Advertisement

How can I protect my disabled daughter from various infections?

Dr Sandeep Saluja
Consultant in Medicine,
Saran Ashram, Dayalbagh (Agra)

Q: My daughter is disabled and legally blind. Physically she is 25 years old but mentally she is only 10 years old. She had an accident, which lead to various injuries, but survived. One of her injuries caused the removal of her spleen. What should I do to watch out for her everyday existence, when exposed to other people who may have various viral or bacterial problems such as common cold?

A:From a practical consideration, it may not really be possible to protect her from diseases like common cold. She should be encouraged to follow general principles of hygiene including frequent hand washing. She should receive a vaccine against pneumococcus. Attempts should also be made to protect her from mosquito bites using standard measures like mosquito net.