5. Cyclic Discomfort
If you are trying to tell the difference between malaria and another form of infection, then it can be useful to consider the often-cyclic nature of the disease. That is to say, that often the worst symptoms are felt in three day periods with gaps in between.
There are many reasons for this. But it ultimately comes down to the nature of the parasite. All the symptoms of malaria are caused by the asexual erythrocytic parasites. That is to say, the parasites that are at a specific point in their maturation cycle. This stage is also known as the blood stage. During this stage, the parasite will produce a number of waste products, including hemozoin pigment, and other toxic substances. These will be placed in the bloodstream, resulting in a number of unwanted side effects. The toxic factors are what will stimulate the body to produce macrophages and other immune responses to produce cytokines.
The best way to think of this then is as the actual symptoms being caused by specific generations. As each generation ages, the waste products and harm it produces reduces.