Overeating during Ramazan causes many to suffer from stomach related diseases

According to details, over 100 people have been taken to hospital for emergency medical care related to stomach problems during the first five days of Ramazan.

Sources quoted Dr. Magdi Mohamed – a specialist in emergency medicine at Burjeel Hospital – as saying that around 40 emergency patients per day had been admitted due to fasting-related ailments in the past week. “Of those, around five or six each day had been admitted to hospital for more intensive treatment”, he said.

Talking to Arabian Business, Dr. Magdi Mohamed said such numbers are normal during the month of fasting adding “This is roughly what we expect, it happens every year.”

“However, the number of cases tends to be higher at the beginning of the holy month, before people’s bodies have grown accustomed to fasting”, he added.

The stats issued by Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi revealed that around 30 percent of the total 150-160 people who pass through its emergency department each day are suffering from ailments including overeating, eating the wrong types of foods and hypersensitivity to any food following a long period of fasting.

Dr. Magdi Mohamed informed that two most common conditions that patients suffer are gastritis – an acute inflammation of the lining of the stomach and gastroenteritis – a bacterial infection of the stomach.

Briefing about Gastritis, he said it can be caused by eating any type of food rapidly and in large portions after fasting all day. This can aggravate the stomach and cause abdominal pain, stomach upsets and in some cases, vomiting.

Gastroenteritis, on the other hand, is an infection caused by bacteria in food. A fasting person could be more sensitive to the bacteria because they have not been regularly digesting meals.

In this case, the patient can suffer from vomiting, diarrhea and severe stomach pain. They are often hospitalized for two to three days.

Patients with either condition are given plenty of fluids, antiemetic drugs to calm vomiting and nausea, and painkillers to ease stomach aches.

Dr Mohamed has recommended people to be patient while consuming food after breaking fast. He said be rational and break the fast gradually, by eating a handful of dates with coffee or water, waiting for one hour before consuming heavier food such as bread, and then waiting another hour before having a proper meal.

He warned for worst consequences if people do not follow the above mentioned routine of food intake.