First came Christmas with all the goodies that it involves: stuffed roast turkey, chicken, plum cakes, marzipan, date and walnut rolls, cookies, etc. Then followed New Year’s Eve, and more goodies, this time washed down with copious amounts of alcohol. No wonder, then, that Mumbai is suffering from what can only politely be referred to as the ‘jingle bowel’ syndrome.
“Yes, a lot of people have been complaining of gastrointestinal problems,” said Dr SN Acharya, a general practitioner based in Kurla. “It’s probably overindulgence. Add to it the binge drinking that youngsters think is a fashionable thing to do on New Year’s Eve and what follows is a major stomach upset.”
“Several people are complaining of symptoms like diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach cramps,” agreed Dr Aaron D’Mello, a physician in Bandra. “Perhaps, Bandra with its predominantly Catholic population is the worst affected. Eating and drinking is such an important part of Christmas, people tend to be less cautious in the festive season.”
Though it is not serious, the ‘jingle bowel’ syndrome did result in many people taking an additional day or two off at work. In some cases, people who were denied offs had to come to work after popping over-the-counter digestive pills.
“It was holiday season, and several people in my company were already on leave. Naturally, when I called office asking for leave due to my upset stomach, my boss asked me to get a better excuse,” said Alex John, who works in a call centre and partied all night on New Year’s Eve. “Pudin hara and Digene came to my rescue,” said John, who spent quality time on the pot.
Sheetal Maulik was another casualty who partied hard and had to pay for it. “I suffered from severe stomach cramps,” she said. “So severe that I am yet to resume work. My doctor said it’s a gastrointestinal infection.”
“Most people recover within two to five days,” said Dr Alka Rane, physician, “though it can sometimes take up to 10 days to get better. Drink plenty of fluids as diarrhoea or vomiting can lead to dehydration and you can lose important sugars and minerals from your body.”
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