This monsoon, prepare to fight cough and flu

The arrival of monsoon marks with it the onset of plethora of diseases. The fluctuating temperatures and dampness in the air makes it a perfect breeding ground for disease causing microbes. Other factors like pollutants, sudden change in temperature and weak immunity makes people highly susceptible to contracting viral diseases.

While malaria, dengue, jaundice, are typically associated with the onset of monsoons, experts, however, witness an alarming rise in persistent cough, infecting most people at least once during the season.

An episode of cough that lasts for more than a couple of weeks, starts affecting an individual’s quality of life. Most often, coughing episodes aggravate during the night, making it difficult for a person to get a good night’s sleep. This leads to a vicious cycle of physical and psychological disturbances leading to symptoms like fatigue, headache, dizziness, sweating, chest pain and incontinence.

According to Dr PS Shankar, Emeritus Professor, RGUHS, “During the monsoon season, we experience a significant rise in footfall of patients with cough lasting over three-weeks, which tends to transform into dry cough. As physicians, it is crucial for us to prescribe the most beneficial therapy.

Cough suppressants are ideal treatment options to provide relief from dry cough. Codeine is one such suppressant which is quite effective and considered a gold standard for the treatment of dry cough because of its clinically proven efficacy.”

Infections during the monsoon usually start with cold, dry cough and tonsillitis, which gradually spreads to the rest of the body. The number of viral fever cases, including upper airway infection accompanied with cough and cold are constantly on the rise.

The symptoms of cough and cold develop gradually. Headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, bouts of coughing and sneezing, fatigue, fever, muscle ache, watery eyes and loss of appetite are the key signs to look out for.

Experts explain that a common cold usually lasts for about a week. But during the monsoon season the chances of a recurring cough are very high. “I have quite a few patients who come back with complaints of an incessant cough.

While the fever and cold might have cleared, the cough continues to persist. A healthy diet, adequate fluid intake and a regular exercise regime is highly recommended to build one’s immune-system to fight common infections,” added Dr Shankar.

A recent survey published in the Journal of The Associations of Physicians of India, conducted with 500 physicians across India, highlighted the prevailing practices for the management of dry cough in India. 80.6 per cent of the physicians said their patients complained of disturbed sleep, while 52.2 per cent highlighted absence from work because of a continuous dry cough.

It does not bode well to ignore a chronic cough. If it prolongs for more than three weeks this monsoon, it is advisable to immediately get the required medical attention. Avoid self-medication with antibiotics.