Doctors say prefer home-made food to avoid stomach-related diseases

LAHORE

Ever-changing lifestyle and inclination towards spicy food and self medication cause acidity in the stomach of the people in Pakistan. It can be controlled if diagnosed in its initial stage, otherwise, it creates complications.

Acidity in stomach is a common disease and with the passage of time more and more people are becoming stomach patients.

These views were expressed by the speakers at a seminar on “Effects of Stomach Acidity on Everyday Life” jointly organised by Shaigan Pharmaceuticals and Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society (Jang Group of Newspapers).

Post Graduate Medical Institute/Lahore General Hopsital Principal Professor Ghayas un Nabi, former head of Services Hospitals, specialist of stomach and liver Dr Saeed Khokhar, Services Hospitals, Professor of medicine Muhammad Arif Nadeem, Sheikh Zayed Hospital, liver transplant surgeon Dr Tariq Bangash, PML-N MPA Dr Najma, Faisalabad DHQ Hospital professor of medicine Dr Akmal Sharif, King Edward Medical University professor and head of KEMU South Department Dr Khalid Mahmood Warun, Services Institute of Medical Sciences professor of medicine Dr Shahid Sarwar and Lahore General Hospital Dr Israr ul Haq participated in the event. 

Syed Israr Shah, marketing manager of Shaigan Pharmaceuticals, presented welcome note on the occasion.

Zar Sharf of Shaigan Pharmaceuticals said in his welcome address that Shaigan stepped into pharmaceutical business in 1993 and stood as the fifth largest pharmaceutical company in the world, and largest company of Pakistan. According to him, the medicines of Shaigan companies can be found in famous hospitals of the country. 

Professor Dr Ghayas un Nabi said acidity led to burn in stomach.

In this situation, the patient should consult doctor and get the problem addressed in the beginning instead of self-medication, he said. The ratio of chest burning problem among the people having obesity is more than 60 percent. Moreover, self medication causes problems, he added. 

Dr Saeed Khokhar, said that no doubt, people suffered because of acidity in their stomach, unfortunately, Pakistan was the only country where people did self-medication.

People just purchase medicines from medical stores and use them without consulting any doctor.

He said home-made diet should be preferred to avoid stomach diseases. According to him, diseases of stomach can be prevented if people avoid having spicy food.

Dr Muhammad Arif Nadeem said the ratio of diseases had increased due to acidity in stomach. Actually, people have changed their times of eating food that’s why they are suffering from stomach diseases.

He said people knew about the disease even they they did not care. It is habit of patients to contact with the doctors when disease becomes uncontrollable. Tea and soft drinks create many problems in stomach. People should use fruits, he added.

Dr Tariq Bangash said, such kind of seminar was dire need of the hour. Beside this, support from community plays vital role, he added. According to him, there are many complexities regarding liver transplants despite that they inaugurated that in 2011.

Dr Akmal Sharif said people should change their lifestyle. Only physical exercise can save them from deteriorating health. Dr Akmal Sharif said people should avoid self-medication. Continuous use of pain killers worsens the problem, he added.

Dr Khalid Mahmood Warun said secret of health lay in simple food. People do self-medicine which is harmful for their health, he said.

Dr Shahid Sarwar said food should be digested before going to sleep.

Health, Education and Current Affairs Senior Editor Wasif Nagi elaborated that tens of thousands of people had been suffering from stomach disease.

"Our lifestyle is a major reason for acidity in stomach." According to him, stomach cancer is the fourth largest disease around the globe.

Dr Israr Ul Haq said the people suffering from stomach disease could not pay heed to work properly.