria. Doctors can’t cure it, you just have to sit it out, which is what makes it such an unpleasant experience. It’s a dangerous illness and a lot of people die from it. One of the side effects is that you can be rendered deaf.
My doctor asked me if I had a problem with my ears because I was speaking very loudly. After a series of tests I discovered all the nerve endings that transmit the sound into my brain had been blown apart by this fever.
I was left with 80 per cent of my hearing in my right ear. But I’m lucky because it could have happened in both ears.
I got a hearing aid which helps - sometimes I wear it, sometimes I don’t - but being very short of hearing in one ear makes life more difficult.
Deafness doesn’t work when you’re working with other actors. You have to make sure you are physically in a position where you can hear what people are saying, so you learn to adjust so your good ear is doing the maximum amount of work.
Occasionally I have joint pain and flare-ups where I don’t feel 100 per cent, but they go away.
It’s made me wary of visiting the tropics and my family were worried about me going to the jungle for I’m a Celebrity in 2016. But I was assured there weren’t any mosquitoes there.
People need to be made aware of how quickly their lives can change thanks to the ease of international travel.
You have to take precautions because you can come back from the tropics with some very nasty souvenirs.
If you are responsible for children you have got to do it for them. Bugs do not differentiate between age groups and you don’t want that on your conscience.
Go to a pharmacist that specialises in tropical medicine or speak to your GP about travel plans.
If you are going somewhere where there’s a chance of being bitten by a little beastie then go to a pharmacy like Boots that specialises in tropical medicine or speak to your GP before your travel. Do not take any chances.