10 tips to boost your immune system, stay disease-free in monsoon

The monsoon brings with it fever and infections. Make these 10 lifestyle changes to ensure that you stay healthy and disease-free this season.

While the monsoon offers a respite from the heat of summer, it also brings with it lots of diseases. This is the time when some people will be suffering from cold, flu, malaria, typhoid, jaundice, and other diseases. Beauty and make-up expert Bhavya Sharma from UrbanClap.com, and Shivani Salil, health expert at Momspresso share tips to stay disease-free this monsoon:

Make sure you take a shower if you get wet in the rain to avoid falling sick in the monsoon.(Shutterstock)

* Keep your house clean: Your house should be clean and pest-free during the monsoon. Check for water clogging or leakage, especially in and around water coolers, ACs and the washing machine area (if you keep it in the balcony or open space). Replace any rusty or broken drain pipes as they can act as a breeding ground for pests. Get pest control done at home.

* Take a shower if you get wet in the rain: The shower will wash off any infection or germs that might have passed on to you. Also, avoid sitting in an air-conditioned room with wet clothes or hair so that you don’t fall sick.

Avoid unfiltered water from roadside dhabas and shops. (Shutterstock)

* Keep hydrated and drink clean water: Don’t take any chances by drinking unfiltered water from roadside dhabas or shops. Make sure your water purifier is in perfect working condition and is serviced routinely.

* Check ventilation: Ensure cross-ventilation as it allows for air changes that flush out infectious agents.

* Keep the hand sanitiser handy:Wash your hands often and keep a hand sanitiser with you when you travel.

Give a skip to tea and coffee and instead have soups for good health. (Shutterstock)

* Have soups: Go easy on coffee or tea and instead have soups and broths. Warm saline gargles are important as it keeps infection at bay.

* Lemon shots: Get a dose of Vitamin C by having lemon shots (juice of 2-3 lemons without diluting in water), and eat other vitamin C enriched foods.

* Use dehumidifiers if you live in a humid zone and essential oil diffusers (but change the water frequently).

Turmeric is considered to be an immunity booster and can prevent monsoon sickness. (Shutterstock)

* Pile on immunity boosters: Turmeric, nutmeg, tulsi, big cardamom and lemongrass can boost your immunity levels and prevent you from getting any monsoon sickness.

* Take influenza and pneumonia shots, especially if you’re asthmatic. Don’t pop antibiotics indiscriminately. Most infections are viral and antibiotics work on bacteria only. Stay at home if you are sick. It gives you the rest you need and doesn’t make others sick too.

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