Enjoying the spell of monsoon showers? The slight nip in the weather comes as a welcome respite from the scorching heat. Needless to say, your chaat, pakora and street food cravings are also at an all-time high. While it is absolutely okay to indulge once in a while, if you start bingeing often, you are bound to see the impact on your health. You need to remember that the monsoon also invites a lot of health issues.
The drastic fluctuations in temperature and high humidity during this season make one sensitive to many viruses causing a cold and flu. Your immunity goes for a toss, hence it’s important to take extra care of your body.
5 Quick Tips To Prevent Monsoon Diseases
- Have a nutritious diet and immunity-boosting foods during this time.
- Avoiding junk food.
- Consume plenty of water. This goes a long way in protecting against monsoon illness.
- Herbal teas and warm honey water also act to protect the upper respiratory tract. Especially during an illness, kadhas are a great choice.
- Adequate sleep and physical exercise are sure shot ways to boost immunity.
Find 5 kadha recipes to boost your immunity here.
10 Common Monsoon Disease
1. Dengue
The monsoon is perhaps the best time for the mosquitoes to breed, as there is stagnant water in several places, because of that, the mosquito-borne diseases increase. The fever caused by dengue can be dangerous to your health.
Find here 10 effective home remedies and tips for mosquito bites.
2. Cough & Cold
The rise and fall of the temperature, which takes place during this rainy season, makes our body prone to bacterial/viral diseases which then result in cold and flu. Severe viral fever, cold and cough are some common symptoms. This may last from 3-7 days. However, it is always good to consult your doctor before diagnosing anything.
3. Cholera
Another monsoon disease that is caused due to the consumption of contaminated food and water is cholera. Poor hygiene and sanitation can cause many diseases and cholera is one of them. Cholera has a gastronomical effect on your body, which leads to severe dehydration.
4. Chikungunya
Chikungunya is majorly caused by mosquitoes born in stagnated water found in air conditioners, coolers, plants, utensils, and water pipes. This disease is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito. This mosquito can bite you not only at night but also during the day. Joint pains and fever are the two most common symptoms of chikungunya. Clearing out surfaces or containers with stagnant water and using insect repellent is the best way to prevent chikungunya
5. Malaria
Malaria is caused by female mosquitoes, which breeds in waterlogged areas. It is because of this, that malaria is the most common ailment during the monsoon. Fever, shivers, muscle pain and weakness are the most prominent symptoms of malaria. The best way to prevent malaria is to clean the water tank in your house frequently and to keep your surroundings clean.
6. Diarrhoea
This widespread bowel disease is caused due to the consumption of unhygienic foods and water. Diarrhoea is a highly preventable and treatable disease if one is careful. There are two kinds of diarrhoea, acute and chronic, both of which can be dealt with. Drinking boiled water and sticking to home food is the best way to prevent this disease.
7. Typhoid
A water-borne disease, typhoid is commonly caused due to poor sanitation. This means consumption of food and water cooked or kept in bad sanitation. Fever, headache, weakness, pain and sore throat are some symptoms of typhoid. Keeping a hand sanitiser with you at all times, refraining from consuming street food and drinking healthy fluids will help you prevent getting typhoid.
8. Leptospirosis
Also known as Weil’s syndrome, leptospirosis is caused by coming in contact with dirty water or muck. Inflammation, shivers, muscle pain, headache and fever are the common symptoms of this commonly spread monsoon disease. If you have any kind of cuts or bruises, it is better to cover them when stepping out to avoid getting this disease.
9. Stomach infections
Vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain are the most common stomach infections to get in this weather. This is popularly caused by consuming poorly handled food and liquid products. Gastroenteritis is another common stomach infection caused during this time. It is advised to have boiled water, have home-cooked food and drink enough healthy liquids.
10. Jaundice
Monsoon is the primary time of catching disease through consumption of contaminated water and food. Weakness, yellow urine, yellowing of eyes, vomiting and liver dysfunction are the symptoms of jaundice and should be looked out for immediately. As mentioned above, drinking boiled water, sticking to home-cooked food and avoiding street food as much as you can is the best way to prevent this virus.
5 Techniques To Have A Strong Immunity
1. Get Your Beauty Sleep
Getting adequate sleep. One needs a good 7-8 hours of sleep per day. A healthy sleep cycle is 7 hours of sleep at night for adults around 40 years of age, and six and a half hours of night sleep between 55-60 years of age. A good night’s sleep should lead to an individual waking up fresh and energetic in the morning.
If the pandemic has affected your sleep cycle, here is how you get it back on track.
2. Keep A Track Of Your Stress Levels
At the peak of the pandemic, 74% of Indians were suffering from stress and 88% were suffering from anxiety. Managing stress is a very personal thing, and from minor challenges to major crises, stress is part of life. Keep your stress level to a minimum and never carry your work stress home.
3. Exercise & Meditate
From hectic schedules to factors like convenience and saving money, home workouts are gaining popularity due to several benefits. Apart from being good for your wallet, it creates a comfortable environment.
4. Maintain A Healthy Diet
A good work-life balance is crucial in maintaining good psychological health. Make sure to stock up on proteins as well. A high protein diet always keeps your body protein adequately stored to keep your muscle mass intact. A key point to remember is to eat small frequent meals. Adequately hydrate yourself with fruit juices, vegetable soups. Include Indian kadhas in your diet. And lastly, do not forget to have one handful of dry fruits every day to supplement Zinc and other essential elements.
Find 10 foods to include in your monsoon diet here.
5. Lifestyle Changes
Apart from maintaining a healthy diet and exercising, it is crucial to make a few lifestyle changes. During illness, one must make sure that one must avoid tobacco in all forms. And in terms of alcohol, one must avoid it as long as possible. Remember to never exceed a limit of 45cc of alcohol at a time.
Learn more about healthy habits to boost your immunity here.
With the rains comes a rush of nostalgic memories and emotions. And it is only fair to relive these emotions by having a healthy immune system. So kick out all the illnesses that come your way, and enjoy the rains.
You can enjoy the weather with healthy homemade snacks on the side. Click here for mouthwatering recipes.
