It is that time of the year again, after managing to survive the burning heat and humidity of summer, the monsoon season has begun.

The word monsoon originates from the Arabic word mausum, which is translated into season. It occurs throughout the Indian subcontinent and is known for its strong winds and heavy rainfall.

There is no doubt that the monsoons are essential for farming and being self sufficient when it comes to growing food but like everything else there are some ways in which the monsoon can have an adverse effect on our health in the form of diseases and illnesses that are life threatening if we are not careful.

Here are some ways we need to be ready for the monsoons:

1. While it is natural to be happy and celebrate when the rains come after having to tolerate the extreme heat of summer, it is not advisable to get soaking wet and overdoing the celebration which will only make you sick and increase the risk of fever and pneumonia.
2. Be prepared to fight the menace of mosquitoes with mosquito nets and repellant. Stagnant water found on roads and drainage system lead to the spread of these deadly insects that bring many diseases like malaria, dengue etc. with them that are harmful and dangerous to our wellbeing.
3. When traveling outdoors, be prepared for the rains depending upon your preferences by carrying an umbrella, wearing a raincoat and waterproof shoes that help to protect your body from the sudden change in temperature, keeping you dry, comfortable and being able to move freely without fear of getting sick.
4. Following basic hygiene like washing your hands before and after meals helps to keep a check on the disease causing germs that are found during the monsoon season.
5. We all love to eat street food but unfortunately it is not a good idea to eat such food during the monsoon season as this type of food is prepared in unclean surroundings and you are putting yourself at risk of getting diseases and illnesses that are life threatening.
6. Be careful when drinking water during the monsoons, it helps to boil the water before drinking and avoid drinking tap water because this could cause diseases that are spread by water.
7. While indoors, there maybe dampness of the walls due to the continuous rains that can cause electrical short circuit, we need to make sure that there is a proper circuit breaker to prevent the electric wires from burning out and causing a fire to take place.
8. While traveling by road during the monsoons, we must be extra careful because the roads are slippery and speeding and driving rashly increases the chances of skidding and meeting with an accident. It helps to drive with presence of mind and caution and avoid trying to overtake other vehicles if we value our lives.

The monsoons are unpredictable, despite the advances in technology weather forecasting does not predict the coming of the rains accurately, it is something that continues to be beyond our control, the best we can do is be prepared and take the necessary precautions that will help us to survive the heavy rains in good health.