With summers, ailments are back

ALLAHABAD:Summer season has arrived. Afternoons have become hot with unrelenting heat andunbearable sun. Since summers also bring along a number of ailments, doctorsrecommend various precautions.Dr D K Tripathi, chief medicalsuperintendent (CMS), Tej Bahadur Sapru Hospital here recommends protectionagainst two most common maladies during summer season -- dehydration/diarrhoeaand heat stroke. "Simple changes in lifestyle can ward off these two, whichappear small but can become life-threatening if not attended to properly. Weneed to be careful with our food and water intake," he says. Hestresses on the need to drink plenty of water and home made refreshers like aamka panna, bel ka sherbet, lassi, lemon juice etc. ���These drinks providethe required minerals to the body and makes it resistant to heat strokes,���he adds. It is prescribed to eat fresh and simple vegetarian foodprepared at home. Stale and spicy fried foods should be avoided. "These foodsare an open invitation to diseases," says Dr Deepak Aggarwal, a child specialisthere. "If we boil water for half an hour and then sieve it, we kill 98% ofbacteria responsible for numerous water borne diseases during summers. Also,boiled water should be stored in a clean utensil with proper covering to save itfrom dust, mosquitoes, flies and contamination," he adds.Parentsshould be especially careful about their children. They should be discouragedfrom going out in afternoon and asked to refrain from cold drinks and junk food.Instead, they should be given home-made refreshers which aid in growth andbuilding body resistance, says Renu Goenka, a mother of twochildren.Summers witness an increase in water borne diseases likejaundice and typhoid and others which include measles and chicken pox.Clothing should also suit the weather. Avoid synthetic clothes. Wearcotton clothes as they allow skin to breathe. Whenever moving out in the noon,always cover your head with a cap or an umbrella and protect your eyes withsunglasses. Doctors also advise keeping the surroundings clean andnot letting water stagnate in coolers etc. This leads to mosquito breeding.Sleep inside a mosquito net and also wear full sleeved clothes when movingoutdoor at night, informs Dr Taneja. "Summer season is here and hence it is hightime we gear ourselves accordingly and enjoy the season," he addssmilingly.