Hosps fill up with ‘Diwali patients’ after season of binge eating
Times of India | 7 November 2024
Kolkata: Binging on food and drinks during the Diwali-Kali Puja festivity led to a steady stream of patients visiting hospitals since the night of Oct 31 with complaints of dehydration, angina pain and stomach-related ailments. Many, especially those suffering from an overdose of alcohol and severe indigestion, were treated at the emergency wards and later admitted, keeping hospitals busy, attending to "Diwali patients".
"While burn injuries are common during Diwali, celebrations with food and drinks also leads to serious ailments every year. We received numerous patients with stomach ailments over the past three to four days. Most had either overeaten or suffered food poisoning after consuming contaminated food at parties. Three were admitted," said Nishant Agarwal, head of emergency at Charnock Hospital, adding they received around 15 cardiac patients over the past three days. "While many of them participated in Diwali celebrations, it's difficult to correlate their ailment to it. But late nights and a change in routine may have caused angina and flare-ups of other cardiac issues in some. The number is higher than usual this year," said Agarwal.
BP Poddar Hospital received seven patients at its emergency with angina "after moderate to high alcohol consumption in 24 hours". "Two dehydration patients were brought in in unconscious state. We received many patients at our gastro clinic with epigastric pain, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting caused by food. Most of them had a history of street food consumption over the past few weeks. Two were admitted with food-poisoning," said Supriyo Chakraborty, group adviser at BP Poddar.
Desun Hospital saw a "significant spike in the number of patients with stomach and pancreas-related ailments due to overindulgence in food and drinks". "We treated over 10 patients in the past 48 hours for acidity, stomach ache, vomiting and diarrhoea, and half of them had to be admitted," said Amitava Dutta, consultant gastroenterologist at Desun. "Rich and spicy food, combined with excessive alcohol consumption, takes a toll on the digestive system. We've seen a sharp increase in stomach, pancreas and liver-related issues, compared to that last year." Advising moderate intake of food and drink and at proper time to avoid the issues, he said, "Stay hydrated, opt for lighter, easy-to-digest meals. Those with a history of stomach, liver or pancreas-related illness need to be careful. If symptoms persist, seek medical attention," he added.
Alcohol caused momentary excitation, which resulted in increased heart rate and palpitations, said Souvik Goswami, assistant medical super at BP Poddar. "For those with underlying cardiac conditions, this can trigger chest discomfort and pain, called angina... In our gastro clinic, most patients presented with GI infection, epigastric pain and vomiting," he added.
Medica Superspecialty Hospital saw three to four such patients this year. "After every festive season, we see a rise in dehydration and stomach ailment cases, caused by overeating and binge drinking," said Tanmay Banerjee, director of Medica Institute of Critical Care.