With the rise of humidity and weather changes, there’s sporadic growth in infections resulting in weakened immunity.

Unexpected illness can disrupt your life, not to mention the sudden added expenses. Thus, it is very important to take appropriate precautions during the monsoon, including a suitable health insurance plan.

Watch out for these Monsoon Hazards!

Almost all the diseases during the monsoon are transmitted through water, air, mosquitoes, and contaminated food. Here’s what you’re up against:

Waterborne Infections & Food Contamination:

As per WHO, about 3.4 million Indians are affected by some kind of water-borne disease. These are especially harmful to children. The most common of these diseases are:

• Jaundice: Usually caused by contaminated water and bad sanitation. Can cause severe liver dysfunction.
• Gastrointestinal Infections: Caused by consumption of uncovered or stale food and water. It can induce symptoms of vomiting, body aches, and diarrhoea.
• Typhoid: Majorly water-borne disease rampant during Monsoon. Caused because of bad sanitation and cause severe headache, fever, joint ache, and soreness in the throat.

Mosquito-borne Infections:

Monsoon being their breeding season, about 11% of global malaria cases and 34% of dengue cases are from India.

• Dengue: These mosquitoes breed best in stagnant water making it hard for anyone to avoid them completely.
• Malaria: This parasitic disease is spread through the Anopheles mosquito which is extremely common in India. Symptoms include a very high fever.
• Chikungunya: This viral disease is spread by the Aedes mosquitos who breed in stagnant water as well. These can bite you at night as well as in the day, resulting in extremely high fever, painful joints, and bad fevers.

Air-borne Infections:

These are the most common diseases commonly termed ‘weather change diseases’. While they are mild, they can cause complications in children and older people due to weak immunity.

• Cold and Flu: This viral infection is perhaps the most common one, especially at its peak during the monsoons. Symptoms include runny nose, fever, chills, and more.
• Influenza: This is popular as the ‘seasonal flu’ and can be easily spread from one person to another.

Stay Healthy This Monsoon with these 7 Tips:

Monsoon doubles the risk of your exposure to multiple pathogens and infections because of the higher moisture content in the air around you. This is the optimum condition for germs to thrive and for you to be a little extra careful. Make sure you follow all these tips

1. Eat well and stick to healthy food

Immunity requires hard work and needs to be strengthened through proper nutrition and a balanced diet. Spend some extra time boiling your drinking water to avoid getting contaminated.

2. Say no to junk and street food

As explained before, the monsoon is the peak time for infections to spread in almost every possible manner. In such cases, eating in places that may be compromised in terms of hygiene may be a ready invitation to infection. You can try cooking something yummy at home instead.

3. Invest in good shoes and waterproof clothing

It may not be possible for many of you to stay indoors during the monsoon. Situations may force you out and chances of slipping or getting soaked in the rainwater will only worsen your health.

4. Protect yourself from mosquitoes

Ensure there is no source of water that could act as a breeding pool of these carriers, especially in your vicinity. If you notice stagnant water anywhere, immediately take action. Ensure regular cleaning and drainage of such containers, including flower pots.

5. Hydrate yourself

Often we do so much for our health but don’t monitor our water intake. This is one thing that most people miss out on. It aids in weight loss and improves immunity against germs.

6. Get your beauty sleep

A good night’s sleep is extremely undervalued by most people these days. Sleeping less than 6 hours can increase your sleep debt, increasing your fatigue and exhaustion. This eventually affects your immunity as your body is already weak due to the lack of rest.