Health issues children face in Karkidakam: Easy remedies

The Malayalam month of Karkidakam is when Kerala receives the highest rainfall. The scorching summer suddenly gives way to cool rain showers, providing relief from the heat. However, the sudden change in weather brings many health challenges, such as a common cold, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and body aches. Children are more prone to these seasonal illnesses as their immunity tends to drop in the monsoon.

Health challenges in children
Rain or shine, studies cannot be compromised or interrupted. Therefore, certain precautions must be taken when children attend school during the monsoon. Wearing damp clothes, wet shoes, and wading through muddy puddles can make children susceptible to illness. Cold, cough, fever, sinusitis, tonsillitis, headache, toothache, ear discharge, and pus oozing from the ears are some of the common ailments during this season. Meanwhile, stomachaches are the most common problem seen in children under 10 years old. Drinking cold water is the main reason for this. Eating cold food or leftover food can also cause stomach pain, dysentery, and vomiting.

Parents often reheat the leftover food from the previous day and pack it in their children’s tiffin boxes to take to school. However, the food may not be completely hot, especially when it is reheated quickly. Some food items may be cold inside while the outside is hot and crispy. The temperature difference may ruin gut health. This is also caused when you eat ice cream right after enjoying biryani, as both are considered contradictory food items. According to Ayurveda, consuming both hot and cold foods together isn’t beneficial for one's health.

Children sitting in class wearing clothes soaked after playing in the rain can lead to issues such as stomach pain, shoulder pain, and body aches. Wearing wet undergarments could cause pain and tingling sensations in the lower abdomen and groin. Most people ignore the fact that you could face such problems while wearing clothes that aren’t thoroughly dried during the monsoon. Wet socks and shoes could cause pain in the muscles below the knees. Wearing soaked socks could make the feet itchy and painful. Children playing in the mud and puddles may develop toenail infections or fungal infections between the fingers. During the monsoon, worm infestations are commonly seen among children, which can lead to various stomach illnesses.

Points to note
1) Make sure to serve freshly cooked healthy meals to children to avoid health problems. It is better to wear open footwear at least until the rains subside.
2) Clothes should be changed as soon as the child comes home. If they are healthy, taking a bath in warm water is excellent.
3) Lukewarm milk or coffee could be served along with snacks in the evening. Make sure to avoid cold or leftover food.

4) Do not eat the food taken from the refrigerator directly. The food should be consumed or reheated only after it reaches room temperature.
5) As eating food of different temperatures could ruin gut health, make sure that the food is heated properly.
6) Clothes could be ironed to make them warm and comfortable during the rainy season. You could even wear warm clothes inside the house.

7) Children should wear completely dry clothes at night. A sweater, muffler, monkey cap, and socks can be used if required. Their bedsheets and blankets should also be dry and warm.
8) The windows and doors should be closed at night to keep the cold away
9) Switch on the ceiling fan or AC only if it is necessary
10) Foods like rice gruel that are easy to digest could be served to children to keep them healthy.

Information courtesy: Dr KT Vinod Krishnan, Amiya Ayurveda Nursing Home, Pattambi, Palakkad