It’s a monsoon season! It has started raining heavily outside. The climate has become fresh with increasing greenery and cool breezes. The heat of summer has started to disappear slowly, giving a soothing feeling to all of us. Though the monsoon season brings us sufficient water for the next year, greenery, and fresh air, it also brings many health-related problems such as various infections, mosquito-related illnesses, etc. Hence, we need to take some precautionary measures during this season to keep ourselves fit and healthy. Here are some lifestyle and diet-related tips to keep ourselves healthy during this monsoon season. Let’s see them:
GENERAL TIPS
- Avoid getting wet unnecessarily in the rainwater; use rain-wear or an umbrella as a protective measure.
- Always wash and clean hands and feet with antiseptic soaps or take a complete bath after coming home from outside:
When we come home after work from outside, especially during the rainy season, we bring many infective microbes along with us; thus, we must at least wash our hands and feet with an antiseptic lotion or take a complete bath. It helps in keeping ourselves and our household free from infections.
- Wipe the wet feet clean and dry to avoid the risk of fungal infections:
During the rainy season, our feet often come in contact with the water while walking; and if they remain wet, it favours the growth of fungus and subsequent risk of fungal infections of the skin.
- Always keep the hair dry:
Excess dandruff in the hair is one of the culprits behind hair fall. Not drying the hair that has become wet in the rain increases the risk of hair fall. The wet/damp hair provides an ideal environment for dandruff. Also, wet/damp hair can increase the risk of catching a cold.
- As far as possible, avoid walking in stagnant and dirty water on the roads (To prevent bacterial and fungal infections).
- Use appropriate footwear (That covers the entire foot and is waterproof, e.g. Gumshoes) whenever possible while walking on wet roads:
Often, the rainwater that is stagnant on the roads gets contaminated with the urine or faeces of the animals like cats, dogs, rodents, etc. If our feet (Especially having any cuts or injury comes in contact with it, there is an increased risk of suffering from infections like Leptospirosis. The footwear covering our entire feet minimizes this contact, reducing our risk of suffering from such aserious infection.
Clip your nails regularly because dirt accumulated below our nails can increase the chances of infection to our nailbed and nails. Also,while eating, it can enter our body with the food increasing our risk of suffering from infectious diseases.
Regular exercise improves blood circulation and oxygenation inside our body and keeps us healthy and fit; it improves our immunity and protects us from frequent infections.
Getting sufficient sleep at night keeps our body and immunity in good health, reducing the risk of suffering from frequent illnesses.
- Avoid unnecessary exposure to people suffering from infectious diseases.
- Avoid going near wet walls and surfaces (To avoid fungal contamination.):
Wet/damp walls are the perfect breeding grounds for fungus. Going or being near to them increases our chances of contracting a fungal infection. Also, they are the source of many allergens, so for people who are suffering from Asthma or having allergic tendencies, it can increase the risk and severity of it
- Keep the utensils containing food and water covered to avoid contamination from flies:
During the monsoon, the risk of contamination of food by flies is high. Flies carry many diseases causing microbes along with them. Eating such food can increase our risk of suffering from infective digestive disorders. Covering the food in the utensils reduces the chances of contamination and subsequent risk of diseases.
- Always wash the hands clean before touching any food or water:
During our day-to-day activities, our hands (Especially palms of hands) come in contact with various frequently touched surfaces such as Tables, Railing, handles, etc.,which can be a source for multiple kinds of microbes. During the monsoon (Rainy season) overall risk of infections is high, thus to avoid the infectious microbes from our handsentering food, it is better to wash them thoroughly with soap and water before touching food or water.
- If the clothes get wet, change them as early as possible with dry cloths, do not sit with damp cloths:
The high moisture content in the damp/wet clothes provides favourable conditions for bacteria and fungus (Infectious). Wearing such damp clothes for a long time increases our risk of suffering from bacterial/fungal skin infections.
- Cover the windows with mosquito nets, or if it is not possible, try to use a mosquito net that hangs over the bed while sleeping.
- Avoid storage of the water in the house or in the surroundings to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.
- Keep the surroundings clean.
- Use mosquito repellents to protect yourself from mosquito bites:
This way, we can minimize the chances of getting mosquito bites and subsequent suffering from mosquito-borne infections like Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya, etc.
DIETARY TIPS
- Drink boiled and filtered water whenever and wherever possible. Drink water within 24 hours of boiling it:
During the rainy season, chances of water contamination are high, which increases the risk of water-borne diseases like cholera, typhoid, dysentery, etc. Boiling water kills these contaminating microbes if present, making the water safe for drinking and protecting our health.
- Soak fruits and vegetables in warm water added with salt and turmeric for 20 mins, then wash them thoroughly with clean water before cooking:
Fruits and vegetables are sprayed with high amounts of insecticides and pesticides to keep them safe. Also, the chances of contamination of their surfaces with microbes through flies is increased during the monsoon season. Salt and turmeric helps in removing the dirt, pesticides and infective microbes from the surfaces of these fruits and vegetables, making them safe for cooking and consumption
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet:
A healthy and balanced diet provides our body with all the required nutrients, essential minerals and vitamins, which helps in improving our immunity and overall health. Thus, we do not become easily susceptible to seasonal infections.
- Eat cooked food, avoid eating raw food (E.g., Raw vegetables for salad):
During the rainy season, food getting contaminated with pathogenic (Disease-causing) microbes is very high. Cooking helps kill or destroy those pathogenic microbes if present in the food. It does not happen when we eat raw food; thus, it is essential to eat cooked food, especially during the monsoon (Rainy season).
- Avoid eating deep-fried food or high-calorie food
- Reduce the amount of food that is difficult to digest (E.g. Non-vegetarian food like meat or fish, processed food, etc.)
It is necessary to keep our digestive system healthy and in a good functional state.Non-vegetarian food or processed food items are difficult to digest, putting our digestive system under an additional burden.The risk of water contamination is high during the monsoon; thus, it is better to avoid fish and other seafood.
- Drink a sufficient amount of water:
Drinking a sufficient amount of water daily is essential irrespective of the season. Water also helps flush out the accumulated toxins and infective agents outside our body, keeping ourselves healthy.
- Avoid drinking water outside; buy packaged water or carry your water bottle containing boiled or purified water:
The chances of water contamination are very high during the monsoon season. Drinking contaminated water can put us at risk of various diseases. Boiling kills the disease-causing microbes present in the water. Thus, it is advisable to carry boiled and cooled water in your water bottle while going outside or if, not possible, buy a packaged drinking water.
- Avoid eating street food:
The street food is made and stored in open places. Thus, there are increased chances of its contamination with disease-causing microbes through the medium of flies. That is why it is advisable to avoid eating outside/street food during the rainy season. Instead, eat Home-cooked food.
- Avoid eating food in the open space:
Eating food in an open space increases the risk of it getting contaminated with flies and the disease-causing microbes it carries.Thus, it is advisable to eat food inside an enclosed area where the chances of contamination with flies are less.
- Take adequate intake of Vitamin C in diet:
Vitamin C is necessary to boost our immunity. Since the chances of infections are high during the monsoon season, it is advisable to increase vitamin C in the regular diet.
