Monsoon spikes the risk of these 5 diseases. Know how to protect yourself

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Rain provides much-needed reprieve from the scorching heat, but at this time, the temperature and humidity create the ideal conditions for germs to emerge, increasing the risk of various monsoon diseases. The most prevalent medical conditions include skin allergies, dengue fever, malaria, and flu infections. Many of these illnesses are not diagnosed until they are seriously affecting a person’s health. You can stay safe throughout this season with some simple preventative measures and hygiene routines, as well as early detection.

Health Shots spoke to Dr Vikrant Shah, consulting physician, intensivist, and infectious disease specialist, Zen Multispeciality Hospital Chembur, who helped us to understand diseases that can be triggered by monsoon.

Here are monsoon-related diseases that you should be aware of:

1. Mosquito-borne diseases

Malaria, dengue, and chikungunya are among the illnesses that humans might contract from mosquito bites during the monsoon season. Due to an increase in mosquito population brought on by rain, it is quite easy to contract such diseases.

• Malaria: It is spread through Anopheles mosquitoes. Fever, body pain, chills, and sweating are some of the classic symptoms of malaria. Get yourself tested if you notice any of these symptoms.
• Dengue: Dengue tends to spread via mosquito bites of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The signs of it are fever, rashes, headaches, and low platelet count. This disease can lead to the death of the patient if there is no treatment available and with poor management.
• Chikungunya: Chikungunya is particularly spread during the rainy season. This disease is caused by the tiger Aedes albopictus, and the symptoms of it are joint pain, fatigue, chills, and fever.

 

2. Airborne disease

The monsoon season also brings airborne infections such as cold, the flu, influenza, fever, sore throats, and other illnesses. They are spread by the airborne bacteria. Because of their weakened or developing immune systems, seniors and children are more prone to contracting these diseases.

• Cold and flu: Colds and flu are seen due to the sudden shift in the temperature during the monsoon.
• Influenza: The nose, throat, and lungs are all affected by the virus that causes influenza. This seasonal flu rapidly spreads from person to person.

3. Water-borne diseases

In this kind of setting, water-borne illnesses such as diarrhea, jaundice, hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera, and stomach infections are frequent. A majority of the time, these infections are disseminated by polluted water that has been kept or is present in sewage pipes, potholes, etc. This contaminated or unsanitary water is frequently utilized in cooking and other domestic tasks, which causes people to become ill with monsoon diseases.

• Typhoid fever: Typhoid fever can be seen because of contaminated food and water.
• Cholera: It is a waterborne infection that happens due to strains of bacteria called vibrio cholera.
• Leptospirosis: This is a bacterial infection transmitted from animals (like dogs, and rats) to humans while walking through waterlogged areas. The red flags of it are muscle discomfort, vomiting, diarrhoea, and skin rashes.
• Jaundice: Another water-borne illness that is spread by contaminated food and water is jaundice. In fact, one of its causes is poor sanitation. This disease can leads to liver failure. Some of its symptoms include yellow urine, yellowing of the eyes, and vomiting.
• Hepatitis A: Fever, vomiting, and rashes are some of the symptoms of hepatitis A, which is brought on by contaminated food and drink.

4. Viral infections

Viral infections have a very high chance of occurring during the monsoon season. These include fungal infections, bacterial infections, stomach infections, and foot infections. Your immunity may also be impacted by the possibility of several infections. During the rainy season, a large number of the population is affected by these viral diseases.

5. Pneumonia

Monsoon can also trigger pneumonia in people. The bacteria and virus that cause this ailment are found in the air we breathe. This infection causes swelling of the air sacs in one or both lungs, which could lead to fluid accumulation. Anyone can be at risk of dying from the virus, but newborns, young children, and adults over 65 are more at risk. Fever, chills, weariness, lack of appetite, malaise, clammy skin, sweating, intense pain in the chest or quick, shallow breathing are some of its symptoms.

Tips to prevent monsoon-related diseases

• Eat nutritious food to boost immunity and keep these diseases at bay.
• Ensure to wear full-sleeved clothes, and use mosquito repellents to prevent mosquito bites.
• Do regular fogging in the surroundings and avoid water stagnation near your house.
• Cholera impacts the gastrointestinal tract leading to dehydration and diarrhoea. So, drink boiled, treated, or purified water.
• Maintain good hygiene and sanitation to keep typhoid at bay.
• Avoid wading through waterlogged areas in order to keep leptospirosis away.