Top 6 waterborne diseases that trouble India

With monsoon, come a number of waterborne diseases. These diseases spread more during floods through contaminated water and food. It's best to consult a doctor immediately if the symptoms appear severe.

Floods due to torrential rains, landslides, collapses of bridges and houses are common occurrences that claim several thousands of lives every year in different parts of India. Since over a week now, Kerala has been ravaged by floods. The death toll is 79 so far. The aftermath of these kind of floods is marked by the spread of waterborne diseases which are anyway very common during monsoons in the country. The spread of such diseases is rapid in such situations because of contact with flood water which is contaminated with sewage, carcases of dead animals and the urine and faeces of animals like rats. Food including fruits and vegetables, drinking water and even the air gets infected with bacteria and virus that cause these waterborne diseases. Here are some of the most common waterborne diseases you need to watch out for:

Dysentery: Also known as bloody diarrhoea, this condition leads to inflammation of the intestine due to microbial and parasitic infection. Contaminated water and food are responsible for the spread of dysentery. This is passed through the stool of infected persons.

Treatment: Doctors recommend antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medicines.

Natural remedies: Sonth or dried ginger powder can be added to warm water and is given to patients 2-3 times a day to control the motions. Dried ginger is used in Ayurveda to treat a number of health problems due to its potent healing properties.

Cholera: Spread through contaminated water and food, cholera is caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria. This causes watery diarrhoea. Vomiting, dehydration, mild fever, body ache, abdominal pain and cramps, lethargy and fatigue, headaches are some of the other common symptoms.

Treatment: Doctors recommend antibiotics, oral rehydration solutions or intravenous rehydration in serious cases.

Natural remedies: Ginger can help ease symptoms like diarrhoea and stomach cramps. Fenugreek seeds, turmeric, onion, cloves are known to alleviate the symptoms. Include lots of cucumber in the diet for effective natural hydration.

Typhoid: Caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi, typhoid is spread through contaminated water and unhygienic food. It is also called as enteric fever or typhoid fever. Headaches, diahorrea, fever, pain, fatigue and chills are commonly observed.

Treatment: Ciproflaxin or ceftriaxone antibiotics are prescribed to kill the bacteria.

Natural remedies: Garlic, lemon and basil leaves are recommended for the antimicrobial properties. Drinking coconut water and electrolyte water also helps the body deal with dehydration better.

Leptospirosis: Direct contact with the faeces and urine of infected animals like rats puts you at risk of leptospirosis. If you have cuts or abrasions and you wade through flood waters, you are most likely to get this. It is caused by the leptospira bacteria. You could also get infected if you drink water contaminated with this.

Treatment: Antibiotics are recommended by the doctors to treat the infection. Hospitalisation may be necessary in serious cases.

Natural remedies: Ginger and turmeric are known to boost the body's immune system to fight off the disease. These also have antibacterial properties. Include these in your diet daily till the symptoms go away.

Hepatitis A: It spreads by the faeco oral route and is transmitted through food and water contaminated with infected faeces or by foods prepared by an infected person. The Hepatitis A virus targets the liver causing over-production of bile. Yellow discolouration of the skin, mucous membranes and the whites of the eyes, light-coloured stools, dark-coloured urine are the common symptoms. Hepatitis A is also known as jaundice.

Treatment: Consult a doctor immediately. Keeping away from fatty food, alcohol and take in a well-balanced diet.

Natural remedies: Aloe vera, barley powder and bitter gourd are very effective in keeping the bilirubin count in control.

Amoebiasis: In amoebiasis, there is inflammation of the intestines that can cause cramps, loose motions and gas. This is caused by the parasitic organism called Entamoebahistolytica.

Treatment: Doctors recommend antibiotics after examining stool samples.

Natural remedies: The acidic content in bael leaves help treat the condition. Take an unripe bael fruit, roast it over fire, separate out the fruit pulp, add in a little sugar or honey to make it palatable and eat this two times every day. You may need to do this successively for a week or two for the symptoms to completely disappear. You can also extract the juice of apricot leaves, dilute with a little water and drink. Leaves of apricot bind the stools and this reduces the severity of the diarrhoea.

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