Words: Dr Pravas PAL
Ah, it is monsoon time, yet again. The pouring rain, the moist, ‘earthy’ smell of grass, and nature’s bounty in full bloom, or that dainty freshness in the air. Yes, the song of monsoon usually whirrs like a quiet, yet active bird, deep in the heart of July, August and September.
As the noted English writer G K Chesterton wrote in purple prose, “When it rains, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.” This also celebrates the monsoon. Yet, the big point is one ought to remember the fact that without good hygiene, health, hair and skin care, monsoons would be dull and gloomy.
Monsoon Effect
Monsoon exults the rain dance — and, the transformation of seasons. On the flipside though, the rainy spell heightens a range of illnesses, which one can, of course, prevent, or treat, with appropriate homeopathic remedies, under the guidance of a professional homeopathic physician.
First things, first. Your belly can ‘go on fire’ during monsoon.
Amoebiasis — which is perennial all through the year — is just as common during monsoon as getting wet in the rain. The disorder is caused by contaminated food, or water. The primary symptoms are diarrhoea and/or dysentery, sometimes mixed with blood and mucous.
The homeopathic remedy, Aloe socotrina, is often helpful in treating amoebic diarrhoea. For amoebic dysentery, with hot, foul-smelling stools, cutting pains, and continuous straining, even after passing stools, Mercurius corrosivus could be a useful remedy.
When it rains, it stains. Can there be a more annoying ‘stain’ on your health than gastroenteritis during monsoon?
Gastroenteritis relates to bacterial, or viral, infection of the gastrointestinal tract. The primary symptoms are tummy ache, diarrhoea, and vomiting. This can lead to loss of body fluids and dehydration. Children are more vulnerable than grown-up adults to such shortfalls; they need prompt medical attention. For gastroenteritis with profuse, watery, greenish-coloured diarrhoea, containing undigested food, along with nausea, Ipecacuanha may be a useful remedy.
Leptospirosis is yet another bacterial infection most feared during the rains. This is caused by bacteria spread through water contaminated by rat’s urine and faeces. Symptoms include fever, headache, chills, nausea, vomiting, muscular and bony aches. When not appropriately treated, the condition can lead to jaundice and liver damage.
A group of researchers performed what probably represents one of the largest studies in homeopathic prophylaxis [preventative treatment] of an epidemic in modern medical history. They intervened in the dangerous leptospirosis epidemic in Cuba. They gave preventative oral homeopathic treatment to two million Cuban citizens at high risk in a leptospirosis epidemic in 2007.
They found that there was a significant decrease in the incidence of the illness in the group which received the preventative homeopathic remedy. The researchers concluded that the administration of the homeopathic leptospirosis prophylactic was associated with a large reduction in disease incidence. This resulted in controlling the epidemic. Their results also emphasised the fact that homeopathy could be a practical, feasible tool for the control of epidemics, especially in the developing world where one cannot manufacture enough preventative vaccines. Other advantages for the homeopathic prophylactic would include quick manufacturing time and low cost.
Self-Help
- Keep yourself well-hydrated. Maintain electrolyte balance
- Diarrhoea is often self-limiting, but one can’t, or should not, take chances with it
- Consult your homeopathic doctor and seek their advice when diarrhoea, especially in children, doesn’t improve within 24 hours, or when it is accompanied by severe pain, vomiting, high temperature, etc.
Other Illnesses
The sound of cloudburst signals nature’s rain dance. When the monsoon song unravels its refreshing element fully, interlaced with downpour, it brings welcome respite from the sweltering heat of summer. Yet, it often heralds a variety of illnesses waiting to happen, if one does not take good care of one’s health.
The following maladies are common monsoon concerns — so, take care and make sure to seek professional homeopathic treatment at the drop of a sniffle, or allergy. The idea is to stamp the spark before it flares up and turns into a health concern that robs you of your monsoon happiness.
The reason is simple: an ounce of prevention is always better than a pound of ‘cure.’
Cold, cough and flu are common health problems during monsoon. The following homeopathic remedies are often handy.
- Allium cepa. Helps to treat allergies accompanied by sneezing, coughing, and itching of nose
- Gelsemium sempervirens. Is useful in flu with body ache, sneezing, runny nose and headache, more so when one feels exhausted, or tired
- Rhus toxicodendron. Helps to treat colds, coughs, and fever states brought on after getting wet in the rain.
Respiratory allergies are dime-a-dozen during the monsoon season. This is primarily because of fluctuation in temperature, not to speak of sogginess, poor hygiene and/or sanitation. The common symptoms are a runny nose, sneezing spells, and throat infection.
