After the long hot, scorching summer days, the first shower of monsoon brings a sigh of relief to each and everybody. The downpour quenches the thirst of the parching earth. With the onset of the season, both plants and animals, withered by the tremendous heat, enliven and come back to their full life. The sapless, pale-looking, dust-smitten trees regain their green and healthy look.

A day, especially if it is a holiday, when it’s raining cats and dogs outside, and you have no work to do, is an ideal day to spend it in an innovative way or to take a short afternoon nap under your blanket. The charm of such a cloudy day will remain unappreciated if I forget to mention an evening hot tea or coffee with some spicy snacks or a crumb of hot cake.

When we talk of monsoon a number of things come to our mind. Monsoon is associated with many things. It has a strong bond with music. The pitter patter sound of the rain droplets on the window pane makes us to dance and sing. Looking at the rain droplets hitting the ground, we cannot help remembering the song ‘singing in the rain’ from the movie Singing in the Rain where Gene Kelly has been shown dancing with the song while splashing through puddles during a storm. But too much of anything is destructive as well as cloying, so is to the rain. We appreciate raining till the climate becomes cool enough. But when it continues raining for several days and causes flood, we feel hell like and our trouble knows no bound. Suppose you are going to a party, all dressed up in your fineries and it starts raining heavily. How exactly do you feel? Oh! It’s quite mood dampening. It will ruin your party or somehow you manage to get outside, you will be completely drenched in the shower. But on the other hand, sufficient raining is important for a good harvest.

Monsoon is a season when extra care has to be taken to everything, be it our vehicles, our accessories or ourselves. Various diseases, accidents and ailments come trailing in monsoon. Monsoon is a bad time for the drivers for during this season the roads become accidents prone. So it is important to follow the traffic rules religiously while driving. People who are driving two-wheeler must be extra careful because such vehicles have a tendency to skid. Moreover, always turn on the headlights of your vehicle in dark or foggy condition, keep clean the wind screen of your car and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle before you. During this season, the corrosion of the body and the under-body of your car is a common phenomenon. So some extra care should be taken to prevent this.

Well, the above might not be a topic of concern for all of us because all of us did not have cars and so there is no question of driving them. But what might bother all of alike is the various diseases that monsoon brings with it. Diseases like diarrhea, dysentery, gastroenteritis or cholera-like symptom are quite common in this season. Vomiting, jaundice and typhoid from drinking contaminated water is also quite common. So boil your water before you drink. You should keep miles away from the street-side foods. Wash your grains and vegetables thoroughly in hot water. You also avoid drinking street fruit juices and salads. So a check in your food habit is the ‘mantra’ (magic words) of monsoon that would keep you in the pink of health.

Singing and dancing in the rain looks good only on-screen but for mortals like us, caught in the daily bustles of life, it is not the right thing to do. So avoid getting drenched into rain and always carry umbrella or raincoat before stepping out of the house. Some common ailments during this season are cough, cold and fever caused by the seasonal change. So it is wise to keep few medicines like paracetamol and cough syrup handy.

Except this our hair and skin also deserve special care. If you have been drenched in rain, shampoo your hair as soon as you get back home. As rainwater carries atmospheric pollutants, this will weaken your hair root and you will soon experience hair fall. You should also keep in mind that rainy season is the time for dandruff proliferation.

Our skin, both exposed and covered become vulnerable to infections, Fungal or bacterial infections, especially in the areas like groins or underarms, are common. Damp clothes and excessive perspiration make the situation worse. So wearing clean and dry clothes and bathing twice a day is a must thing during this season. The use of talcum powder must be avoided for they clog the pores of the body leading to infections.

Generally, the most neglected part of our body is our feet. But during this time of the year special attention should be given to this part. Wash your feet with lemon and hot water after you get back home. It is wise to wear front open shoes in rainy seasons to avert infections. Also use antiseptic creams or powder for better results.

Now let us talk about attire during this season. You should never wear damp and wet clothes for they proliferates germs. You always make sure that you wash, dry and iron your clothes before stacking them up in your wardrobe. Do not forget to spread some naphthalene to keep your clothes free from germs and insects.

Your electronic gadgets also need your attention in the monsoon. It is advisable to cover them well so that water must not sip.

As the season is ideal for the breeding of insects, keep your house, both inside and outside, clean. Do not forget to spray everyday insect repellents before the sunset and never allow water to become stagnant outside your house.