THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Summer’s around the corner and already heat-related diseases have started to show up in the district. Recently, chickenpox cases were reported from two engineering colleges in the city.
The College of Engineering, Trivandrum, (CET) has been closed for a fortnight after 19 cases of chickenpox were reported amongst students, especially those staying in the hostel. Two weeks ago, Sree Chitra Tirunal College of Engineering at Pappanamcode was closed after around 30 students got afflicted with chickenpox. The district administration has already issued an alert against an outbreak of chickenpox.
Apart from chicken pox, a lot of people are approaching hospitals seeking treatment for conjunctivitis. The district, as well as the taluk hospitals, have reported an increase in the number of those seeking treatment for eye ailments.
Meanwhile, the district health officers said they are taking all measures to prevent an outbreak of summer related diseases. The Public Health Centres, Community Health Centres, taluk and district hospitals are being fully equipped against an outbreak of an epidemic, sources said. In the coming days, the sources said ward, panchayat and block level monitoring committees will hold discussions to evaluate the situation. Campaigns on using safe water for consumption, hygiene and cleanliness will be conducted as part of the awareness campaign, they said.
Moreover, the camps where the migrant labourers live will also be monitored. They will be made aware of the infectious diseases and precautions that have to be taken. A general warning has been issued to the public to ensure their surroundings are kept clean and mosquitoes are not allowed to breed. People have been asked to seek treatment as early as possible if sick.
Maintaining personal hygiene, eating balanced meals, hand washing, drinking more water and fruit juices and keeping their living environment clean are some of the measures that have to be taken during the summer season, the health officials said.
Diseases that rear their heads in summer
Chickenpox
The number of chickenpox cases may increase during summer. To combat an outbreak, it is imperative people consume a lot of water and fruits with high liquid content.
Diarrhea
Diced fruits, cold beverages and ice sticks sold on the streets would be tempting. They may bring down the body temperature but the risk of diarrhea is high. Eating contaminated food and unsafe drinking habits can lead to diarrhea. To keep away from contracting this disease, make sure you drink water only after boiling it and wash vegetables thoroughly before using it.
Dehydration
Another common issue related to heat. Drinking more water, consuming natural coolants like cucumber, watermelon and drinking tender coconut water and lime juice with salt is the best to make up for loss of sodium and potassium due to excessive sweating.
Eye infections
Summer always brings in eye infections. Eye irritation, allergy, conjunctivitis are some of the common diseases seen during the summer season. Frequently, wash the eyes and face with clean water.
Food poisoning
The leading cause of food poisoning is consumption of contaminated food or water. It spreads by bacteria, viruses, toxins, and chemicals which, post entering the human body, cause the onset of stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea or vomiting. Raw meat, food sold in the open by roadside vendors, and contaminated water are common carriers of disease causing microbes.
Heat Stroke
If on a hot summer day, you experience headache, drying of skin, cramps, weakness, vomit, increased heart rate, or shallow breathing, it’s quite possible you’re suffering from a heat stroke. The very first sign of heat stroke is dizziness which is usually followed by a bunch of other conditions such as nausea, seizures, etc. But when it turns severe, it usually leads to a condition of coma. To prevent heat stroke, doctors advise that one must overdo with clothes, which typically traps the body heat inside and causes problems. Additionally, staying in cooler areas helps avoid heat stroke conditions.
Sunburns
Exposure to the sun for longer durations is not healthy for humans or animals due to penetration of UV rays in the body. People who encounter lower levels of melanin formation are even prone to skin cancer as it causes melanoma.
Skin rashes
During summers, skin rash is a common skin problem amid children and adults. This typically happens when an individual sweats too much. The sweat accumulates in the clothes and constant rubbing or wearing the sweat laden clothes for a prolonged period causes itchiness and further leads to rash. Skin reddening, dryness, irritation are the visible signs of skin rash.
Jaundice
Jaundice is a common water-borne disease. It can be a result of Hepatitis A and is mainly caused due the consumption of contaminated food and water. Jaundice THAT spreads due to Hepatitis A is transmitted by the feces-oral route.
Typhoid
One of the common diseases in summer is typhoid. Through the oral-fecal route it is passed on to the healthy individuals. It is also known as typhoid fever it is a water- borne disease. It spreads when the Salmonella typhi bacteria pass through the oral-fecal route. The contaminated food and water sources become the breeding ground for the bacteria leads to the outbreak when consumed.
Mumps
Of all summer diseases mumps is another extremely contagious viral disease. As a summer diseases in India it occurs mainly in children during peak summer time. It is contagious in nature and gets transmitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
The reason for disease outbreak
The primary reason behind the outbreak of diseases in summer is the presence of favourable weather conditions for bacteria, virus and other parasites to breed
Prevention of diseases