How to protect your child from monsoon illness

Monsoon weather is very pleasant and is the perfect time to eat pakodas and drink tea. It gives you a very homey feeling but it is also a time when our kids start getting sick. The change in environment from the hot grueling summer to the pleasant cool monsoon wind brings changes not only in our mood but also increases the risk of getting infected.

COVID-19 is still a threat, so it is important to maintain good health and protect yourself from the wave and other diseases that lie in the windy monsoon months. People with compromised immune systems like senior citizens and those who are more exposed to viruses i.e. children, are at a higher risk of getting infected.

Monsoon brings with it multiple diseases that can affect adults but mostly children and senior citizens. The climatic change can affect people with a compromised immune system. Few pathogens are transmitted during the monsoon season that increases the risk of getting infected. Here are some diseases and how you can protect yourself from them:

It is one of the most common monsoon mosquito-borne diseases including malaria and chikungunya. This disease is accompanied by high fever, rashes, headache, muscle pain and other discomforts. Therefore, it is important to protect yourself and your kids from these diseases. You can apply mosquito repellent on your child and make sure that they wear full sleeves so that they cannot be bitten by mosquitos.

This is another disease that is most common during the monsoon season. It is caused due to contaminated water and food. It causes fever, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and other symptoms. There are a lot of diseases that can be transferred due to contaminated water like hepatitis, diarrhoea and worm infestations. You can protect your child by taking numerous preventions like:

• Drink purified water
• Eat clean food
• Avoid street foods
• Wash your hands before and after eating

These are caused due to the moisture that is present in the environment. Your family can get these fungal infections by skin-to-skin contact and poor hygiene. You can prevent these diseases by taking a few measures like:

• Maintaining good hygiene
• Keep your hands, legs, foot, underarms free of moisture
• Avoid sharing towels and hygiene products

This is the most common disease that we see as soon as the monsoon rolls around. It is accompanied by other symptoms like fatigue, fever and body ache. It is a contagious disease and can easily spread from one person to another. Some preventative measures that you can take are:

• Wash hands frequently
• Avoid using common hygiene products
• Cover your mouth while sneezing and coughing
• Drink a lot of liquids

Some tips that should be followed by everyone to maintain good hygiene and protect themselves from these monsoon blues are:

• Wear full-sleeved clothes while going out to protect them from mosquito bites and other skin diseases
• Maintain a well balanced diet and eat healthy food
• Avoid eating street foods and junk food
• Drink clean water and fluids to stay hydrated
• Ask them to wash their hands frequently to get rid of any viruses
• Do not share hygiene products
• Wear a mask if you are not feeling well so that you can protect other people
• Maintain proper hygiene routines
• Wash your hands before you start making food
• Cover your food if it is not being consumed