DISORDERS & DISEASES DUE TO SUMMER
SUNBURNS
They occur easily on the mountains and near the sea as the cliffs and the water reflect sunlight strongly, especially the ultraviolet beam. Dark people are more susceptible to sunburn less frequently than the fairer ones. The signs of sunburn vary from redness to swelling and blistering. The eyelids may swell if the face is affected. There are certain measures that you can take to avoid sunburn and its after effects:
- Sunburn can be minimized with sun tanning. This is body's way of protecting the skin against the burning produced by the sun. The more melanin you produce, the darker you get and the better you are protected; against burning.
- Mild sunburn can be treated with cool, wet compresses for 10-15 minute. Use them three times daily. You might also try soaking in a tub of cool water for the same period of time.
- In order to get effective protection from the strong rays of sun, the best natural herbal sunscreens are sandalwood (chandan, Saussurea lappa) and aloe vera (kumari).
- In more serious form of sunburn, your ayurvedic physician may prescribe you medicaments such as Satadhouta ghritam, Aaranaalaadi tailam, Chandanaadi tailam for external application.

PRICKLY HEAT (PIDAKA)
It is an uncomfortable rash that develops in those areas of the body where sweat glands have been temporarily blocked. The common accompanying complaints are burning, tingling and itching. External creams may precipitate or aggravate the condition and heavy sweating may also cause pidaka. Persons with pitta constitution are more prone to this problem. There are some remedial measures that you can take to counteract prickly heat:
- Make a paste by taking equal parts of the powders of sandalwood (chandan), coriander seeds, the tubercle of nutgrass (tungamusta) and the roots of khus-khus grass. Mix with rose water and apply on the body to get immediate relief from prickly heat.
- A cold-water bath taken after the application of the watery paste of gram flour on the body brigs relief.
- The powder of sandalwood used as dust all over the body is very efficacious in bringing relief in prickly heat.
- Chandanabala taila is very good application for prickly heat. It is very efficacious in removing burnng and itching sensation of the skin. It is very soothing and tonic to the skin and the nerves.
- Intake of Pravaala pishti in a dose of 500 mg twice a day, with honey, helps both in preventing and curing this problem.
- Saaribaadi paanakam, Draakshaadi kashaayam, Shadanga Kashaayam and Jambeeraadi paanakam are famous Ayurvedic medicines used internally to combat excessive heat in the body.

HEAT CRAMPS
If you expose yourself to prolonged period of excessive heat and humidity, then you may develop heat cramps, which are the muscular pains and spasms. Although heat-cramps are the least severe, they are an early signal that your body is having trouble with the heat.

HEAT EXHAUSTION
If you continue to work in humid places where body fluids are lost through heavy sweating, blood flow to the skin increases, causing blood flow to decrease to the vital organs, then this results in heat exhaustion, in which you may feel excessive thirst, profuse sweating, muscle cramps, dizziness, vomiting, fatigue, cold and clammy skin and fainting.

HEAT STROKE
The above condition, if continued will lead to heatstroke, which can be fatal. Heat related deaths are especialy tragic because they can be prevented. However, excessive heat can impair judgement and cause confusion, so take precautions before you get too hot.
During the heatstroke, the body temperature control system, which produces sweating too cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise to high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly. Symptoms of heat stroke include a fever as high as 105 degrees Fahrenheit with too dry skin, mental confusion, and convulsions. Other signs include rapid pulse and heartbeat, dilated pupils, rapid and shallow breathing, either elevated or lowered blood pressure and unconsciousness.

TIPS TO COMBAT SUMMER HEAT
- Drink plenty of liquids like coconut water, sugarcane juice, buttermilk or at least 10 glasses of water a day.
- Eat light food- avoid hot, spicy, oily meals and eat foods having high in water content including frits, salads, soups and buttermilk.
- Lassi made from churned curd, cream and ginger or powder of fried barley dissolved in water acts as a re-hydrating agent in summer.
- A fresh green mango baked in hot ash or raw mango with salt can quench excessive thirst.
- Avoid alcoholic beverages and drinks containing caffeine (tea and coffee), which can make the condition of heat worse.
- Curd rice prepared by adding boiled rice to curdling milk and kept overnight, should be eaten in morning with plenty of raw onions.
- While going out, wear a white handkerchief or use an umbrella to block sunrays.
- Do outdoor work in the early mornings or late evenings.
- Wear light colored, loose fitting cotton clothes, preferably muted colors such as tan.
- Take frequent baths and showers and apply chandan (sandalwood) paste to body for cooling the body.
- Smoking can constrict blood vessels and impair the ability to acclimatize to heat, so quit it.

THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF MONSOON & HOW TO COMBAT THEM
From the health point of view, the beginning and end of the rainy season are very troublesome. The initial days of the monsoon can cause problems for the body because of the sudden transition from bone dry heat to days soaked in a downpour. The pre monsoon gone dry days are packed with clouds causing intense suffocation, resulting in excessive sweating.
The body is weakened during summer, as it the period of dehydration. The digestive power is also weakened. It is further weakened due to vitiation of vaata (one of the triads that govern physico-chemical and physiological activities of the body in a balanced state) and other doshas during the rains. One should abstain from sleeping during the daytime, avoid drinking untreated water, and abstain form exercise and moving about in the sun after a spell of rain. Use honey liberally in your diet. Panchakola choorna (powdered containing dried ginger, long pepper, root of long pepper, piper chava and leadwort), if used with food, is found to aid digestion. If the days are cooler due to heavy rains, one should take diet and drinks that are conspicuously sour, salty and unctuous. These serve as an effective antidote to the vitiation of vaata during the rainy season. Drink maadhvika or arishta types of liquor, pure rainwater or water from the well or pond, boiled and cooled, mixed with a little honey. It is advised to massage the body. Do not allow water to stagnate in your compound. Such pools are a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects. Cholera, malaria, diarrhoea and dysentery also contribute their mite to human suffering during this period.

HOW TO COMBAT THE WINTER COLD
This is the time when a lazy wind starts blowing during the day and the winter responds by showing a relutance to leave while the summer tries desperately to rush in. An ideal time to fly kites, no doubt, but the body too has to weather the changes.

During winter, agni (digestive fire) becomes stronger and it can effectively digest heavy and large quantities of food. If you do not eat the right food, agni may even absorb the dhaatus (tissues). To arrest this, take plenty of food. Consume milk, ghee, fat, oils and new rice as dietary staples. Include sour, sweet and salted soup or meat of aquatic and marshy animals in the diet. Try wine ninegar and honey in the diet . Regularly massage the body with oil. Apply oil on the head. Use room heaters or spend time in heated chambers. Expose the body to the sun's rays. Avoid light and cold foods, bitter, pungent and astringent tastes etc. To prevent drying up of the skin, take 100ml of milk; add 5 drops of olive oil and 8 drops of rose water to it. Massaging of skin with mustard oil is good for the skin during winter. Sunrays will enhance the good effects of this procedure. Eat plenty of greens and seasonal fruits. They contain the micro and macro elements, which are required for the smooth functioning of the body. Soyabeans and other pulses are good for cracked lips. Take two teaspoonfuls of castor oil. Add a pinch of Tankana bhasma (borax) to it. Apply it on the cracked lips. Cream of milk is also good for cracked lips, if used as an application. Honey is a good and valuable natural healer. Apply it over cracked lips after diluting it with double the quantity of water.