Monsoon marks the end of sweltering, dry and hot season. Monsoon is the time when you go cham-cham in the rains; eat garam bhujiyas and adrak wali chai (drink ginger tea) and show of your photography skills. It is the season when we love to get wet and feel every drop falling on our body. And, of course, the children love getting out in the rain and play football in the puddles.
But the sudden change from a dry climate to a wet one also reduces the immunity of our, body making us vulnerable to many diseases which are commonly associated with this season. As a result of which there are many myths that are floating around for this season. So let's separate the myth from the science.
- Get wet in the rain and you will catch a cold
This must have happened to you so the myth is not entirely false. But there is something more to it. You catch a cold not because you get wet (let's face it, you get wet every morning when talking a bath), but because you get exposed to the cold virus while playing in the mud caused from rain. There are more than 100 viruses which can result in a cold, and they can live weeks in the cold damp substance. Also, some theories suggest that being in the rain for extended periods of time can drop your body temperature leading to weakened immune system. This can also make you more susceptible to cold viruses.
- Eat outside in monsoon and you can fall sick
This sadly is true. If you like street food, the rainy season isn't the time to indulge. The water pollution coupled with the unhygienic environmental factors makes monsoons the best breeding season for bacteria and germs. It's best to steer clear of eating street food during monsoons. Stick to freshly cooked, home-made food and make sure you wash the vegetables thoroughly. You can even store cooked food in the fridge, heat it before eating.
- Ginger tea is good during monsoon
Delightfully, this myth is very true. Ginger is the best known warming spice and is especially beneficial in monsoon when the outside temperatures are very low. Ginger also has antiseptic properties and anti-inflammatory properties, and is very effective in various respiratory problems such as cold, cough, flu and asthma. To add a bit of sweetness, you can add honey to your tea. Honey helps protect against cough because of the soothing effect it has on the throat.
- You should not swim during monsoons
The dirty water from the pool deck can get mixed with the swimming pool water making it a bacteria breeding ground. When you swim in this contaminated water, you become more susceptible to catching a bacterial infection on account of the water entering your mouth. Also, the local beaches becomes polluted owing to overflow of sewage drainage and, therefore, they are probably not very healthy option for swimming as well.
- If you get wet in the rains, take a cold shower to avoid fever
This myth is partially true. But it is not necessary that you should take a cold shower. You can take a hot shower as well. The primary reason behind the shower is to get rid of all the dirt that sticks to your body when you get wet in the rains.
- One should not have fish in monsoons
This is not true. The primary reason why this myth originated was because in the monsoon season the fishermen avoid going out in the deep sea. So a majority of the stock comes from the frozen fish which is not fresh. But if you have access to fresh fish, don't worry and indulge.
- Sitting in an air-conditioned room after getting wet gives you high fever
Again No! It is not the air-conditioner's fault. It is because of the sudden decrease in temperature coupled with drop in your body temperature as moisture evaporates that causes your immunity to decline. This may or may not give you high fever. But this has nothing to do with the air conditioning. Make sure you dry yourself properly using a towel before sitting under the fan or AC. However, sitting in an AC room can increase the likelihood of you catching a cold because of the closed environment which is ideal for the contagious cold virus to spread.
Have a healthy and safe monsoon!
