There are various diseases that lurk during the rainy season, especially during floods. Well, to be aware of it, you need to know first what are the common rainy season diseases. That way, you can take steps to prevent it.
Lack of exposure to sunlight and high humidity are one of the reasons why various diseases are rife during the rainy season, especially during floods. During a flood, various diseases can easily spread through the medium of water, especially if your environment has poor sanitation.
In addition, the lack of sunlight also makes the body vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency which functions to boost the immune system. As a result, the body is susceptible to disease.
Some Rainy Season Diseases Related to Floods
If your neighborhood is at risk of flooding, it would be better if you are always aware of the possibility of some rainy season diseases appearing. The following are some of the most common types of diseases that occur in the rainy season:
1. Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a disease caused by a bacterial infection Leptospira and is usually transmitted by animals, such as rats, cattle, dogs and pigs. The risk of getting infected with this disease will be higher, if you come into direct contact with streams or puddles that have been contaminated with urine from these animals.
Symptoms of leptospirosis generally resemble mild flu symptoms, such as:
- Shivering
- Headache
- Muscle ache
- Throw up
- skin rash
- Red eye
- Skin turns yellow
If left untreated, this infection can be life threatening. Severe infection with leptospirosis can cause bleeding in the body and organ failure, including the brain, kidneys, lungs, and liver. The severe form of this disease is known as Weil's disease.
2. Dengue fever (hemorrhagic fever)
This rainy season disease is known to commonly occur in the rainy season. Dengue fever or dengue fever is caused by the dengue virus which is transmitted through mosquito bites Aedes aegypti.
There are several symptoms of dengue fever that are often felt, including:
- High fever
- Nauseous
- Throw up
- Pain behind the eye
- skin rash
- Muscle and bone pain
If 24 hours after the fever goes down you actually experience a worsening of the condition, contact your doctor immediately for further treatment. Because in some cases, dengue fever can be dangerous and life-threatening if not treated immediately.
Severe dengue fever can cause bleeding, a sudden drop in blood pressure, and even death.
3. Diarrhea
The rainy season and floods also make many people vulnerable to diarrhea. This can be caused by poor sanitation or consumption of food that has been contaminated with germs, either from the air or flood water.
There are several symptoms of diarrhea that are often experienced by sufferers, namely:
- Stool becomes watery
- The frequency of bowel movements becomes more frequent
- Bloated
- stomach cramps
In cases of severe diarrhea, the sufferer will also experience fever, bloody stools, weight loss, and dehydration.
The three rainy season diseases above can attack anyone, especially if the sanitation system in your neighborhood is poor. Therefore, maintenance of the sanitation system is not only carried out during the rainy season, but regularly throughout the year. This of course can prevent various diseases of the rainy season due to flooding.
How to Prevent Rainy Season Diseases During Floods
The presence of floods during the rainy season is often unexpected and certainly not what you expect. Therefore, you must always be alert to take various preventive steps so that your body's health is maintained. The following are preventative steps you can take:
- Wash hands with soap and clean water for 20 seconds.
- Make sure the drinking water consumed is clean and sterile. If the drinking water comes from tap water or raw water, you can boil it before drinking.
- Wash all food ingredients with clean water before processing or consuming.
- Wash all clothes that have been contaminated with flood water with soap and clean water.
- Wash and dry all furniture in the house that is exposed to flood water.
- Immunize to prevent disease transmission due to flooding.
- Avoid mosquito bites during the rainy season by using mosquito repellent.
- Clean all places where mosquitoes can breed.
- Immediately clean the wound if it is exposed to flood water and apply an antibiotic ointment to prevent infection.
- Prevent children from playing in flooded areas.
By implementing some of the preventive measures above, you have made efforts to protect yourself from rainy season diseases when floods come. In addition, you should also keep the environment clean to prevent flooding and the development of disease.
If you experience symptoms that are suspected to be related to the rainy season diseases mentioned above, immediately consult a doctor for proper examination and treatment.
