Boil or filter water before consumption, doctors tell people

With the rains battering Hyderabad for the past few days, people in some localities are a worried lot over sewage water entering their drinking water storage tanks leading to water contamination.

Dirty water in sumps

There are instances of overflowing sewage water from roads getting into sumps. This leads to water-borne diseases such as typhoid and dysentery, if the tanks are not cleaned properly. Unhygienic water used in eateries too can lead to diseases including food poisoning.

Consultant physician at Sunshine Hospitals K. Prashanth Kumar said that street food where water is used like ‘paani puri’ should be avoided. He asked people to filter or boil water before consumption. Also, he cautioned people against using over-the-counter medicines if they suffer from diarrhoea.

“Some people take drugs to stop loose motion. If medicines are taken without addressing the infection, it can lead to perforations in intestines,” Dr. Prashanth said, adding that only doctor-prescribed medicines should be taken.Severe diarrhoea or vomiting can lead to dehydration in some patients.

Electrolytes can be taken in case of dehydration. While sugar and salt solution can be opted, flavoured cool drinks can aggravate dehydration, which in severe form leads to renal failure.

Consultant microbiologist at Virinchi Hospitals Abhisek Routray said that they had come across typhoid cases this monsoon. He said that while fever is a common symptom in vector-borne and water-borne diseases, typhoid starts with abdominal pain. He added that diagnostic tests have to be performed for confirmation.