DOH warns vs usual holiday-related ailments
The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday again warned the public against eating unhealthy food as well as smoking and drinking alcohol this holiday season, noting that it has already recorded an increase in holiday-related ailments.
“What we commonly see is that, because Christmas happens only once a year, [people] say ‘it’s fine’ even if this is not allowed,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa warned.
“They will eat ‘lechon’ (roasted pig). They will eat sweets even if they are diabetic. Because there are medications available anyway,” Herbosa said.
“Those are their famous last words because they end up in the emergency room,” he added, noting that “delicious” meals should be eaten “in moderation.”
He expressed concern that those suffering from stroke were becoming younger, saying that “as young as 29 years old, we already have cases of stroke.” The DOH has already recorded a combined total of 79 cases of heart attack, stroke and asthma from Dec. 21 to Dec. 24.
Previous season
Herbosa stressed the importance of avoiding meals that are salty, fatty, oily and sweet, after he recalled how the previous holiday season saw 437 combined cases of stroke, heart attack and asthma, resulting in a total of seven deaths.
In a Facebook post, the DOH noted that based on its monitoring across 10 pilot sites as of 5 a.m. on Christmas Eve, there were 25 cases of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), referring to conditions where blood flow to the heart decreases, and 45 cases of acute stroke.
Most of those who suffered from these two conditions were elderly, with the DOH noting that 14 cases of ACS and 15 cases of stroke involved individuals 60 to 69 years old.
The DOH also recorded nine cases of bronchial asthma, four of them children ages 9 years old and below.
In total, there have been two deaths resulting from these three diseases, with one caused by ACS and another due to stroke.
The DOH urged the public to avoid eating too much, smoking, drinking alcohol and getting stressed in order to prevent ACS. It also advised individuals to remain active and monitor their blood pressure to avoid experiencing a stroke.
People with asthma, on the other hand, were asked to stay away from smoke and dust to avoid triggering their condition, and to always bring their medicine and inhalers with them.
In the same briefing, Dr. Philipp Ines from the coronary artery disease section of the Philippine Heart Center also warned against excessive alcohol drinking this Christmas season, as this can cause a condition called “holiday heart syndrome” that is characterized by irregular heart rhythms.
The condition, which is also caused by stress, lack of rest and eating salty or fatty foods, can lead to serious complications such as heart failure or stroke if ignored.
