Extreme heat can aggravate gastrointestinal problems and so, Dr Rakesh Tandon, Head of Gastroenterology and Medical Director, PSRI Hospital, New Delhi, has shared some remedies that can provide quick and easy relief.
He told ANI, “If you do not take enough water and get exposed to hot sun, you may suffer heat exhaustion or heat stroke and faint. So, keep yourself well hydrated with drinking water, lime water, cold beverages and fresh fruits.”
Dr Tandon suggested taking cool drinks and food items that are known to beat the heat, like dahi, raita and other milk preparations like butter milk and ‘Chhach,’ coconut water, mango, ‘pana,’ ‘Sattu’ made of barley, wheat and gram, watermelons, cherries, corns, tomatoes, cold coffee and fresh fruits and greens.
Taking too much of non-vegetarian preparations and excessive amounts of coffee and not balancing that with adequate amounts of salad, green vegetables and fruits and drinking water and clear liquids can give you a hard time during summer, noted Dr Tandon.
He added, “Heat does lead to early putrification of cooked or uncooked food. It is therefore essential to check before eating if the eatables have not become stale. Consuming stale food may result in acute gastroenteritis i.e. diarrhea and vomiting or infective diarrhea.”
Dr Tandon said, “Scarcity of water in summers may compromise cleanliness, resulting into increased occurrence of enteric and other infections. It is therefore very important that you go an extra mile in maintaining personal hygiene albeit using water judiciously. Extra care is needed to ensure proper washing and cleaning of vegetables and fruits.”
