There has been an increase in the number of people admitted to emergency rooms at government hospitals and private clinics here since the start of Ramadan, according to doctors and medical personnel. Most of the emergency cases are related to fasting, according to a doctor at the emergency section of the Dammam Central Hospital (DCH). “There has been an increase in cases of indigestion, high blood pressure, diarrhea, heartburn, and other problems related to the digestive system,” said an attending physician at the emergency section of DCH. “These medical problems are very common during Ramadan, but people do not practice restraint and tend to overeat,” he said. He said a number of those admitted are expatriates who over-indulged in food heavy with fat, like meat and dairy products. “Hospitals and clinics usually face an increase in emergency cases right after Iftar when people who are hungry do not observe restraint,” said Dr. Basem Futa, a specialist in handling patients with diabetes. “Too many carbohydrates and too many drinks with high sugar content will ultimately result in an increase in sugar in the blood and this leads to heart problems,” he said. An attending nurse at the emergency section of King Khaled University Hospital in Riyadh, said the hospital's emergency section has been admitting many cases of people with abdominal pain. “The elderly and children are often admitted complaining of severe stomach pain,” she said. At the DCH, there have been also cases of constipation and severe headaches, according to medical personnel at the emergency ward. They said that constipation often results from overeating on refined foods and too little intake of fluid. “Constipation gives you a bloated feeling and heartburn,” said an attending nurse. Headaches are often the result of the sudden withdrawal from caffeine and tobacco, according to a doctor at the King Fahd University Hospital in Al-Khobar. He said heavy coffee drinkers and smokers usually face severe headaches because of the withdrawal from these (stimulants) during Ramadan. “In order to have a healthy regime during Ramadan and prevent people landing in the emergency wards of hospitals and clinics, it is strongly urged to those fasting to eat moderately, avoid fatty, spicy food, and food that produce gas,” Futa said.
