General Health

How to Stay Healthy During the Rainy Season

To keep yourself and your loved ones safe against these conditions during the wet months, here are a few preventive steps you can take.

Medically Inspected by: Loreta D. Dayco, MD, Edilberto B. Garcia, Jr., MD, and Maria Christina H. Ventura, MD

The wet season signals the start of colder, rainy weather and or even flooding. With all the changes in the weather, we usually see a spike in the prevalence of certain conditions too. In the Philippines, we have to be careful for a handful of rainy season illnesses such as water-borne diseases, dengue, influenza, and leptospirosis.

To keep yourself and your loved ones safe against these conditions during the wet months, here are a few preventive steps you can take.

Practice proper and frequent handwashing.

One of the best ways to stay healthy is to practice proper hand washing frequently and consistently. Contrary to popular belief, the rain itself does not make one sick. Rather, what can make a person sick are viruses that are more likely to spread during cooler weather. One example is the rhinovirus that causes the common cold spread with ease in lower temperatures. Influenza viruses, which cause the flu, thrive in cold and dry air.

To help fight against these infectious agents, proper hand hygiene is essential. Proper handwashing involves scrubbing your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, then thoroughly rinsing them. If you are not able to wash your hands with soap and water, opt to use hand sanitizers containing at least 60 percent alcohol solution.

Avoid wading through flooded areas.

One of the common rainy-day sicknesses to watch out for is leptospirosis. Leptospirosis-causing bacteria comes from the urine of infected animals, and can funnel into floodwater or mud due to heavy rains. Direct contact of an open wound, a scratch, or dry areas of the skin with floodwater or infected mud exposes you to the risk of catching leptospirosis. Infection can also happen when infected water enters the nose, mouth, or genitals. Symptoms to watch out for are high fever, chills, headache, muscle ache, vomiting, or diarrhea.

If you are commuting during a particularly rainy day, bring a pair of rain boots to change into and avoid unnecessarily wading through flooded areas.

Keep your flu shots updated.

Being vaccinated against the influenza virus is one of the best ways to protect yourself from contracting it. It is advisable for individuals aged at least six months old to receive a yearly dose of the flu shot. Contact your physician and schedule your next vaccination to keep your records updated and yourself protected.

Use mosquito repellent.

Another common rainy-season disease is dengue caused by a virus transmitted through the bite of the Aedes mosquito species, so it is important to observe necessary precautions. One easy way to do this is by using mosquito repellent. You may opt for ready-made repellents sold in stores or for natural options such as citronella, lavender, or lemon eucalyptus oil.

Take multivitamins to boost your immunity.

One thing that can help you stay healthy during the rainy season is ensuring your immune system is working well to help fend off sickness. Aside from eating the right types and quantities of food, supplementing your diet with multivitamins may help you reach the amount of nutrients you need to stay healthy. In particular, vitamin supplements that contain Vitamin C or Zinc are ideal in boosting one’s immune system as they are both known to effectively fight against infection.

General disclaimer

Your doctor will always be in the best position to give the appropriate medical advice for your condition. For suspected undesirable drug reaction, seek medical attention immediately and report to the FDA at www.fda.gov.ph and UNILAB, Inc. at 8-UNILAB-1 or productsafety@unilab.com.ph. Always buy your medicine from your trusted drugstores and retailers.

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