New Year Revelry A Prelude To Health Problems, Warn Doctors
It’s noon and you’re staring at the ceiling bleary-eyed. Visions of plum cake and galouti kebabs flash before you like scenes from a horror movie and those vodka-filled gol-gappas, which seemed pure genius the night before, make you go green.
With Christmas and New Year around the corner, it’s time to party. The revelry, however, is often prelude to a host of health problems and a severe case of post-party blues.
“Major complaints at this of the year include acute, erosive gastritis and violent vomiting which can lead to bleeding,” says Dr Garish Vaishnav, senior consultant of internal medicine at Fortis” This is because cigarettes, alcohol and the oily food people take around this time are all irritants which damage the stomach lining. Stomach infections are also common.”
Hence, while it is important to watch the amount of alcohol one drinks, how one drinks can also make a difference. “Divide your drinks,” says Vaishnav. “Instead of having one drink with 40 ml of alcohol, for instance, have two 20 ml drinks. Drink lots of water in between and avoid aerated drinks. Also, never drink on an empty stomach. Always eat well before the party and, unless you have diabetes, high cholesterol or cardiac problems, eat heavy food which takes a while to digest.”
The kind of food one eats is also an important factor in fighting acidity and stomach infections. “Try going in for roasted or grilled food which is easier to digest than thick, oily gravies and fried food,” adds Suranjit Chatterjee, senior consultant of internal medicine at Apollo Hospital. ‘Also, try to stay away from sweets as they only increase the high.”
Chatterjee warns that people with diabetes, hypertension and cardiac problems should be especially careful. While open air dances and barbecues around the fire are part and parcel of the festivities, it might be wise to reconsider ones party gear for them. Another common problem is the complete disruption of sleep cycles. “Since one is awake the whole night one’s biological rhythms go awry,” says Dr Samir Malhotra, senior consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist at Fortis.
After all the excitement and the festivities are over, one is left to return to the usual mundane routine of life —a depressing prospect for many “It is thus important to focus on something creative to do and move on with life,” says Malhotra.
