10 #monsoon mistakes you should avoid this #season

Everyone loves the rains, the cool and cosy environment that follows after the hot, humid summers. However, the monsoon is also a season of various ailments, infections, seasonal cold and flu. Most of which happens because we become careless about our health and end up paying dearly for them by using all our sick leaves. Here are 10 common monsoon mistakes that everybody makes and which you need to avoid.

Not being armed for the season: During monsoons it is unwise to walk out of your house without an umbrella, raincoat or other rainy gears. If it is sunny in the morning, it might not be dry throughout the day. Getting drenched in the rains can make you prone to seasonal flu and cold that can make you bed-ridden for days together. If you stay in a city, which is densely populated with high pollution rates, there could be chances that you might experience acid rains that’s going to harm your skin as well. So be prepared.

Eating fried foods: A hot plate of pakora and bhajiyas with a cup of chai is the perfect combination during a monsoon evening right? Yes, only if you want to invite gastronomically complications and suffer from acidity. These monsoon comfort foods will cause bloating and can also lead to stomach upset.

Skipping exercise: Rains are the best excuse to skip gym and cuddle inside the blanket to watch back-to-back rom-com movies. However, this makes your body vulnerable to infections and allergies. Here’s how: The air contains more moisture and different strains of bacteria during the monsoon. The only way to get them out of your system is to sweat it out. If hitting the gym is not an option, go for a stroll in the park all covered up, and watch your step.

Drinking less water: You don’t feel thirsty often, and so you skip drinking enough water during monsoons. But that doesn’t help your body because the humidity leads to dehydration during monsoon. This will make you more lethargic and can also affect your immunity. So make it a point to drink at least four to five litres of water daily.

Oversleeping or sleeping less: There are two things that happen to us due to the drop in temperature and the coolness that sets in during monsoons – either we oversleep or sleep less. Both of which interfere with our circadian cycle and affect our health. It could lead to low immunity, indigestion and general fatigue. So make sure you don’t change your sleep routine too much because of the rains.

Being careless about personal hygiene: Personal hygiene is not limited to washing your hands before and after meals. It means cleaning your feet too with soap or an antibacterial solution in case you step into a puddle. Ignoring to cleaning your feet can lead to seasonal fever, infection or other monsoon-related ailments. Washing your feet with water is just not enough.

Eating a heavy meal: High humidity, even during monsoons leads to a dip in the metabolic rate giving rise to indigestion, acidity and other gastric problems. So avoid having a lavish butter chicken or chicken tandoori at night and keep it a simple affair.

Missing multivitamins: Not everyone needs multivitamins, but in case you are prescribed to take them don’t miss your pills, at least not during monsoons. You will need all those antioxidants to fight the bacterial strains in the atmosphere and stay healthy, especially your B complex tablets.

Ignoring signs of infection: Conjunctivitis and ear injections are way too common during monsoon both in children and adults alike. So don’t delay visiting a doctor if you notice the early signs like redness of the eye, ear pain, etc. If ignored they can turn to be dangerous and difficult to be treated despite medical attention.

Piling up the laundry: Your clothes don’t get dried soon and every time you go out you have more clothes added to the laundry basket. However, the monsoon is the time when you shouldn’t delay your laundry because the moist environment in your damp and wet clothes is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. This could be deadly for the elderly and for children because it could cause lung infections. So get your laundry done on time and don’t let it pile up.