Monsoon: Rain and Diseases

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Monsoon brings with it welcome relief from the heat, and leaves behind a host of illnesses and diseases, some of which can be life threatening. Children are the most susceptible to these diseases. Here's how to keep yourself and your family safe this monsoon season.

Mosquitoes abound during the monsoon season, and cases of Malaria and Dengue are on the upswing. Although various malaria-prevention drugs are available, these are not always effective. Plus, in many places malaria parasites have grown resistant to the drugs. Your best bet would be to keep your home mosquito-free. A mosquito net around the bed not only looks lovely and Victorian, but also keeps mosquitoes away and is a better option than sleeping with a mosquito coil right next to you. Regular inhalation of chemicals found in mosquito coils and mats is not too good for you, but is definitely a better option than getting bitten by a mosquito and risking Malaria or Dengue. Don't take these diseases lightly. Carry a mosquito repellent cream with you and give a small tube to your children. The cream should be applied to any exposed areas if there are mosquitoes around.

Sewage and drain pipes lie close to each other, and in the monsoon these pipes develop leaks - with the result that the sewage water comes into contact with regular water. It sounds sickening, but is a fact. Many diseases like cholera are spread through feces, which is why it is essential to drink boiled water in the monsoon. Similarly, at a restaurant make it a point to drink bottled water or a soft drink instead of regular water. Most restaurants here don't maintain the levels of hygiene you do at home.

Walking in dirty water can also lead to numerous diseases since it brings your feet into direct contact with sewage water. Thus it is essential that your children dress appropriately in the monsoon to avoid catching not just diseases, but also the common cold. Make sure your children wear gumboots in the monsoon season so that their feet remain dry and clean. They should also wear a raincoat with a hood, and carry an umbrella.

Kids enjoy playing out in the rain, and this enjoyment need not be denied to them. If they must play in the rain, make sure that they play in a designated area and not on the road, amongst open sewers. They can play in a garden, and change their clothes immediately on returning home. Keep them warm when they return, don't let them sit in an air-conditioned room until their hair has dried, and feed them warm soup. That should take care of any likelihood of developing the flu.


Other quick tips

Always wash your hands after using the toilet and before eating, and make it a habit not to touch your face with your hands.

Prevent your children from biting their nails as this will cause them to ingest any infection that may be on their hands.

Don't eat uncooked food like salads outside the home during the monsoon.

Storing water in copper or silver vessels is not just a fashion statement! Doing so kills all germs and sterilizes the water.

Reason for infection

The most probabale reason for the high rate of infections during monsoon is environmental conditions. High levels of humidity and a temperature that is neither too high nor too low together are conductive to the growth of a range of pathogens.

Add to this prblems like stagnated water bodies, overflowing drains, impure drinking water, leaky walls and and rofs and you have an ideal setting for infections and disease.

The monsoon also marks a time when our immunity takes a beating, rendering us vulnerble to diseases. Treatment is of course, important but what is more important and effective is prevention.

Boost your natural immunity

Natural immunity refers to a state where a person is immune to a disease. The natural immune response is a pre-programmed first line of defence that is primarly responsible for eliminating or containig pathogens at the site of entrance into the host.

Overuse of antibiotics, exposure to radiation and hazardous chemicals and the widespread use of corticosteriods cripple the immune system. So boosting your natural immunity is a very effective method of arresting the onset of various deseases. Unfortunately the role off a host of diseases has gone unrecognised.

Building natural immunity is epecially important in children. A strong immune system provides a child withthe natural defences to fight many diseases. Again, the immune system declines as we grow older. Quality of life in old age is largely dependent on the ability to manipylate the natural immune system.

With regard to natural immunity, one of the most important decisions an individual can make is to choose a healthy lifestyle. This will help maitain the natural immune system. Building up your body's disease-fighting arsenal are Immuno-nutrients, which are foods taht have an immuno-modulatory and antioxidant effect. These nutrients help build the body's immunity and enhance its ability to fight infection.


Traditional nutrients


Traditional Indian systems of medicine like Ayurveda describe many such nutrients. Scientific research confirms that these nutrients boost our natural immunity and enhance the body's ability to fight infections.

A regular dose of these immuno-nutrients goes a long way in the helping build your body's ability to fend off infections and disease.

With the monsooon having set in and with the prospect of infections and disease looming large, it would be a good idea to shore up your body defences and enjoy the monsoon showers.

Make sure that you follow these rules

Boil water beofore drinking or use ultraviolet/reverse osmosis filters

Bathe regulary, wash your hands with soap and keep clean

Remove all sources of stagnant water. Clean out desert coolers regulary

Keep all the water reservoirs and tanks covered

Use repellents to prevent mosquito bites. Cover up


Do's and dont's

Drink plenty of vegetable soup

Drink boiled and cooled water with a little honey

Add ginger and green gram in daily diet

Eat light foods made of old barley, rice and wheat

Wash vegetables with clen water and steam well to kill germs.

Keep surroundings dry and clean

Dry your feet with a soft dry cloth whenever wet

Don't over-exert yourself physically

Don't eat uncooked foods and salads

Don't enter air conditioned room with wet hair and damp clothes.

Don't allow water to stagnant


Sourse of nutrients


Amla: Amla is rich in vitamin C, tannis and pectins
Ashwagandha: Helps control stress; regulates immunity

Guduchi: For physical and mental strength; rejuvanates the immune system

Kesar: Energises the body, promotes skin health

Shatavari: Promotes health and helps build stamina

Rains are the season when mosquitoes breed the most as they get more swamps and dirt to breed on. Many people take care of what they eat and drink but it is equally important to take care to keep their surroundings clean and not let water gather in flower pots, old tyres or garbage which will eventually become the breeding ground for mosquitoes. Mosquito bites can spread dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, malaria, etc which are very dangerous. The only safe way to keep yourself protected is
1. Awareness of Cleanliness
2. Prevention through Mosquito Repellents

Good knight mosquito repellents have range of products that could be used to get protection against the mosquitoes indoors and outdoors