Post Monsoon New Set of Health Woes: Doctors at Columbia Asia Hospital, Ahmedabad Report Rise in Viral, Bacterial Infections
Ahmedabad: 18th August, 2017: The monsoon season brings in a much-needed relief from the scorching hot summer months, but it is also a time when diseases such as dengue, malaria, conjunctivitis, allergies, gastrointestinal infections and other bacterial and fungal infestations report a rise.
More than twenty patients have been reportedly diagnosed positive with H1N1 virus. With more patients in Ahmedabad increasingly reporting a spurt in infections, doctors at Columbia Asia Hospital, Ahmedabad are advising people to adopt preventive measures.
Dr Himanshu Parmar, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Columbia Asia Hospital, Ahmedabad says, “It is just a few days into monsoon and we are already receiving an increasing number of patients (40-50 patients a day) reporting gastrointestinal, respiratory, acute febrile illness as well as eye infections. Poor sanitation, contamination of food and water become more prominent during the season. “Flu vaccination is the single best way to prevent spread. But the protection may vary widely from one person to another. Physicians treating patients of suspected swine flu must be inclined to start tamiflu from day one, without waiting for the test results, for B-category patients – high risk ones, and C-category – moderately and severely affected flu patients (high grade fever, breathlessness, drop in BP, chest pain, blood in sputum). “A-category patients with mild fever and cold can be monitored for 24 hours and then treatment should be started.
Patients suffering from flu like symptoms must avoid going in public places, must cover nose and mouth while coughing and sneezing, everyone must practice frequent hand wash before touching their face, nose and mouth. Don’t shake hands but greet with Namaste. Stay alert and aware, stay safe.”
The best way to prevent from being infected is to have a good knowledge about the cause and spread of the diseases that are common during the monsoon. As only then, you can chalk out the measures to prevent yourself from these diseases. Let’s take a look at the prevalent diseases:
Dengue, malaria, chikunguniya – Dengue and chikungunya are acute viral infections transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The common symptoms of the diseases are fever; sever body aches, joint pain and rash. Both are viral infection. Aedes mosquito breeds in clean water (artificial water-filled container habitats).
Malaria is caused by female Anopheles mosquito that breeds in the fresh- or salt-water marshes, mangrove swamps, rice fields, grassy ditches, the edges of streams and rivers, and small, temporary rain pools. Malaria is characterized by symptoms such as high fever at regular intervals with shivering, muscle pain, headache and weakness. All the three diseases discussed above can be prevented by preventing mosquito breeding, keeping the surroundings clean and dry; wearing full length clothes; using coils and repellants even during the daytime to keep mosquitoes at bay.
Diarrhea and cholera – Spread by contaminated consumption of foods and water and both spread due to poor hygienic conditions. Increased frequency of watery stools leading to dehydration is the hall mark of diarrhea & Cholera. Adequate intake of fluids with ORS is the key to prevent dehydration & renal failure which may follow loose stools. After every loose stool one should take at least 300 ml of ORS solution. If one is not able to take fluids then one should report to hospital. Both the diseases can be prevented by staying alert on the hygiene quotient.
Typhoid and Jaundice and Gastroenteritis – Spread due to consumption of contaminated water or food, Typhoid incidence increases during monsoon. Poor sanitation and lack of hygiene favors the growth of typhoid bacteria other viruses which cause infection of liver (Hepatitis). High grade fever, sever headache, weakness, pain are common symptoms of typhoid, while symptoms like sever weakness, decreased appetite ,yellow urine and eyes, vomiting and liver dysfunction indicates Jaundice. Avoiding consumption of street-side food or water and drinking lots of healthy fluid can help avoid Typhoid & Jaundice both. If symptoms arise prompt medical consultation can prevent many complications.
After all monsoons is not that gloomy, one can and should enjoy rains albeit with precautions as mentioned above. Have a pleasant and disease free Monsoon.
