Monsoon season is gladly received after the scorching summer heat, but the season brings certain challenges. Your inner self gets bursts of happiness to enjoy the joys of rain but your mind fears from getting wet at the most inconvenient times, while dirty streets bring different ailments. Isn’t it true? Monsoons bring good, but during rainy season, monsoon health concerns are growing. So, extra precautions should be taken to remain safe and healthy.
This guide will help you stay protected from the challenges that come along with monsoon. You have to check, apply, and share these tips with those in you know who face health issues during monsoon every year.
Table of Contents
Understanding the Monsoon Health Risks
The rainy season can make people sick more often because of the extra moisture in the air and stagnant water on streets. The microbial count multiplies rapidly during monsoons due to high moisture and environmental changes, and causes serious health problems. Getting knowledge about these issues is the first thing you need to do to stay healthy.
- People often get sick by drinking water contaminated by microbes, which can cause cholera and typhoid.
- Mosquitoes that live in standing water spread diseases like dengue and malaria.
- The humid weather worsens the circumstances for people who have breathing problems and causes skin infections to people with sensitive skin.
Now, let us dive to the part for which you came here. These are the essential health tips for the monsoon season to stay well and avoid common rainy season ailments. We have covered below all the tips you need to overpower monsoon.
Boosting Immunity during Monsoon
You must have read in the points above how monsoon season invites terrible health-related issues. So, it would be reasonable for you to boost the immunity of your body in order avoid these conditions. To get a healthy immune system, you should add enough food in your diet that is rich in vitamins C and E. Vitamins C and E is obtained from various plant sources such as citrus fruits, bell peppers, spinach, sunflower seeds and nuts. Learn more about what to prefer and what to avoid eating during monsoon season here.
Besides traditional means (those mentioned above along with whole grains, legumes, herbs, dairy products) which are a proper diet, your body demands as much water as possible. Therefore, it is crucial to drink water and various teas (green tea, ginger tea, hibiscus tea, etc.) basically. This helps you maintain the body’s defence mechanisms at a proper level as well as wash out all harmful attributes.
Proper Hygiene
Maintain proper hygiene to avoid spreading of infections. Keep washing your hands with soap and water every time, especially before eating and after visiting the restroom. The availability of the soap and water everywhere may sometimes be a challenge, always ensure you have hand sanitizers. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth while travelling to avoid virus enter your body.
Safe drinking water
Contaminated water is one of the easiest ways to spread communicable diseases during monsoon. Always makes sure you drink either purified water or boiled one during this season. Carry purified or boiled water with you while travelling.
Monsoon diet tips
Eating the right foods will ensure you are healthy throughout the monsoon season. Some of the foods you can incorporate into your diet are seasonal fruits like mangoes, pomegranates, and berries, which contain antioxidants. Vegetables like bitter gourd and bottle gourd help improve digestion. Prefer light, home-cooked foods over street foods to avoid gastric issues.
Preventing waterborne diseases
Common and serious waterborne diseases during monsoons include cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis A. To avoid these diseases, you should intake clean drinking water and eat properly cooked food. Stay away from raw or undercooked foods. Your kitchen and utensils should also be clean to avoid bacteria.
Mosquito-Borne Disease Prevention
Monsoon rains make the breeding places for mosquitoes because mosquitoes breed in the stagnated water in parks, streets, water coolers, and places which are generally untidy like garages and vehicle parking areas. Hence, diseases like dengue and malaria spread by these mosquitos, increases to the peak in the monsoons. Make sure that the windows and doors are well-screened to avoid mosquito entry. Use mosquito repellents or coils both during day and night. Prefer using mosquito nets while sleeping. Wear full-sleeved clothes.
Managing skin problems
Humid weather leads to skin problems such as fungal infections, acne, and rashes. Make sure that you keep your skin dry and clean. Do not use damp clothes for a long. Use antifungal powders. Maintain regular cleaning of the face twice a day, moisturizing as usual.
Dealing with Respiratory Issues
Exposure to heavy humidity and dampness are likely to deteriorate already existing respiratory issues like asthma and bronchitis in some patients. Use dehumidifiers and stay away from allergens like mold (at leaking walls, plant pots, pipes, etc.) to avoid side effects like face and skin allergy, eye infection and respiratory problems. Moreover, avoid heavy rains by staying indoors on a rainy day to prevent respiratory complications.
Exercise and Physical Activities
It is difficult to stay active during the monsoon; however, that is the key to good health. You can try a variety of indoor exercises like yoga, pilates, or simple home workouts. This exposure will not only keep you flexible but will also help you reduce the risk of seasonal diseases by improving your immunity levels.
Mental Health and Monsoon
During monsoon, the weather sometimes tends to make you feel blue and feel down, without any plausible reasons. Thus, staying active and maintaining a positive uniform routine is necessary. Invest in a hobby when in doubt. A regular dose of sunlight regulates mood and sleep patterns.
Clothing and Footwear Tips
Proper clothing and footwear would handle most of the health issues associated with the monsoon. Always wear light, thin and easy dry clothes. Also, use waterproof footwear, otherwise, change wet footwear as soon as possible to prevent fungal infections.
Maintaining a Clean Home Environment
A clean house is the good house. Regularly clean and disinfect your house to prevent mold, bacterial and viral growth. Keep the outside of your house clean too. Use anti-mould sprays in damp areas.
Travel Safety in Monsoon
Avoid traveling during the monsoon as it brings along landslides and floods. There are high chances that you will get struck in the risk prone areas during rainy season. Make sure you look at weather saturation levels before traveling. Always carry raincoats, umbrellas, first aid kit and emergency medicines in travel.
Monsoon Safety for Children
Children are often more prone to monsoon-related diseases due to their developing immune systems. Do not let them go out during heavy rain and ensure that they wash hands as often as possible. Feed them with well-cooked food and clean drinking water. Giving them a rich amount of sustainable nutrition can help boost immunity.
Caring for the Elderly in Monsoon
It is critical to take care of elderly people with special needs. Like children, they are also prone to certain diseases and infections, respiratory problems in particular. What they require is proper dressing to keep them warm and dry, a clean house, and a balanced diet. In addition, undertaking regular health checks may also contribute to the management of their health condition.
Emergency Preparedness
It is impossible to know when an emergency may occur, so, it is better to remain prepared for one. Therefore, it is advisable to create an emergency kit that will contain the most valuable things, including medicines, water, imperishable food, and first-aid measures. In addition, keep emergency contact numbers and be prepared for power cuts.
Natural Remedies for Monsoon Illnesses
Natural remedies for common monsoon issues can prove effective. For example, herbal teas made of ginger, tulsi, and turmeric can boost immunity and keep respiratory issues at bay. Home remedies such as honey and lemon for sore throats and neem leaves for skin infections also work well and are readily available.
Conclusion
Monsoon can take its toll on our bodies, but by following these simple monsoon health tips, you can ensure that you and your family remain healthy during the rainy season. Remember, it is always better to be safe than to be sorry. Prevention is the key when it comes to your health in the monsoon season. Make sure to stay healthy, relish the cooler temperature, enjoy the pleasant weather, and appreciate the beauty and freshness it brings the right way by staying safe and healthy.
