The summer season is upon us. For many (children especially) it means ice bars, cold drinks, ice creams, vacations and a very hot atmosphere. Combine it with pollution, and one can certainly estimate the number of infectious and viral diseases which can lead to severe problems for kids as well as adults. Infact, being a physician, I am advising all my patients to protect themselves to prevent any occurrence of infectious problems this season.

For example, only last week a mother brought her child who had a viral infection which led to fever and running nose. The cause was not washing the hands before eating dinner. I gave them medication and also some advice on how to prevent infections.

The tips are mentioned in the following lines:

1. The first thing to be done is to wash one’s hands frequently which would keep one out of any infections and viruses. Also, it flushes out the bacteria which have made contact with us like keys, toiletries, doorknobs and other unknown harmful places. Liquid soaps and water should be used a lot and alcohol and hand sanitizer could be used in places with no comfort rooms.
2. Another important prevention is to avoid sick people. I know it might sound rude but it certainly is much better than staying in bed after getting affected. Also, with the increasing humidity, the chances of getting infections from others are high. A mask can be worn when visiting people in hospital which prevents transmission of virus.
3. One should be considerate to others when sneezing or coughing. Infact, disposable tissues should be used when sneezing/coughing. Many people sneeze in their hands which lead to transmission of virus to all places that they touch. This can be avoided by sanitizing the hands after sneezing.
4. One might be close to his/her siblings or parents but sharing of personal stuff like drinking glass, towel, eating utensils should be avoided (particularly in case of an infection). Sharing stuff can lead to sharing the infection as well.
5. The last is to avoid any physical contact with other people when one is sick as physical interaction can transmit the sickness.