Gastroenteritis

Washing hands properly is very important as most of the communicable diseases are spread through them.

 

The first rain drops bring with them a joy and a renewed hope for the year to come even as they make one forget the searing heat of summer gone through. It is also a time when a host of communicable diseases make their presence felt. Monsoon is an id eal time for such diseases to spread through contaminated water, contaminated food or the disease carried from the infected to the healthier ones through vectors such as mosquitoes, flies. Cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid, para-typhoid, salmonellas, hepatitis, giardiasis and helminthic diseases are the usual names heard during this phase.

It is a time when the risk is usually with children who are less than six years of age and elderly whose immunity is either compromised due to a chronic disease or due to age per se too. Bacteria and viruses are the usual causes of the illnesses referred to above and are carried from the infected persons to others if proper hygiene is not maintained. Such diseases tend to effect the gastro intestinal tract more than any other organs. They can cause abdominal discomfort, pain, nausea and vomiting, loose motions, fever and thereby dehydration. If the infective agent is a virus the course of illness could be severe but short while a bacterial illness could cause a little prolonged illness and sometimes with complications too. Jaundice can be caused by the various hepatitis viruses. Helminthic diseases like giardiasis are usual too. Typhoid is associated with high fever which obstinately refuses to come down while the fever in malaria carried by a vector is intermittent with chills etc.

It is imperative to prevent these diseases to start with rather than working on dousing the fire when the symptoms have started. Washing hands properly while cooking food, eating and other ablutions of the day is very important as most of the communicable diseases are spread through the hands. Drinking water should be boiled, cooled and filtered through the first four weeks of the rainy season when the bacteria and viruses incidence is high. Food needs to be sterilised properly and should not be left in the open, lest the houseflies become the carriers for diseases such as typhoid. Fruits and vegetables need to be properly cleaned and peeled before eating or cooking. Stews, salads, raw vegetables are to be avoided during monsoon as the uncooked foods can contain various disease agents. Roadside stalls dishing out food like fast foods and ice cream are sure no-no even as one needs to be more careful with foods at social gatherings etc. In case dehydration has already set in due to any of these ailments, oral rehydrating solution in the form of clean water, clean salt and generous amount of sugar should be given. Fever needs to be reduced swiftly in diseases like malaria, typhoid. Homoeopathic medicine has good remedies to see that the prevalence of the diseases come down in number and also swiftly help the affected recover from them. Arsenic alb, Nux vomica are probably a couple of remedies most suited to any such diseases when the food borne ailments hold sway causing abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and loose motions. If the rich food is the culprit, Pulsatilla helps and if overeating is the cause, Antim crud helps. Chamomilla is indicated if there are green loose stool s while Ipecac is thought about when nausea and vomiting are predominant. Cinchona would help rehydration process to improve while Baptisia has been found to help when diseases like typhoid trouble. Natrum mur has been found to help get rid of malarial episodes.

 

The treatment is better at the hands of your homoeopath and the above details are for prevention and primary care knowledge.