Dont pop pills for weather borne ills

If you are suffering from acute gastro-enteritis/diarrohea, jaundice, malaria or even dengue you are not to be blamed. Neither is your level of hygiene or cleanliness should be questioned. The entire blame for your ills goes to the weather.

The inconsistent weather sees a rise in OPD and casualty patients in June and July. In June alone there were 15 malaria and 12 dengue cases reported in a hospital in Pune and also were tested positive for the same. The primary reason for  increase in such cases is the damp cloudy weather alternating with warm spells on sunny days.

The constant change in weather has also triggered bronchial asthma cases and aggravation of joint pains in arthritis cases also finds its cause in the same. Diarhea and amoebic dysentery have increased foot falls in clinics too as food and water remain far from clean and contamination  generally drives  patients to  OPDs dehydrated with low blood pressures and in a hypovolumia state.

Cases of running noses, body ache and chest congestion add to the misery as the occasional showers coupled with damp cloudy weather make it difficult for  body to cope with changing environmental conditions. Skin rashes and allergies  also erupt as people get wet on their way to work and cannot tidy up neatly thus leaving polluted drain water on the skin surface allowing  fungi to grow and also leading to rashes.

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

Basic Do's and Don'ts:-

u Drink Boiled water as most diarrhea causing organisms are killed in the process.

• Keep a high level of personal hygiene and cleanliness.
• Avoid interacting with people suffering from cold or fever.
• Avoid eating out especially from hawkers.
• Keep your body warm as organisms are more active  when your body resistance is low.
• Do not enter or reside in air conditioned rooms with wet hair or damp clothes.
• Wash fruits and vegetables before consuming. Steaming them is preferable.
• Most importantly when not well do not pop a pill on your own. Consulting a doctor is your best bet.