Eid-ul-Adha Overeating Leads to Spike in Stomach Diseases in Karachi Hospitals

Hospitals across Karachi have reported a noticeable increase in patients suffering from stomach-related illnesses during the Eid-ul-Adha holidays, with doctors linking the spike to heavy meat consumption and poor dietary habits.

On the second day of Eid, over 100 people were brought to the Civil Hospital Karachi due to stomach ache, abdominal pain and nausea, according to hospital officials. As many as the same number of patients were treated on the third day, and the majority of cases experienced symptoms of acute gastrointestinal discomfort.

The Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (Jinnah Hospital) also registered more than 50 stomach related ailments on Eid-ul-Adha’s first day. The majority of patients complained of abdominal cramps, digestive imbalance and nausea, doctors said.

Doctors say this spike is due to overeating of red meat, inadequate fiber in the diet and insufficient water intake during the Eid season. Many of their patients are also known to eat large portions of fatty and oily meat without any vegetables or drinks that would help in balancing out the food.

The public has been advised by health professionals to have a balanced diet on festive days. They suggest eating more salads, vegetables, yogurt and fruits, and drinking plenty of water to aid digestion and avoid stomach problems.

People with a digestive disease should also not overeat and should eat small, frequent meals rather than large meals in one sitting, doctors said.

The situation is a reoccurring health phenomenon in big cities such as Karachi where the hospitals are inundated with patients because of dietary negligence during Eid.