Many people get sick during the monsoon season. They either capture colds or flu due to the sudden fluctuations in temperature. As a student or a working citizen, you must protect yourself from getting sick.

Once rain starts to pour, your initial reaction is to run to a shaded area and wait until the shower subsides. You may be safe from getting totally drenched but the risk of getting sick is still high. If your immune system is low, you may instantly catch a cold after being exposed to the cool breeze that often accompanies rain showers. You should apply certain countermeasures to keep yourself healthy during the rainy season. Here are some sickness-preventing countermeasures you cant try:

1. Prepare Your Rain Gear – The most effective way not to get sick during the rainy season is to wear rain gear. The primary components of rain gear are the umbrella, rain coat or hooded jacket, and waterproof shoes. If you have a complete set of rain-repulsing items, your chances of getting sick totally decreases. They’re a bit tedious to bring so you can just leave them in your school or office locker, when it is not raining.

2. Load Up on Vitamin C – Vitamin C, as a cure for the common cold, is still being debated upon by medical researchers. What it really does is reduce the severity of the cold’s symptoms, making them tolerable. With a healthy supply of vitamin C in your body, your antibodies will repulse the cold virus faster. Some doctors even say that the vitamin stands as a form of cold prevention. Always remember to take your vitamins.

3. Cut Down on Smoking – Smoking brings temporary relief during cool rainy days since each puff brings a small amount of heat to the body. Unfortunately, cigarette smoke weakens a person’s respiratory system, which is the usual problem area when you’re soaked in rain water. You should stop or at least minimize smoking during rainy days so you can withstand drizzles better.

4. Take a Shower when You Get Soaked by Rain – At first glance, this suggestion seems far-fetched. If you think about it clearly, taking a shower right after getting drenched by rain actually makes sense. Diseases develop when your body experiences a drastic change in temperature. Taking a shower stabilizes the cold temperature brought by rain drops then enforces a gradual shift back to your normal temperature once you dry yourself.

5. The Convenience Store – Rain showers tend to surprise people, especially those who are unprepared. Everyone will run to the nearest covered area to take shelter. In your case, you can be a bit more selective and head straight to the nearest convenience store or mini mart. Those establishments often have rain gear and medicine for colds and flu. Pick up everything you need and walk in the rain with confidence.

6. Sweat Out the Symptoms – Before a flu develops, you will feel your body weaken and your mind clouded. You can stop those symptoms from developing into a full-fledged fever by sweating. Of course, the best from of sweating is through exercise. You can jog around the area of your home when you start to feel cold and do some indoor exercises. By doing so, not only will you sweat out the symptoms, but you will also be healthier in the process.

7. Hot Soup – Consuming a bowl of hot soup is healthy, especially during the monsoon months. Its temperature will give your body some warmth, that will help you withstand rain and the cold monsoon breeze longer. For people soaked in rain water, soup provides instant relief since its warm base clears up phlegm in the nasal cavities and general throat area. It also cleanses your body as it carries away bacteria and waste products to the body’s excretory system.

8. Clean Hands – According to medical researchers, the best way to contract the common cold is by having dirty hands. We use our hands in almost every activity so the cold virus can easily enter our bodies at any time. You probably know how the common cold’s symptoms can escalate during the rainy season. To keep yourself safe, clean your hands regularly and always bring a hand sanitizer.

9. Power of Suggestion – The human mind is more powerful than what some people would expect. Some sicknesses actually develop through sheer belief even if no virus is present in the human body. This occurrence is called the placebo effect. Given the responsiveness of the human body to the mind, you can believe that you will not get sick when you get soaked by rain. Your body will act accordingly if your will is strong enough. Of course, this method’s efficiency is questionable so just use your positive thinking in conjunction with the other countermeasures.

10. Drain your Sickness Away – Drinking water is an indirect form of prevention and sometimes treatment to all sorts of illnesses. Water hydrates the body, helping it deal with cold and flu viruses. Water also cleanses the body as it washes away germs and bacteria through your excretory systems. The “eight glasses a day” rule isn’t really necessary. You should just drink to your heart’s content daily.

11. Limit Your Alcohol – Maintained hydration is an effective way of preventing and dealing with the harsh biological effects of rain. Sometimes drinking water or eating soup is not enough. You should limit your alcohol intake since it is known to dehydrate your body and weaken your immune system. Limiting yourself from drinking will not automatically free you from colds and flu but it will certainly improve your rate of recovery.

12. Don’t Touch Your Face – Aside from getting drenched, a common way to transmit the cold virus is by touching your face or putting your hands close to your face. The usual entry points of the virus is through your facial organs. The rainy season is the breeding ground of cold and flu viruses. Clearly, you must avoid placing your hands anywhere near your face or the faces of other people during the monsoon months.

13. Eat Vegetables – According to some medical researchers, vegetables that contain phytochemicals work better than vitamin C. They are more efficient in pacifying the symptoms of colds and flu. Eating a good dose of vegetables also lessens your recovery time from those illnesses. Vegetables are also rich in vitamin A, that makes your eyes healthier. What more can you ask for from these nutritious plants?

14. Throw Up – Notice how puking makes you feel better whenever you’re tipsy or when you have a hangover. Remarkably, it has the same effect on colds and fever. If you feel heavy after getting drenched by rain, you can force yourself to puke. The act of puking forces phlegm and germs to exit from your body. You will suddenly feel better and lighter right after.

Getting sick during the rainy season is a frequent occurrence. You must always stay protected. Remember, taking a sick leave for a few days may cost you your much awaited promotion or a passing grade at the end of the school term.