Your mother is being reasonable during the monsoons while asking you to avoid eating outside or wade in the puddles of water on the roads. Those advices and precautions might just prevent most typical monsoon-diseases.
Let’s discuss some of these communicable diseases and the way you can prevent them:
1. Common cold, cough and viral fever:
Common cold is one of the biggest causes of huge absenteeism in the monsoons. It is common because of the fact that viruses spread better in humid conditions.
Your chance of catching a cold can increase if you stay in wet clothes for long time or you are in exposure to the humid air from the air-conditioners.In your office locker, keep a pair of fresh clothes in order to avoid staying wet for long. Turn down the ACs and get fresh air by opening the windows.
2. Malaria:
Malaria is one of the common and deadly diseases which are caused in the monsoons by certain species of mosquitoes breeding in the dirty water. It is characterized by fever, body ache, chills and sweating. It can result in severe complications, if untreated, like jaundice, severe anemia, liver and kidney failure.
The disease can be prevented by take certain precautions:
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In your neighborhood, ensure that there is no stagnant water as it acts as ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
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Close the container, if you store water in the house because of its shortage.
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If you live in a mosquito-infested area, for your windows, use nets, fiber glass meshes, mosquito screens, or magnetic insect repellent screens.
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Avoid going out immediately after dusk or cover you body well with a mosquito repellent as much as possible.
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Use insecticide treated bed nets in areas where malaria and mosquitoes are rampant.
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Before you travel to a malaria-endemic area, consult your doctor to discuss chemoprophylaxis.
3. Typhoid:
Prolonged fever, headache and abdominal pain lasting for over five days, followed by a rash in the 2nd week might indicate typhoid, mostly spread through contaminated food and water.
Precautions to avoid Typhoid:
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Avoid eating outside food as much as possible.
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Get yourself vaccinated.
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Stick to homemade food and boiled water.
4. Hepatitis A (commonly called jaundice):
Hepatitis A is a viral disease spread via contaminated food and water. It is characterized by – body ache with an increase in body temperature, loss of appetite followed by joint pains, nausea and vomiting. It may be followed by a yellowish tinge in the skin, nails and eyes. The patient will notice dark colored urine within a week.
Prevention of Hepatitis A:
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Eat homemade food and clean water.
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Take vaccinations to prevent the disease.
5. Leptospirosis:
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease spread by rats. It is usually caused by wading in dirty water or by contaminated food.
Symptoms:
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Severe headaches and body ache
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Diarrhea and abdominal pain
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High fever and chills followed by nausea, vomiting.
Avoid exposing your feet to dirty, stagnant rainwater, especially if you have injuries, in order to prevent Leptospirosis.
