Stay Healthy And Well Amid The Rainy Season

Everyone is urged to be always ready for the rainy season, especially when more viruses and bacteria are present. WILD diseases, which refer to Water and foodborne illnesses, Influenza, Leptospirosis, and Dengue increased during this time. Thankfully, we can stay protected by just following a few easy, and even affordable tips from RHEA Generics.

Eat green leafy vegetables for maximum immunity

One of the studies in Nature Communications shows that during the rainy season or colder months, our immune system is at an increased risk of being compromised. Scientists’ research from Yale University explains that there are many reasons behind this and one of the most common ones is due to the cold air affecting our nose’s first line of defense wherein cracks in the mucus membrane form, thus allowing infections to enter our body more easily. To minimize the risk of infection, the Department of Health’s (DOH) National Nutrition Council recommends eating vegetables that are rich in micronutrients such as vitamins C and D, zinc, and iron, which are essential in powering our immune system.

Drink plenty of water

Although the rainy season seems like a perfect excuse to skip drinking water because of the cold weather, experts say you shouldn’t. The cold can still lead to dehydration due to sweating and added urine production and we don’t even realize it. This could be troublesome when water is important in flushing out toxins that can contribute to us becoming sick. For women, the Institute of Medicine in the United States recommends drinking 2.7 liters of water and then 3.7 liters for men.

Avoid walking in flooded areas

For the past 10 years, the Philippine Statistics Authority reports that at least 14 Filipinos die every day from water-borne diseases. Leptospirosis, typhoid fever, and cholera are just a few of the most common ones we can get through contaminated flood waters. To prevent catching these deadly diseases, the DOH reminds us to avoid walking in flooded areas or at least wear protective clothing or footwear like raincoats and boots. If unavoidable, wash your legs and feet with soap as soon as you can. This is especially important for people that have open wounds or lacerations on the lower parts of their body since these increase the chances of infection.

Take the necessary medicines to recover quickly

From the official report of DOH, the rainy season is the perfect breeding ground for communicable diseases. Although we can stay healthy by eating vegetables, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding the rain altogether, our bodies still require an added layer of defense. According to research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, one of the best ways to do so is to strengthen ourselves by taking vitamins and medicine, which are essential in helping our cells produce more antioxidants and antibodies.

But in case you do catch a rainy-day illness and it worsens, you should consult your doctor immediately to receive proper medication. There are generic medicines that can help cure bacterial infections or clear obstructed airways caused by respiratory illnesses common this season. As for overall body pains, ease them with pain relievers. There are more medicines available to choose from but other options are not as affordable.

In 2019 alone, the Philippines was found to have the second-most expensive drugs in all of Southeast Asia and was even accompanied by a 13.7% price increase according to the Mercer Marsh Benefits report and during the pandemic, it became much worse. The ongoing rainy season poses a great ordeal for many Filipinos.

Fortunately, some medications do not have to cost an arm and a leg. Generic medicine is a great alternative to branded medicine, and in the Philippines, we have RHEA Generics, a homegrown brand with over 40 years of experience in producing quality and affordable medicine.

Unibranded medicine is just the same as branded medicine but is way cheaper because they are only marketed under one brand. In RHEA Generics’ case, they are partnered with some of the world’s best pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Sanofi, GSK, Otsuka, Merck, Fresenius Kabi, AstraZeneca, OEP, Lundbeck and Boehringer Ingelheim, so you can guarantee yourselves that their products are truly world-class.