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Monsoon season is a time when we are more susceptible to diseases. Several medical authorities think so, too. Along with the romance of a wet breeze, the rains wash in several diseases. In addition to the usual illnesses, chikungunya, a viral infection, has surfaced to catch the attention of doctors.
Dr. Jehangir Sorabjee recommends:
?The specific facilities required to test for chikungunya are not available in any commercial laboratory in Mumbai,? informed Dr. Jehangir Sorabjee. The symptoms of chikungunya are high fever, body aches and rashes. During the monsoon, people face attacks from three different quarters: unclean water, mosquitoes and flooding.
?The intake of contaminated water leads to typhoid, cholera, hepatitis and gastroentitis. Every home must have clean water supply. One must be careful when eating out and go only to those places where the quality of food is dependable. Uncooked fruits and salads, at least outside, should be avoided, as should anything partially cooked. Water consumed should be boiled.?
?This is the mosquito breeding season and so it is very necessary to prevent water from pooling up in places. Besides the constant use of sprays, nets, coils and repellents there is not much one can do to avoid bites.?
?Leptospirosis is caused when rat urine, present in waters flooding the streets seeps in through broken skin. Vomiting, jaundice, body ache and sometimes even kidney failure are the results. Those who live in flood-prone areas should best avoid stepping out in such a situation.?
?There is no cure other than antibiotics, and sometimes even that does not help. We have had suspected cases of chikungunya but due to lack of facilities we have not been able to diagnose accurately. But I would like to point out that those patients got better.?
Dr. Suhash Phopale recommends:
Dr. Suhash Phopale says that the diseases most common in the monsoons are diarrhoea and dysentery.
?Incidents of malaria also increase, of course, but the incidents of chikungunya are most confounding. The disease is caused by a different family of mosquitoes altogether, and till now that breed was never found in India! It is serious in certain pockets of the state and I predict that it will become as common as malaria very soon.?
He said that the only course of prevention is to avoid mosquito bites. ?Water-borne diseases like typhoid, cholera, hepatitis, etc, are best prevented by boiling the water used for drinking and cooking. Aquaguard water is good but it has to be serviced more than usual if the purity is to be maintained.?
Dr. Porus Kapadia recommends:
Dr. Porus Kapadia, who runs an independent clinic at Byculla, feels that malaria rules when it comes to monsoon diseases.
?It is very difficult to prevent a mosquito bite,? he admits. ?The pattern of malarial symptoms has also changed. Initially, the symptoms were high fever and fits of shivering. Now this is accompanied even by loose motions and a mild stomach ache. Basically, whenever a fever is not accompanied by a cold or a cough, we temporarily treat it as malaria.?
?Chikungunya symptoms are similar to those of the flu, but it is a self-limiting disease. It lasts for about two-five days and leaves even without treatment. I have heard that there are pockets that are severely affected by the virus, but so far, there has been no test for the disease in Mumbai. Right now, it is not as threatening as malaria or dysentery, so nobody is paying too much attention to it. It is the duty of the government medical authorities to keep a check on new developments and to introduce new facilities to cope with them.?
?Early diagnosis in leptospirosis is very important. What sets it apart from other diseases is the reddening of the eyes within three-four days after infection. The disease can be contained.?
?Dengue is a dangerous illness. It?s most notable symptom is break-bone fever: joint aches, muscle aches accompanied by a high temperature, but the small percentage of people who contract dengue haemorrhage fever is at a higher risk. It causes one to bleed suddenly from anywhere, be it internal or external. It prevents the blood from clotting and the patient may bleed to death.?
?Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are the only solutions.?
The authorities have spoken. It?s time to arm yourself with galoshes, Baygon and a bottle of pure water
Monsoon season is a time when we are more susceptible to diseases. Several medical authorities think so, too. Along with the romance of a wet breeze, the rains wash in several diseases. In addition to the usual illnesses, chikungunya, a viral infection, has surfaced to catch the attention of doctors.
Dr. Jehangir Sorabjee recommends:
?The specific facilities required to test for chikungunya are not available in any commercial laboratory in Mumbai,? informed Dr. Jehangir Sorabjee. The symptoms of chikungunya are high fever, body aches and rashes. During the monsoon, people face attacks from three different quarters: unclean water, mosquitoes and flooding.
?The intake of contaminated water leads to typhoid, cholera, hepatitis and gastroentitis. Every home must have clean water supply. One must be careful when eating out and go only to those places where the quality of food is dependable. Uncooked fruits and salads, at least outside, should be avoided, as should anything partially cooked. Water consumed should be boiled.?
?This is the mosquito breeding season and so it is very necessary to prevent water from pooling up in places. Besides the constant use of sprays, nets, coils and repellents there is not much one can do to avoid bites.?
?Leptospirosis is caused when rat urine, present in waters flooding the streets seeps in through broken skin. Vomiting, jaundice, body ache and sometimes even kidney failure are the results. Those who live in flood-prone areas should best avoid stepping out in such a situation.?
?There is no cure other than antibiotics, and sometimes even that does not help. We have had suspected cases of chikungunya but due to lack of facilities we have not been able to diagnose accurately. But I would like to point out that those patients got better.?
Dr. Suhash Phopale recommends:
Dr. Suhash Phopale says that the diseases most common in the monsoons are diarrhoea and dysentery.
?Incidents of malaria also increase, of course, but the incidents of chikungunya are most confounding. The disease is caused by a different family of mosquitoes altogether, and till now that breed was never found in India! It is serious in certain pockets of the state and I predict that it will become as common as malaria very soon.?
He said that the only course of prevention is to avoid mosquito bites. ?Water-borne diseases like typhoid, cholera, hepatitis, etc, are best prevented by boiling the water used for drinking and cooking. Aquaguard water is good but it has to be serviced more than usual if the purity is to be maintained.?
Dr. Porus Kapadia recommends:
Dr. Porus Kapadia, who runs an independent clinic at Byculla, feels that malaria rules when it comes to monsoon diseases.
?It is very difficult to prevent a mosquito bite,? he admits. ?The pattern of malarial symptoms has also changed. Initially, the symptoms were high fever and fits of shivering. Now this is accompanied even by loose motions and a mild stomach ache. Basically, whenever a fever is not accompanied by a cold or a cough, we temporarily treat it as malaria.?
?Chikungunya symptoms are similar to those of the flu, but it is a self-limiting disease. It lasts for about two-five days and leaves even without treatment. I have heard that there are pockets that are severely affected by the virus, but so far, there has been no test for the disease in Mumbai. Right now, it is not as threatening as malaria or dysentery, so nobody is paying too much attention to it. It is the duty of the government medical authorities to keep a check on new developments and to introduce new facilities to cope with them.?
?Early diagnosis in leptospirosis is very important. What sets it apart from other diseases is the reddening of the eyes within three-four days after infection. The disease can be contained.?
?Dengue is a dangerous illness. It?s most notable symptom is break-bone fever: joint aches, muscle aches accompanied by a high temperature, but the small percentage of people who contract dengue haemorrhage fever is at a higher risk. It causes one to bleed suddenly from anywhere, be it internal or external. It prevents the blood from clotting and the patient may bleed to death.?
?Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are the only solutions.?
The authorities have spoken. It?s time to arm yourself with galoshes, Baygon and a bottle of pure water
