HEALTH HAZARDS DURING THE MONSOON
SEASON
The monsoon has started and we welcome the change in temperature.
However what we don't know is that the rains not only
bring on the much needed water but also a whole host of
health problems. The number of flies and mosquitoes suddenly
seem to increase all around and in the house. In order
to protect ourselves from these health hazards we need
to know what are the dangers and how they can be prevented.
There are number of diseases which seem to surface during
the monsoon season. We constantly hear of the deadly diseases
like Malaria, Typhoid, Cholera, Leptospirosis etc…These
diseases need to be treated immediately with the appropriate
treatment supported by symptomatic homoeopathic remedies.
Protect yourself and your children from these diseases
by taking the correct precautions like making them wear
long pants and long sleeve T-shirts. Keep your society
clean and make sure the gutters are cleaned by the Municipality
before the rains begin. Collection of dirty water outside
your house is very dangerous as it allows the mosquitoes
to breed.
But in this article we will deal with the common problems
like monsoon cold and cough and other water borne diseases.
During the Monsoon season you need to be
extremely careful about the water you drink because maximum
illnesses are caused by water. You must boil the water
for atleast 20 minutes and store it in a bottle or stainless
steel jug. Also protect your child by making him or her
carry their own bottle from home and avoid drinking the
school water. Do not eat things made of water outside
like chutneys, pani-puri, juices and raw salads. There
is a definitely risk of getting Jaundice and other terrible
gastro-intestinal infections.
Keep your child warm and covered at all
times. Make them wear special monsoon shoes and raincoats
in order to protect them from getting wet. If at all they
do get wet, dry the head immediately preferably with a
hair dryer and change all their clothes. This way you
will not only be preventing them from getting colds and
coughs but also other fungal infections. Avoid sending
your child swimming during this season.
HOMOEOPATHIC TREATMENT
In Homoeopathy there are a number of remedies
especially suited to problems during the monsoon season.
Here are a few drugs used commonly in our practice to
combat monsoon colds and coughs along with other problems.
DULCAMARA
Those hot, cloudy and suffocating days at
the onset of the monsoon give rise to attacks of cold.
One shower brings on an attack of sneezing. The nose feels
completely "stuffed up". You want to keep a
hand or a handkerchief around the nose because the cold
air irritates the nasal passage. Nose gets blocked with
thick yellow mucus and profuse nasal discharge when the
weather becomes cold due to rains. When the attack is
severe then even yellowish catarrh comes out from the
eyes. Feels feverish towards evening with icy cold feet
and hands.
Dulcamara is also very effective in relieving
joint pains, which appear during this weather. Here the
patient feels as if the limb is paralysed and cold. There
is stiffness across the neck and shoulders after getting
wet.
Give Dulcamara 200C, 5 pills every few hours
to get rid of these problems.
RHUS TOX :
Here the cold sets in immediately on getting
wet or sitting on wet ground or getting the feet wet.
The tip of the nose gets red sore and ulcerated. Head
feels very heavy, pain starts from forehead and then settles
in back of head. Eyes burn and become red with profuse
discharge. Mild fever is associated with chill, body ache
and restlessness. Body ache is worse on lying down, therefore
get up and start walking up and down.
Rhustox is also used commonly to treat joint
and bone pains, which arise during the monsoon season.
The patient may complain of sciatic pain, which seems
to get worse in the damp weather. There is lot of stiffness
on waking in the morning or after sitting for a long time.
The patient feels better after walking or moving about.
Rhus Tox 200, should be given depending
upon the severity and symptoms of the case.
NATRUM SULPH -
Natrum sulph is one the most used biochemic
remedies especially during the monsoon season. Here the
nose is full of thick yellowish mucus. The patient will
complaint of a heavy head and feels as if the thick yellow
mucus is dropping from posterior nares to the mouth. Along
with cold there is bad cough with rattling of mucus in
chest. Natrum sulph is also very handy in treating cases
of asthma during this weather.
Natrum Sulph 200, 5 pills four times a day
will help.
This article has been written in order to
make people aware of the health hazards during the monsoon
season. Always remember to protect yourself and your children
by taking the basic precautions mentioned above. However
do not self-medicate if unwell, please visit your physician
before taking any medication.
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