Monsoon doesn’t just bring in greenery and relief from the scorching heat but also swarms of unwanted and harmful viruses that can infect people. There is a rise in the cases of certain diseases such as common cold, malaria, dengue, typhoid, cholera etc. Most of the diseases are waterborne. Read on to know more about them and be cautious.
1. Malaria
Monsoon is the perfect breeding season for mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases. Malaria is one such serious disease caused by a parasite known as plasmodium. It is carried by the female mosquito Anopheles which is an early morning and evening time biter. The parasite first travels to the human’s liver where it grows and multiplies. It then travels to the bloodstream to infect and destroy red blood cells.
Symptoms: The initial symptoms of malaria are similar to those of flu.
- High Fever
- Chills
- Body ache
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Prevention: Here are some tips to prevent Malaria:
- Stay inside when it is dark outside.
- When going out, wear full sleeves clothes to protect yourself from mosquitoes.
- Use mosquito repellent or cream to keep mosquitoes at bay.
- Make sure there is no stagnant water near your house as it would help mosquitoes to breed.
- Typhoid
Typhoid fever is caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi. This bacteria is found in contaminated water and food; enters our body when we consume such food and water. After they enter the intestine through the food we eat, they travel through the blood to body’s other parts like lymph nodes, gall bladder, liver, etc.
Symptoms: Symptoms of Typhoid usually develop after 1-2 weeks of exposure to the bacteria.
- Headache
- High fever with chills
- Abdominal pain
- Nosebleed
- Diarrhoea
Prevention: Getting a vaccination is the best thing one can do. Other than vaccines, following tips should be followed:
- Keep your hands clean. You can prevent most of the germs and bacteria from entering the body just by taking good care of hands and washing them regularly.
- Drink water only after boiling it or purifying it with the water purifier.
- Eat a nutritional diet by including fruits and vegetable that boost immunity
- Cholera
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection which is caused when we ingest contaminated food or water. It is spread by the bacterium known as Vibrio Cholerae. It causes severe watery diarrhoea, which may lead to dehydration. This disease is very common to areas with poor sanitation; crowded areas, war and famine affected zones are worse affected.
Symptoms: The common symptoms are:
- Rapid heart rate
- Loss of skin elasticity
- Low blood pressure
- Muscle cramps
- A dry mucous membrane including the inside of the mouth, throat, nose and eyelids.
Prevention:
- Keep your surrounding clean.
- Drink clean water.
- Eat home cooked food.
- Filariasis
Filariasis is a parasitic disease which affects people living near unsanitary water bodies or sewages. These parasites are transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito that breeds in fresh and stagnant water bodies. The water becomes the host of filarial nematode worm and affects humans and leads to elephantiasis. Elephantiasis causes pain and swelling in the legs and genital organs. Filariasis can lead to blindness and rapid skin pigmentation.
Symptoms:
- Skin rashes
- Abdominal pain
- Arthritis
- Hyper or hypo pigmented macules
Prevention:
- Stay prevented from mosquito bites.
- Wear full sleeves clothes.
- Use mosquito repellent sprays or cream.
Since the rainy season is the perfect season for germs and bacteria to grow and spread diseases, we should pay extra attention to our health. Children fall sick very often in this weather as they have a larger exposure to germs and bacteria. Even employees take many leaves due to their poor health. Follow tips that help you to stay away from infection and prevent spreading of diseases. This monsoon, ensure good health for yourself and your loved ones but don’t forget to enjoy the rains too!
