Monsoon and your health: Keeping allergies, infections, indigestion at bay

New Delhi: Come monsoon and your chances of falling ill increase with the rains and sudden drop in temperatures.

Although the rainy season is nothing short of a blessing in disguise, providing the much needed relief from the scorching heat of the summer, monsoon showers can leave you with an infection, an allergy, or problems with digestion.

The fact is that allergies turn worse in or after rains, which according to allergists is completely normal. Asthmatics need to be more careful during this time of the year because allergens, such as pollens, molds, fungi, pet dander and dust act as a major triggering factors, which can aggravate the attack of asthma.

It's not just allergies which cause havoc on people's health during monsoon. There are a host of skin and eye infections that occur during the rainy season. Many people catch the infamous conjunctivitis during monsoon while others battle against rashes and itching, mainly, resulting from moist conditions, wet clothes, and other factors that contribute towards the spread of infections.

Perhaps, monsoon season being the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes sees a steep rise in the number of vector-borne diseases, including, dengue fever, chikungunya and malaria. This season is also well-known for water-borne diseases, like diarrhea, typhoid, and cholera.

But you can take steps to keep these monsoon-related health problems at bay. These include -

• Eating fresh, healthy, warm food while avoiding food from outside.
• Drinking plenty of fluids and boiled water
• Avoiding or limiting intake of fried, oily food that slows down digestive health.
• Taking medicines regularly - asthma patients should not skip even a single dose of medication directed by the doctor.
• Maintaining a good hygiene, such as, washing hands before eating and after using the bathroom, etc.

Follow these guidelines to avoid infections and have a safe healthy, monsoon!