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***Natural prevention is arguably the best natural medicine, ever.*** Last week in Thailand we had incredible dry heat of 42-42C (think 105-113F) and humidity of less than 10% on some days. We’d had that dry, hot weather for well over a month, together with poor air quality. And then it rained! Every day now for 5 days. Today it’s hot (about 37C), steamy and more rain expected. The monsoonal wet season has begun. And after the rain? Mosquitoes!
But not just in Chiang Mai Thailand. Mosquito infestation and mosquito disease is one of the fastest growing health problems on our world today, as we collectively grapple with (ignore?) climate change. You can read more about the growth of global mosquito borne disease [Here](http://www.eliminatedengue.com/progress/index/view/news/1070). But suffice it to say that several urban myths about mosquito disease are changed and definitely no longer true: *The Aedes mosquitoes which transmit Dengue Fever only bite in the daytime.* I’m here to tell you first hand that they’re happily biting at 2am and 5am – sometimes the worst mosquito issues in our Thai house are very early morning, just after dawn. *I’m safe from Dengue mosquitoes up in the mountains.* The Doi Ankang mosquito research station has tracked mosquitoes carrying the Dengue Fever virus to altitudes of up to 1200 meters above sea level. *I have to be near other people with Dengue Fever to have a risk of catching it* No longer true either. The Doi Ankang research station has actually trapped and recorded mosquitoes BORN with the Dengue Fever virus. It’s fair to say that viruses adapt far more quickly than humanity ever will. Malaria, Dengue Fever and Encephalitis kill people. Lots of people? How many? Almost 1 million deaths REPORTED annually. Let's not even think about the level of unreported deaths in the developing world and refugee communities. You can read more [Here](https://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/Most-Lethal-Animal-Mosquito-Week). Mosquito borne disease remains a global leading cause of death. But you don’t have to die from it - Dengue Fever has no “cure” and is hugely debilitating, with some people hospitalized and debilitated for literally months. (side note: travel insurance is your friend). I’ve had Dengue Fever 3 times and prefer delivering another baby to ever going there again! The nick name Bone Break Fever is apt, to say the least. The really frightening thing I read recently is this: during the DRY season this year, Thailand experienced a 400% increase in cases of Dengue Fever. That’s BEFORE it rained. You can read about that [Here](https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/warning-dengue-cases-four-times-worse-than-last-year). So if Dengue Fever is untreatable, PREVENTION is everything!! Here are **9 strategies** you need to think about – and use – every day! - if you are in a mosquito zone. 1. Mosquitoes HATE moving air. So ask for a fan to be turned on in a restaurant, use a personal fan, sit at the table on the well-ventialted pavement rather than the quiet, dark table at the back of the restaurant. Thai people sleep with the fan blowing on them, in lieu of mosquito nets. 2. Wear light colours. True! Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colours and will bite you THROUGH your black yoga pants. Trust me on that one! 3. Loose clothing. Mosquitoes may land on your baggy pants or long skirt but can’t do much biting damage unless your clothing is tight fitting. There is a reason those hideous baggy elephant pants have become popular in Asia, other than not showing the dirt and making you ‘polite’ for temples. 4. Shower often! Mosquitoes are primarily guided by smell, and they LOVE stale sweat. EEEW! But there it is. Rinse off under a cool shower 3-4 times per day and they simply leave you alone. 5. Eat less sugar. By that we mean eat less fruit, processed carbs and consume less alcohol. ALL sugars change the way you smell and the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from your skin. Choose the green juice instead of the mango shake. Less beer, more soda water with fresh lime juice. 6. Increase your B vitamin rich foods. There’s considerable evidence to suggest that extra B vitamin rich foods improve liver function which, again, changes the way you metabolize sugars and the amount of CO2 exuded by your skin. Easiest option for omnivores is more organic eggs – have the omelette for breakfast. Vegan or vegetarian? Black or red rice are your go-to. 7. If you’re in a hotel or guest house, you can add a small handful of cheap, common kitchen salt to the drains in the washbasin and shower, and then cover with a plug or something solid. Leavve overnight and then flush the drain with clean water in the morning. Salt water will kill any mosquito larvae in standing, still water (like the s bend in the basin’s plumbing). Leave the plugs closed unless using the basin or shower to prevent mosquitoes breeding there. 8. Use an electric mosquito zapper in your living space, or buy a portable zapping-racquet if you’re travelling or on the go. Clear dark corners, inside closets and under the bed every day and be prepared how many of these insidious little critters lurk there! 9. Use a good natural repellent, mostly on your feet and lower legs. Mosquitoes fly low (generally) and the veins on the feet and ankles are the easiest for them to bite with almost no muscle to protect you there and those veins being closest to the surface during hot, steamy weather. DEET is classified as a carcinogen (cancer causing chemical) by the USFDA. Apart from the cancer issue, it has been shown (in animal studies) to genetic mutation which causes birth defects in the 3rd generation. So please especially avoid DEET if you plan to ever have children. DEET also typically gives stomach complaints and flu like symptoms at high doses. Neem oil and extract , clove essential oil and lemongrass oil all outperform DEET in clinical studies. Yes, we use those oils in our popular and highly effective repellent: [Product Link](https://purethainaturals.com/products/insect-repellent-100-natural-100ml). If you manifest fever (even mild fever) together with aching joints, flu like symptoms and/or aching eyes, please get a simple blood test to check. Approximately 5% of Dengue Fever cases become hemorrhagic and can be fatal – literally the capillaries in your organs leak and lead to kidney-lover failure; correct treatment to support blood coagulation is vital. If you contract Dengue Fever or malaria on your travels, please DO NOT rush home to Europe or America for “better treatment” – tropical diseases are best treated where the medical system is geared for it and local octors who treat these conditions every day understand the condition best. Yes, after 16 years in Asia I HAVE had Dengue Fever 3 times. My daughter had it twice – the first so seer that it prompted me to develop out Pure Thai Naturals Insect Repellent. Yes, I personally have known one young girl who died of malaria and one friend-customer who died from Japanese Encephalitis. This stuff is REAL, people, and I am passionate with just cause. ***The BEST DEFENCE is always a healthy, strong immune system. Please take care, enjoy the outdoors wherever you are and PROTECT YOURSELF NATURALLY from mosquito borne disease.*** This post originally published on my own business blog: [My Natural Thai Life](www.mynaturalthailife.net). 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Originally posted here: https://steemit.com/naturalmedicine/@artemislives/after-the-rain-mosquitoes-natural-prevention-strategies-to-avoid-mosquito-borne-disease
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