Rainy season is all about getting relief from the summer heat and dancing in the rain. But for most of us, it comes as physical and mental tension. Children and adults catch cold, cough and fever. Fungal infections on various parts of the body become very common. People with joint pains see their symptoms getting worse with the rainfall.

Diarrhoea, allergies, and many such complaints increase exponentially with the rainy season. So a very common question arises. How can a person stay healthy during the rainy season? The answer is by taking necessary precautions.

If you take the following precautions during the rainy season, majority of these diseases will not touch you. 

1) Protect yourselves from dirty water

Clogged gutters and muddy streets are common sites during the rainy season. They are the storehouse of many bacteria and viruses. They become the source for various waterborne infections like diarrhoea, influenza (flu), dengue and various fungal infections.

So wear raincoats and try to cover as much body as possible. Some people wear only upper part of the jacket. This allows the dirty water to touch their pants, pyjamas, and jeans. Wearing rain boots are also useful. Wearing slippers or open sandals will keep a large part of your feet exposed to harmful bacteria and viruses, so avoid wearing them.

2) Wash your hands frequently

Your hands generally touch a thousand things while being outside. You can contact harmful bacteria when you touch infected railings, infected seats in buses or trains, or just while shaking hands with someone. So washing hands frequently with warm water and soap is advisable.

3) Avoid outside food

Outside food is the main culprit in many waterborne diseases and food poisoning cases seen in the hospitals nationwide. Food prepared in the open comes in contact with various infective agents. Some foods are prepared on wet contaminated floors too. There is no guarantee that the person who is preparing the food is keeping the hygiene himself. So it is better to avoid outside food as much as possible in this season.

Prepare warm food at home and don’t forget to drink plenty of water. Because of change of weather from summer to rainy, many people don’t feel like drinking water. But you should drink at least 10 to 14 glasses per day to avoid problems like urinary infections and constipation.

4) Do not wear tight clothing

Avoid wearing tight undergarments, tight jeans and T-shirts, etc. in this season. Fungus needs two main things to grow, heat and humidity. By wearing tight undergarments you are providing them a good habitat. So it is very common to get fungal infections in the genital area, neck, underarms, etc during this season. It is advisable to wear loose clothing and try to keep these sensitive areas as dry as possible.

Above mentioned precautions will keep you and your family safe in this season. But still, if you encounter infections and diseases, visit your nearby doctor as soon as possible.

Have a safe and healthy rainy season.