Tummy Ache Tamer

There is monsoon magic in the air, a song on our lips and gnawing discomfort in our gut. We may love the rains but just can8217;t seem to s...

There is monsoon magic in the air, a song on our lips and gnawing discomfort in our gut. We may love the rains but just can8217;t seem to stomach them. What is the real problem? How does one steer clear of it? Let8217;s get to the bottom of it.And who better to guide us through this monsoon maze than the head of the only one-of-its-kind dedicated digestive disease centre.

Having studied to be a surgeon, Dr Amit Mayadeo worked for four years in Hamburg, Germany, under Nib Sohendra, the leading international authority on endoscopy. Under his tutelage, Dr Mayadeo who grew to become an interventional endoscopist, set up the SMS Digestive Centre in Mumbai8217;s Bhatia General Hospital and then moved it to an independent location in the city8217;s Kemps Corner earlier this year. In this 4000-sq ft of gleaming space, he treats the poorest of the poor at highly subsidised rates and, of course, has many well-heeled patients too. Having refined and also developed several indigenous techniques and equipment for diagnosis of stomach problems, Dr Mayadeo8217;s dream is to set up a whole institute dedicated to digestive problems. He is also in the process of writing a book on common stomach problems and ways to tackle them.

Here is a quick look at his monsoon survival kit. Since hygiene levels drop in the monsoons and all kinds of bacteria proliferate in the humid climate, it8217;s important to pay heed to this standard checklist:

n Do not eat uncooked food.

n Drink filtered water only after you have boiled it for 10 whole minutes at least.

n Don8217;t eat food from roadside stalls.

n Do not eat stored food as it has greater chances of being contaminated.

n Wash salad ingredients in potassium permanganate solution available at chemists after soaking for a while, and then rinse.

n Avoid buffet lunches as food may not be fresh.

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What I find most interesting about this highly-qualified allopath is that he has an open mind and prescribes a combination of psychological, allopathic, naturopathic and Ayurvedic treatments. Here are useful examples for common problems:

Gas bloat: It might interest you to know that 8216;8216;aerophagia8217;8217; is caused 95 per cent due to swallowed air and 5 per cent due to gas produced in the stomach. The commonest cause of gas bloat is eating too fast. For this, Dr Mayadeo advises eating slowly, in a calm environment. He may also prescribe yeast powder, digestive enzymes, Isabagol and hingastathaka an Ayurvedic carminative.

Constipation: 8216;8216;More than 50 per cent of my patients get cured of constipation with bananas and chaas,8217;8217; points out Dr Mayadeo. 8216;8216;Three bananas a day is what I recommend. It8217;s a magical fruit, it stops diarrhoea and also reduces constipation.8217;8217; Of course, the doctor is also delighted with the nutritional qualities of the banana, but that is another story

altogether.