Common Diseases In Summer And Prevention Tips: Protect Your Family From Seasonal Illnesses

Priyanka Vohra is a worried mother. Her six-year-old son, Piyush, is down with food poisoning. During the school vacations, Piyush spends most of his time playing outdoors and eating food, especially from street vendors. To prevent her son from falling ill, Priyanka makes sure that Piyush eats home-cooked food as much as possible, not knowing that in summer, food spoils quickly. Even home-cooked food can be dangerous, as was the case with Piyush, who ate potatoes that had spoiled at home because they were not refrigerated.

Food poisoning is not the only summer disease. There are others, such as jaundice, heat stroke, sunburn, viral infections, diarrhea, etc. Let's look at the various diseases to watch out for during the summer season.

Food poisoning 

During summer, food can spoil within a matter of a few minutes. In most cases, raw meat, food sold by street vendors, and contaminated water are the culprits. However, consuming stale and spoiled food can also lead to food poisoning, which results in stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

How to stay safe

• Always put leftover food in the refrigerator.
• Food must be well-cooked so that it does not get spoiled.

Heat stroke 

Heat stroke, if untreated, can prove fatal. It results from prolonged exposure to high temperatures. Signs of a heat stroke include a sudden rise in body temperature, nausea, headache, dizziness, vomiting, difficulty in breathing, and fatigue.

How to stay safe

• Try to avoid the outdoors for prolonged periods.
• If you go out, cover your head and face.
• Hydrate yourself and your child continuously by having water and juice.
• Wear loose-fitting and light-coloured clothes.

Sunburn

Exposure to the sun for long periods is not healthy. Sunburn refers to skin burn caused by overexposure to ultraviolet radiation. The risk of damage depends on several factors, such as time of day, amount of time spent in the sun, and others. Leaving children unattended in the car for long hours is strictly prohibited.

How to stay safe

• Apply a sunscreen lotion before going outdoors.
• Use protective measures like hats, protective clothing, and sunscreen.

Diarrhea

Is another disease to watch out for during the hot, summer months. Often, the root cause of diarrhea is eating contaminated food and unsafe drinking habits. When a person suffers from diarrhea, they pass watery stools several times a day, which can lead to dehydration.

How to stay safe

• Make sure to drink only clean water that has been thoroughly boiled.
  
• Avoid buying food from open stalls, as flies and other insects may have sat on them.
  
• Always wash vegetables before chopping.
  

Chicken pox

Called chicken pox because the condition resembles the peck marks made by a chicken, the disease is seen at the onset of summer. It spreads by air-borne particles when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Some symptoms include fever, headache, and a sore throat, followed by blisters all over the body.

How to stay safe

There is a vaccine for chickenpox. However, one can always follow some simple measures like:

• Washing hands thoroughly after visiting a public place.
• Isolating a person who has chicken pox to prevent it from spreading further.

Measles

Also known as rubeola or morbilli, measles is active during the summer and is extremely contagious. It infects the lining at the back of the throat and is transmitted the same way as chicken pox. The initial symptoms of measles are a runny nose, high fever, cough, sore throat, and red eyes.

How to stay safe

The MMR vaccine (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) is highly effective in preventing this disease.

Mumps 

Known to occur mainly in children during peak summer, it is an extremely contagious viral disease. It is caused by the mumps virus, which is transmitted through an infected person's cough and sneeze. One common symptom is the swelling of the infected person's salivary glands at the base of the neck.

How to stay safe

The MMR vaccine (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) is highly effective in preventing this disease.

Prickly heat

Although not necessarily a disease, prickly heat is very common during summer. It is caused by excess heat and humidity in the body. Prickly heat appears as tiny red rashes and itches a lot, causing a lot of discomfort.

How to stay safe

Applying prickly heat powder on affected areas can help a lot.

Summer is a wonderful time to spend time with the family and have fun. However, care must be taken to follow a proper, nutritious diet, exercise, and avoid certain foods that harm health.

Last updated on: April 2, 2026