Seasonal diseases in India and Tips For Health

Changing seasons bring in plenty of changes with them affecting our biological ecosystems such as life on land, air and marine habitats while also impacting the environment we live in and become progenitors of seasonal ailments and diseases. It is also a phenomenon that applies vice-versa as we are aware how global warming affects seasons leading to temperature variations, disrupting biological ecosystems, detrimentally impacting the seasonal cycle prevalent in India which causes many illnesses. A very recent example being the El-Nino effect in 2024 following an excessive surge in heat waves across the country as predicted by the Indian Meteorological Department leading to a spike in eye conditions, skin allergies and digestion issues.

Seasonal Diseases in India

Highlighted below are some of commonly observed seasonally occurring health ailments and conditions:

• Summer: The season brings health ailments and sickness owing to scorching temperatures which causes prolific growth of microbes and germs. Food and water borne illnesses like typhoid, measles, mumps, rubella, heat stroke, dehydration, cholera, jaundice, eye infections, skin allergies like heat rashes, sun burns, boils etc are frequently reported during summers
• Monsoon: Rainy season is the breeding ground for parasites like mosquitoes and its variants causing plethora of water borne diseases for eg. malaria, dengue, chikungunya fever, fungal infections like keratitis, flu, dehydration, gastroenteritis (dysentery-like condition), typhoid etc 
• Winter: Cough, sore throat, nose, lung congestion, asthma, bronchitis, fever, joint pain, flu-like symptoms etc are mostly seen in low, chilling temperature conditions

General Health Tips For All Seasons

Mainly, we observe 5 varied seasons in India namely- spring, summer, monsoon,  autumn and winters. Some popular age-old medically researched and tested methods to prevent seasonal sickness and health illnesses are enumerated below:

• Basic Hygiene: Washing hands before and after meals and frequently during the course of the day to ward off germs from contaminating food; proper disposal of garbage and sewage waste from home; treatment of water-logging in and around the house are found helpful during monsoon
• Mosquito Treatment: To prevent the parasites from harbouring your residential premises, necessary steps should be taken such as usage of mosquito nets, repellent creams and lotions
• Healthy Diet: ‘Our food defines us’, the adage has started resonating more often in contemporary times due to sedentary lifestyles and hectic work timings impacting our diet, immunity, holistic health and mental wellbeing. Therefore, a rich, nutritious diet synchronous with the seasonal fruits and vegetables becomes an essential factor in maintaining an overall health
• Water Intake: To protect one’s body from the outlash of dehydration during summers, it’s necessary to drink optimal quantity of water, and opting for healthier options of fluid replenishment with coconut water, fresh fruit juices and fruit sherbets 
• Sun Protection: While most of us appreciate the benefits of sunbathing on our bones and joints, it is always advisable to shield the delicate skin from the scorching UV rays by applying sunscreen lotions and wearing protective clothes to avoid skin allergies
• Yoga, Aerobics & Meditation: Lastly but most importantly, stress reduction plays a pivotal role in managing lifestyle borne health conditions. Yoga and meditation have a profound beneficial impact especially because as per medical research, certain seasons are found to be associated with a surge in depressive, melancholic tendencies like autumn and winter    

How To Boost Immunity

Following are few of the easiest quick tips that enhance your body’s immunity with a robust immune defence:

• Nutritious Diet: A well rounded, holistic diet enriched with fresh seasonal fruits and green leafy vegetables; antioxidants rich food; nuts and herbs that help in fighting off free radicals strengthen one’s immune system 
• Body Mobilisation: Simple body exercises, swimming, riding a bicycle/bike, joining yoga and meditation workshops, playing a sport of one’s choice, brisk walking etc are just a few activities that physically and mentally rev up your whole body and stimulate immune function too 
• Adequate Sleep: Optimal amount of sleep to relax your brain and body is much necessary for smooth functioning of the immune system. Sufficient rest of near about 7-8 hours is prescribed by physicians to unwind at bed time 
• Kicking Substance Abuse: Adopting healthy, addiction and substance free habits into the lifestyle will do an immense favour in boosting the immunity of your body so get on the roll to quit smoking, nicotine, alcohol and other types of substance addiction

Health Insurance And Seasonal Diseases

Enlisted below are some of the insurance market’s most sought-after health insurance plans curated to cover the medical expenses borne by an insured on various vector-borne illnesses that typically include malaria, dengue, chikungunya fever, kala-azar, gastroenteritis, zika-virus, Lyme disease, Japanese encephalitis and many more: 

• Care Health Insurance Plan: A family floater health plan that caters to the individual insured along with spouse and children at affordable premiums to cover for vector-borne ailments
• Future Generali Vector Care Policy: It is also a family floater health policy that offers medical coverage for the insured customer, his spouse, upto 3 children and 2 dependent parents under the sum insured which ranges from Rs 10000 to Rs 75000
• Aditya Birla Vector Borne Treatment: This policy offers medical cover upto Rs 30000 on hospitalisation in malaria, dengue at a premium amount of Rs 508
• Shri Vector Care Insurance: Minimum age to become eligible for insurance is 91 days to 65 years and the sum insured varies from Rs 10000 to Rs 75000. The policy is offered on individual as well family floater basis
• SBI General Insurance: It is an individual health insurance plan that offers lump sum medical coverage on the listed vector-borne diseases for the individual sum insured. Entry age for children is 1 day-25 years while for adults it’s 18-65 years          

FAQs

Ques 1. What is vector-borne disease insurance?

Ans. Health insurance plans that cater to offer financial cover against illnesses occurring due to infection by mosquitoes, fleas, ticks etc. Common examples include malaria, dengue, chikungunya fever, kala-azar, gastroenteritis, zika-virus etc 

Ques 2. What are the ways to prevent vector-borne illnesses?

Ans. Generally, protective outfits covering limbs and extremities; proper sanitation and maintaining adequate hygiene; using insect/mosquito repellent lotions and mesh nets; to avoid commuting to places infested with vector-borne diseases 

Ques 3. In case my health insurance plan is expiring before a season like monsoon, shall I wait until monsoon to renew the same? 

Ans. Any insured customer should remain covered at all times therefore, it’s best suggested to avail the policy renewal in order to avoid risking yourself medically and financially amidst unexpected medical crisis once the policy expires