Monsoon Vigil

As monsoon comes around physicians say a lot of common diseases can be avoided by taking simple precautions.

While the monsoon has brought a relief from summer heat,there is a need to be careful about the health hazards that the changing weather could pose. Apart from the danger of ailments like Common Cold,Diarrhoea,Dengue,Chikungunya and Typhoid,doctors and physicians feel the increse in humidity causes several viral diseases. Youngsters for whom monsoon brings football-mud-bath have the highest chances of falling prey to these viruses.

For patients of respiratory ailments like Broncheal Asthma monsoon poses a greater challenge as it makes them prone to several asthmatic attacks and joint problems. Several water borne diseases like gastroenteritis,jaundice and typhoid fever are also common during the monsoon. Food contaminated with bacteria or parasites invade the intestines and produces a toxin that makes the intestine secrete more water.

For college students monsoon mostly means a bike ride to Khadakwasla,hot tea and pakoras. ” There is a need to be vigilant and aware of the ailments that come with the season and one needs to be prepared to face them,rather than fall sick,” says Dr Avinash Bhondwe,general physician and ex-president of Indian Medical Association,Pune Branch. Not only the muddy pools but also the terrace gardens in opulent societies can gather mosquitoes and flies inside their flower pots, he warns.

With increasing diseases due to the monsoon it has become mandatory to take certain precautions. Like often said the best way to discard diseases is to start from home. It is extremely important to keep you hands clean,by washing them regularly using a soap that acts as a disinfectant,says Dr. Ashish Bhosekar. It is also important to watch one’s diet and make sure one exercises on a daily basis. Boiling and filtering water is advisable as stomach infections and diarrhea are a hit this season. This season is known to reduce immunity of the human body and therefore eating the right food and sticking to a healthy diet is a compulsion in order to overcome these issues,says Bhosekar. Bathing with hot water after getting wet in the rain is recommended. With the increasing rates of dengue,the most important measure to take is the removal of stagnant water by covering it with soil as it encourages mosquito breeding mentions Bhosekar. The use of mosquito repellents and nets is essential during this season to avoid dengue.

(With inputs from Sonya Chitale)

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