Take special care of your health during the upcoming monsoon season

Take special care of your health during the upcoming monsoon season

During the Monsoon season, the body’s immunity levels dip

New Delhi: 15 June 2016: Monsoon is a season which brings respite from the dreaded summer months and helps revive the dying crops. However the season also brings with itself a host of diseases. The immunity levels of a person are found to be at its lowest during this season making people vulnurable to illness.

 “The most common diseases associated with the monsoon season are malaria, dengue, Chikungunya, jaundice and gastrointestinal infections like typhoid and cholera. Apart from these, viral infections like cold and cough are also common”, said Padma Shri Awardee, Dr KK Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India and Honorary Secretary General IMA.

Patients with Chikungunya, typically complain of joint pains and can get relief from the pain by flexing their limbs. Chikungunya, though not fatal, can cause chronic debilitating joint pains lasting for years and adequate prevention must be taken against it.

Dengue, most commonly caused by the breeding of the aedes mosquite if not adequately managed, can be fatal in 1-4% of cases. Management of dengue involves fluid resuscitation and not platelet resuscitation. If enough fluids are given, mortality rates are negligable. Inappropriate misuse of anti fever medicines can precipitate bleeding in dengue patients. Awareness must be raised about how the aedes mosquito breeds in clean collected water and people must ensure that they wear full-sleeves clothing during the monsoon season, do not let water collect outside their house and that they use mosquito repellents.

One of the most common occurances in the monsoon season is the contamination of drinking water making people prone to diarrhea and gastrointestinal infections. People must ensure that they only drink safe and clean drinking water during these months and avoid eating at places where the water has been left out in the open for hours.

Walking in dirty water during the rainy season leads to numerous fungal infections. Diabetic patients must take special care to keep their feet clean and dry. They must walking in dirty water. 

During the monsoons, precautions have to be taken to prevent dampness and growth of fungus (mold) on and around the house were asthmatic patients are living. Avoid fumigation for mosquitos in case of asthmatic patients as it can aggrevate their condition.

Underground works come to the surface and contaminate surface vegetables during the rainy season. This can cause gastric disturbances in people with low immunity. It is because of this reason that community lunches and marriages are usually not held during this season.

Overall, one must enjoy the weather and the respite of the rains, while taking necessary precautions against diseases which might dampen the celebrations.