Rainy season increases skin ailments: AIIMS

By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Rishikesh, 28 Jul: AIIMS Rishikesh has advised special precautions regarding skin diseases during the monsoon season. With high humidity, increased sweating opens the way for many types of skin diseases.
According to Prof Ravikant, Director, AIIMS Rishikesh, timely diagnosis of skin diseases is very important. In the rainy season, germs grow very fast and the risk of skin infection increases. These infections gradually spread from person to person. In the absence of timely prevention, it can take a serious form at the community level. He said that all types of tests and treatment facilities related to skin problems are available at AIIMS Rishikesh. A special allergy clinic is also being run for the convenience of the patients.
Dr Riti Bhatia, Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, said that due to lack of hygiene, staying in crowded places for a long time, excessive sweating, wearing wet or damp clothes and humidity in the weather, various types of skin diseases arise. Among these, fungal infections, skin rashes, itching, scabies and hair loss are the primary ones. The problem of scabies is more bothersome at night. In most of the cases it is a fungal infection. If not treated in time, this infection starts spreading. Patients often take topical steroids, she said. These steroids act like poison and cause long lasting fungal infections.
Dr Riti said that there is also the problem of acne. Skin allergies/eczema, in particular, are seen with itchy red rash on the body. Apart from this, there is also the problem of hair fall and dryness. She said that it is very important to maintain cleanliness of the body to avoid skin diseases. These diseases can be avoided by bathing daily with soap, wearing well-dried clothes, immediately changing the wet clothes and keeping the sweating areas of the body dry. She said that many times patients are forbidden to take bath due to skin problems. This myth is wrong. Along with this, one should avoid massaging the head with excessive oil because, by doing this, the hair starts breaking more. However, sometimes there are some underlying causes of hair loss that should be investigated.