PAGASA stated that the Philippines has a tropical climate which means the country has only two major seasons compared to other countries which have four. These two seasons are the dry season and the wet season. As the warm weather that the dry season brings is starting to pack its bags and go away, the colder weather of the wet and rainy season is making its grand entrance in the Philippines. This year the wet and rainy season came in early which arrived during the month of May. Usually, the rainy season arrives during the last weeks of June or the early weeks of July to September. Climate change is a huge factor for this unusual shift in the dry and wet season schedule. The arrival of the rainy season in the Philippines is such a frowned upon period of time in the country as it brings a lot of inconvenience and disasters with its entrance. Not only that, the rainy season also has a companion with it, and that is the virus and sickness that are most active during the cold weather that is why we are counting down some basic but important tips and ways to prevent sickness during the rainy season.
The rainy season in the Philippines
The rainy season in the Philippines brings a lot of blessings to the Filipinos as it helps on watering the lands of the country. As an agricultural country, the rainy season is a season for the farmers to watch their crops grow with the wet blessing of Mother Nature herself. Just like with most things, something that is excessive is more harmful than it is helpful, the rainy season and its mostly violent storms is not an exception to this. The rainy season brings the worst of the calamity disasters in the Philippines as the country is situated in the area that is frequented by tropical storms and super typhoons.
The rainy season makes the already stressful Philippine transportation system more unbearable. Homes and properties especially those that were poorly built are in danger of being destroyed by strong winds and heavy rainfall that the rainy season brings. These rainy season calamities aren’t just a series of inconvenience but a serious threat to properties and lives of all the Filipinos. Natural calamities aren’t the only thing that is dangerous with the rainy season, the season also is the perfect time for the viruses to spread as the cold weather amplifies their effectivity and its ability to be transmitted by a person to another person. The overall human health and the immune system of the human body is at its weakest during the cooler weather. The Filipinos are not new to this knowledge whenever the rainy season comes but still, a lot of people are getting sick and getting infected by the sickness that the rainy season brings. Here’s a refresher to some of the most important ways to prevent sickness that you should always remember for the sake of your own health and of the health of the people that surrounds you, especially those with weaker immune systems such as children and the elderly. After all, prevention is better than cure.
Ways to prevent sickness during the rainy season
Prevention is and always will be better than cure. It’s like training hard to prepare for battle instead of arriving at the battleground with no armour. The rainy season is known and proven to amplify the effectivity to a lot of common viruses such as the common cold, rhinovirus, diarrhoea, typhoid fever, cholera, leptospirosis that are commonly transmitted from infected waters during flash floods, and the flu or trangkaso. Here are some ways to prevent sickness and dodge jeopardizing your health and the people around you during the rainy season.
- Avoid getting wet by the rain
Unless you want to let out your inner child and have fun in the rain, then getting wet during downpours isn’t a good idea. Being rained on weakens your immune system and leaves you vulnerable to viral diseases and sickness. The usual pro tip to avoid being wet by the rain is always having an umbrella inside your bag whenever you are going out. Packing a light raincoat wouldn’t hurt too as well as with other protective gear, it might hide your outfit of the day but it does save you from being soaking wet by the rain. Avoid leaving the house during heavy rainfall and only go out when it is necessary. As the cosy and cool weather seems like a good time to go out to coffee shops with your friends, maybe having a day off at home is a much safer alternative.
- Eat healthy food and get vitamins
The rains itself doesn’t really give you the sickness directly but what it does is amplifies the effectiveness of already existing viruses. To prevent getting infected by these sicknesses, you must strengthen your immune system, and to do that, nothing is as effective as taking care of your body. Eating healthy food such as vegetables and fruits regularly gives more power to your immune system to protect your body from unwanted viruses. Vitamins from healthy foods helps on shielding your body and making you less vulnerable to sickness. Green and leafy vegetables are encouraged to boost your cell surface proteins that are essential in a building up a strong immune system.
Read Also: Tips to Keep your Home Clean and Dry During the Rainy Season
- Getting enough sleep
During the rainy season, getting enough sleep isn’t a problem, with the cold weather, you might even oversleep and refuse to leave your bed. Getting enough sleep is another way to prevent sickness and a must in empowering and boosting your immune system. Being well rested keeps your body functioning to its normal level which means your immune system is actively guarding you from diseases in the air. People who are lacking on rest or doesn’t getting enough sleep are more prone to be infected with viruses once exposed as they have weaker immune systems and a less effective resistance to being sick.
- Avoid crowded areas
As stated above, the rainy season makes the already stressful scenarios more intolerable and one of them is the crowded waiting lines at transportation terminals. Being in the middle of crowded spaces is almost inevitable. Crowded spaces make it easier for diseases and virus to be spread from one person to another as direct contact with each other is unavoidable. Try arriving early to terminals or if it’s really going to be crowded at where you are going, wear protective clothing such as disposable masks, longer sleeves, and pants. This way you would avoid having direct contact with strangers on the train or in jeepney terminal lines. Just don’t forget to put your dirty laundry away as soon as you get home and don’t let your worn clothes touch any other fabric or material inside your home to avoid contamination.
- Investing on a safer home
Some ways to prevent sickness require a lot of planning and investments. Investing on a well built and protected home during the rainy season is a great move to protect you and your family from the dangers and diseases that the rainy season might bring. Homes that are built to withstand storms without having leaks and other damages whenever the weather gets rough are a good investment. Being inside a house that you know is a safe place for you and your family makes the rainy season from a total nightmare to a cosy time for rest and family bonding.
Luckily, you don’t have to look any further. Bria Homes offers affordable house and lot properties nationwide that are guaranteed to shield you and your family during the rainy seasons. Investing on your own Bria Home property ensures that you are secured and protected from the diseases of the outside world as these house and lot properties are designed with proper ventilation to let the spaces in your home be provided with cross ventilation. Bria Homes also offers condominiums in rising cities which gives you a lot of options to choose from. The Bria Homes website is a helpful tool in choosing the right property for you as you can browse by the type of property or by location. You never have to worry about protecting your family during the rainy season if you know that you are living in a safe property and community.
These are just some of the common ways to prevent being sick during the rainy season. All of us need to be reminded from time to time that no matter how safe and strong we think we are, precautionary measures should always be observed and done. Have a wonderful and safe cuddle weather and don’t forget to always bring an umbrella and your favourite jacket. Stay safe!
Written by R.M
