Doctors' dos and don'ts for combating seasonal diseases

 HYDERABAD: With the rainy season setting in, doctors have sounded caution against the return of a number of seasonal diseases. In fact, patients have been making hospital rounds for over a month now with illnesses triggered by rains that hit the city last month.

KIMS Hospital head of medicine department Dr Shiva Raju K., speaking to Deccan Chronicle, said, “There seems to be an outbreak of dengue before the season, as many dengue patients are coming to our out-patient and in-patient departments.”

Dr Raju said that in case of vector-borne diseases, preventive measures as well as immunity build-up could make for effective remedies. Towards this, he said that flu vaccination was the best option apart from keeping one’s surroundings clean.

Dr Monalisa Sahu, consultant, infectious diseases, said that leptospirosis was another cause of concern, especially in areas where there is heavy water-logging. She emphasised that as they were mostly preventable diseases, early detection is important.

“If a person experiences fever that persists for more than two days, it is advisable to consult a doctor. Self-medication and overlooking the symptoms can cause serious health complications”, cautioned Dr Sahu.

Precautionary measures such as clearing water-logging and water storage in open areas and gardens in homes, mosquito nets on windows, wearing full-sleeves clothing and using mosquito repellents for vector borne were all important, she said.

Other precautions include flu vaccination, avoiding street food, clean and hygienic drinking water storage, hand hygiene, eating a healthy and protein-rich diet were all suggested by many doctors.

They added that those infected with flu and other viral infections have to wear masks as they were infectious.

• Water-borne diseases include leptospirosis, acute gastroenteritis, typhoid, diarrhoea and jaundice as well as malaria and dengue, which are spread by mosquitoes, apart from the seasonal flu.
• The common symptoms for most of the diseases are fever, body ache, throat infection, cough, weakness, joint pains, headache and nausea.
• Doctors point out that school children and senior citizens are more at risk for viral infections.