Beware of summer ‘6S’ – DOH

With summer officially here, the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday advised the public to be vigilant and avoid developing six common diseases of the hot season, also known as the “6S.”

In a press briefing, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said the

public should take precautionary measures against sore eyes, sipon at ubo (cough and colds), sakit sa balat (skin disease), sunburn, suka at tae (vomiting and diarrhea) and sakmal ng aso (dog bite).

According to Ubial, sore eyes or conjunctivitis often leads to blindness if not given proper treatment. It can also spread from one person to another, so she underscored the need to observe “frequent and correct hand washing.”

She said cough and colds easily spread during summer because of the erratic weather, with sudden, intermittent downpours.

She advised senior citizens to get their vaccine shots against influenza before the onset of the flu season, usually in June.

Skin disease, on the other hand, typically occurs in areas where water supply is scarce and people cannot bathe daily.

“Prison inmates usually suffer from boils due to heat and overcrowding. Swimming in dirty water or unmaintained public swimming pools can also cause skin diseases. Do not forget to take a bath before plunging into the pool and avoid urinating in it,” she added.

The health chief said rabies can be transmitted through bites by infected animals. Pet dogs should be vaccinated against rabies, she said.

“We must remember that Holy Week is a time for solemnity. It can also be fun if it is disease-free and stress-free,” she said.