When your allergies are a result of dampness, Natrum sulphuricum is a handy homeopathic remedy. Arsenicum album is useful for allergic respiratory conditions, in the presence of hay fever [nasal allergy].
Most people, who have a known predisposition to allergies, are prone to present with symptoms of allergic asthma. This is often triggered by dampness — the inevitable ‘spin-off’ of monsoon. The complaint can, at times, be severe in intensity and frequency.
Don’t forget dust mites, or mould, that annoy your airway and cause allergies too — aside from breathlessness. A study conducted in England showed that 80 per cent of asthmatic individuals taking homeopathic treatment had improved outcomes and tangible health benefits.
Let not monsoon play truant with your health and well-being. Make the best use of homeopathy, a holistic system of medicine, in consultation with a professional homeopathic physician, to boost your immune function — your ‘best natural ammo’ to beating monsoon ‘blues.’
Self-Help: For A Healthy Monsoon
- Consume adequate water, a diet with high fibre content, and additional vitamin C, zinc and vitamin D3
- Do steam inhalation, using plain, boiled [hot] water, but with caution
- Use saline nasal drops to relieve congestion
- Regular use of green tea has been found to be beneficial in individuals who are prone to ‘catching’ colds and allergies during monsoon
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap, or regular hand wash, before and after eating food
- Wear clean and dry clothes. Go for blended, or pure, cotton fabrics during monsoon. Keep an extra pair of clothes and footwear in office/workplace
- Eat light, wholesome food; avoid spicy, oily, junk, or fried foods to the best extent possible, because your body is highly vulnerable to infection during monsoon
- Drinking water should be filtered, or boiled
- Wash and cook vegetables well and steam them well too to kill germs residing in them
- For diabetics, one needs to take extra care of their feet during monsoon, because the ground below one’s feet is an ‘open invitation’ for all types of germs; also, injuries
- For asthmatics, one ought to take especial care during monsoon. Make sure there is no accumulation, or seepage of water, around your residence. Good hygienic surroundings hold the key to keeping mould, a common trigger for asthma, at bay.
Hair & Skin Care
Most of us love to get wet in the rain. It is fun too. But, it can also spoil our enjoyment, or cause commotion. It can also rob your skin, your beauty emblem, of its gloss, not to speak of undermining the most ideal makeover into a dampened disaster. Constant care is, therefore, as much required, like any other time of the year. In simple terms, it makes sense to keep your skin glowing and your hair lustrous during monsoon.
Have you noticed how your skin tends to wrinkle, shrink, and develop blemishes, during rains? Take care — just follow the fundamental rule of cleansing, toning and moisturising your skin, because when the skin pores clog, the resultant effect is often the much-dreaded acne [pimples], fungal infection and/or allergies.
The homeopathic remedy, Silicea terra is useful in treating acne. Chrysarobic acid can help to treat generalised fungal infections, while Mercurius solubilis is useful for fungal infection in the groin — a common monsoon malady. Fungal infections of the nails and in-between the toes are also just as common during monsoons; so, keep them clean and dry.
Avoid heavy make-up. Use water-resistant skin products, during the rainy season.
Dandruff and hair fall are common culprits in the rainy season. You may think it is futile to set, style, and reinvent your hairstyle, during rains. This is not a good idea. It certainly makes sense to avoid that flat, damp, or frizzy look, during the season.
Conditioning and sporting a ponytail are good initiatives, because hair tangles easily during the wet season. Use a scarf to guard your hair from the wind and hostile damp conditions. Oiling and washing your hair, at least thrice a week, with tepid water is imperative.
Use a mild shampoo rather than ‘soapy’ shampoos — the latter can dry and roughen your hair. ‘Mollycoddle’ yourself with a relaxing therapeutic, revitalising hair massage. It can rejuvenate damp hair roots and ‘jazz-up’ your hair.
- Dry your hair with thin towels
- Avoid getting wet as humidity can damage your hair and lead to hair loss
- If you get drenched in the rain, wash your hair with a mild, organic shampoo, and follow it up with a conditioner — to keep the scalp free of germs
- If you have dandruff, use a mild, natural anti-dandruff [containing the homeopathic Thuja occidentalis] shampoo.
Note: The homeopathic remedy, Calcarea sulphuricum is useful for scaly, dry dandruff. Kali sulphuricum is, likewise, handy for sticky yellow dandruff. Speak to a homeopathic physician for appropriate dosages.
Important. Do not self-treat. Consult a professional homeopathic physician for the best, long-term treatment outcomes.
Dr PRAVAS PAL, BHMS, MD [Hom], is Professor & Head, Department of Pharmacy, JIMS Homeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Hyderabad, India.
[This article was first published July 31, 2022]
