Top 5 common monsoon illnesses which you should be aware of

Posted By Suborna Fermi Posted on Aug 12, 2023

Most of us enjoy the monsoon because of the pleasant weather and rainy scenery. It gives us temporary relief from the hot summer season, and we all are well aware of its effectiveness on agriculture. However, despite its benefits, there are also several drawbacks of the rainy season.

Monsoon is the prime time when most of the waterborne and mosquito-borne diseases tend to increase. We all know the good things about the rainy season, but do you know about the illnesses that might affect you or your children in this season? So, here we will explain the most common monsoon illnesses.

• The common cold: The sudden change in the weather increases the chance of getting a common cold and flu. Both common cold and flu cause the same types of symptoms, such as headache, cough, sneezing, sore throat and body pain. However, the symptoms of flu can be severe in comparison to the symptoms of the common cold. If you are having a high degree fever and breathing difficulties, then do consult your doctor immediately.
• Viral fever: Viral Fever mainly occurs due to a viral infection, and it is the most common illness during the rainy season. The symptoms of viral fever can be perplexing because they are similar to those of the flu or a cold. The common symptoms of a viral fever may include general fatigue, irritability, runny nose, sore throat, coughing, sneezing and body ache. This type of fever generally goes aways within a few days, however, if the symptoms get more severe then do consult with your doctor.
• Typhoid: Typhoid is extremely common during the monsoon. This type of illness mainly spreads through contaminated water and foods. Salmonella typhi bacteria is responsible for typhoid. The common symptoms of this bacterial infection includes high grade fever, stomach ache, headache, diarrhea and constipation. Typhoid fever can be very fatal, so if you suspect that you might have typhoid then visit your doctor immediately.
• Malaria: Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease which increases especially at this time of the year. Plasmodium parasite spreads through the bite of infected female anopheles mosquitoes, which causes malaria. The symptoms of malaria may include high fever, nausea, headache, rapid breathing, stomach pain, diarrhea, muscle and joint pain. Malaria symptoms can be very severe, seek medical attention if severity occurs.
• Dengue: Similar to malaria, Dengue fever is transmitted through mosquito bites which can be life-threatening and require hospitalization. High fever, nausea, rashes, headache, rash, vomiting, joint pain are the common symptoms of this mosquito-borne disease that may last for around 5-7 days. Most people generally get better within a week.

Although viral infections in the monsoon are very common, malaria, dengue and typhoid can be very deadly. And without proper treatment, it may lead to death. Therefore, visit your doctor if you begin to see symptoms that may refer to viral infections.