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Summer is a time to relax and have fun, but if you do not take precautions, you can easily catch seasonal diseases in summer. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has recently predicted that it will be a warmer summer this year due to the EL Nino condition, which is expected to last until May. As a result, the number of heatwave days will increase, making the summer season more uncomfortable due to the scorching heat.
The rising temperatures can affect your skin, eyes, digestion, and entire body. In this blog, we'll explore the most common diseases in the summer season that may affect you during the hot weather and share some easy tips to help you stay healthy and enjoy the season to the fullest.
Common Diseases in Summer
Here is a list of some common seasonal diseases in summer and tips to prevent these diseases.
1. Heat Stroke
Also known as hyperthermia, it is one of the most common summer illnesses. Exposure to sun and heat for an extended period leads to heat stroke. Its symptoms include dizziness, headache, and weakness. If not treated timely, these symptoms can result in unconsciousness, organ failure or, in the worst case, loss of life.
Tips to prevent: Avoid going out in the sun as much as possible. If you have to go out, cover your head, wear light-coloured comfortable cotton clothes, and drink plenty of water or healthy summer drinks before going out, like aam panna, bel sharbat, shikanji, khus sharbat, etc.
2. Dehydration
Excessive sweating in summer can cause electrolyte imbalance in the body due to mineral and fluid loss. If enough fluids are not consumed to compensate for this loss, it may result in dehydration.
Tips to prevent: Avoid consuming alcohol, sugary drinks or caffeine. If you are feeling weak or dehydrated, drink an electrolyte-rich drink such as Electral to help replenish your body's lost fluids.
3. Food Poisoning
Food Poisoning is another common sickness in summer caused by consuming contaminated food. During summer, food gets spoiled easily due to bacteria growth in high temperatures. Undercooked food, unhygienic sources, unfiltered water, or food kept without refrigeration can lead to food poisoning.
Tips to prevent: Avoid eating food from unhygienic places, consume fresh food and avoid meat, eggs or fried foods. Eat food that is light on your stomach.
4. Measles and Chickenpox
Measles and chickenpox are also common summer viruses. High fever, watery eyes, and sore throat are common symptoms of measles. High-grade fever, blisters, itchy skin, headache, and loss of appetite characterise chickenpox.
Tips to prevent: The best way to prevent chickenpox and measles is to get vaccinated and stay away from an infected person.
5. Mumps
Mumps is an infectious viral disease common in children. If an infected child coughs or sneezes, they can pass the virus to anyone nearby. In this disease, the gland near the ear is swollen causing pain, fever, and difficulty swallowing.
Tips to prevent: MMR vaccine is the only way to prevent mumps.
6. Typhoid
It is a water-borne disease that causes high fever, fatigue, weakness, headache and loss of appetite. Typhoid is one of the most common diseases in summer caused by poor sanitation and consumption of contaminated water.
Tips to prevent: The disease can be prevented by practising hygiene, drinking filtered water, getting a typhoid vaccine.
7. Eye Infections
Irritation in the eyes, allergies, and sore eyes or conjunctivitis are common diseases in summer that cause red and watery eyes with discharge, swelling, and a pricking sensation.
Tips to prevent: Wear sunglasses when going out, stay hydrated, don’t touch your eyes, do not share personal-use items, and maintain hygiene to prevent any kind of eye infections.
8. Flu
Flu is quite common at the onset of summer when the weather is changing. It is primarily an allergic reaction to the pollens in the weather when the body’s immunity is weak. It causes cough, congestion in the nose, watery eyes, fatigue and fever.
Tips to prevent: Wear a mask to reduce exposure to pollens, get seasonal flu shots and develop strong immunity with a healthy lifestyle.
9. Headaches
Prolonged exposure to the sun and high temperatures causes headaches, which are common during summer. Even dehydration can cause headaches. There can be many reasons for headaches during summers, like excessive humidity, intense sunlight, and abrupt temperature changes.
Tips to prevent: Drink plenty of fluids, maintain a suitable diet,including fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, moderate exercise, wear sunglasses, and cover your head when going out in the sun.
10. Skin Problems
Summer heat is harsh on the skin and can cause skin diseases in summer. Some common skin problems in summer include acne, yeast infections, contact dermatitis, rashes and eczema or fungal infections.
Tips to prevent: The best way to deal with these common skin diseases in summer is to keep your skin clean, dry, and covered. To treat fungal skin infection in summer, use an antifungal cream and consult a dermatologist for permanent treatment.
>> Also Read: Diseases Covered under Health Insurance Policy
Conclusion
The summer season can bring various health issues due to high temperatures and dry weather.Taking precautions and following the prevention tips mentioned above is advisable to stay safe against common diseases in the summer. However, it's equally important to be prepared for any emergency. That's why Care Health Insurance offers a range of health insurance plans that cover not only hospital stays but also OPD expenses and diagnostic tests. This can help you deal with any sickness that may arise during summer.
Disclaimers: All plan features, benefits, coverage, and claims underwriting are subject to policy terms and conditions. Kindly refer to the brochure, sales prospectus, and policy documents carefully.
