The blessed month of Ramadan this year coincides with the spread of the “Corona” pandemic in the world, which prompted doctors to give golden advice to those who are fasting, especially those who suffer from chronic diseases that may affect their health. Because of fasting and the epidemic.
Doctor Ammar Ajouz, a specialist in internal diseases (internal medicine), told Anadolu Agency that “high blood pressure patients are among the patients with a high risk of infection with the Corona virus, and a good portion of them have other chronic diseases, on top of which are diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.”
He added, “As we approach the holy month of Ramadan, many concerns and questions circulate in the minds of patients about fasting and spending this month without negative effects on their health.”
He continued: “It may occur to some people that fasting for long hours may weaken the body and weaken its immunity against diseases, but the truth is the opposite, as many studies have proven the positive effect of fasting on the human immune system.”
And he recalled, “The saying of the Prophet of Mercy, Muhammad Al-Mustafa, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him: Fast and you will be healthy.. except in exceptional sick cases in which it is necessary not to fast.. and we offer some advice for a healthy fast.”
These tips are:
First: Diabetics:
1- We advise patients with diabetes (in both the first and the second types) to consult a doctor before Ramadan about the possibility of performing the obligatory fast or not. Each patient has his own condition, and only the doctor is able to assess it.
2- Full adherence to the treatment plan prescribed by the doctor.
3- Avoid eating a large amount of food during Iftar meal, and divide it into three or four small meals between Iftar and Suhoor times, to avoid sudden changes in blood sugar.
4- Avoid eating simple or quickly absorbed sugars (white sugar, sweets, some fruits, starches, etc.)
5- Make sure to eat more vegetables that contain fiber.
6- Drinking a sufficient amount of water (about 2 liters per day), and we must focus on this point on the elderly, as symptoms of dehydration appear on them more quickly than in other age groups.
7- Ensuring continuous physical activity, and walking is one of the most desirable sports.
8- Take care to eat the pre-dawn meal, eat proteins, and avoid sugars in this meal, to avoid a sudden rise in blood sugar, which results in an accompanying rise in the hormone insulin, which could expose the patient to a drop in blood sugar.
9- Daily monitoring of blood sugar, especially patients who use insulin. Daily monitoring of sugar is very important in determining the appropriate dose of insulin for the patient, which avoids low or high sugar.
Second: Heart patients and high blood pressure:
1- Communicate with the attending physician to organize the treatment plan during Ramadan, and fully adhere to it.
2- Reducing as much as possible the amount of salt in food, so that it does not exceed 3 grams per day.
3- Avoid physical exertion during the fasting period, and postpone it until after breakfast.
4- It is also recommended, as in patients with diabetes, to multiply meals and reduce their quantity, to practice walking, and to drink a sufficient amount of water, and for patients with heart failure, this amount must be limited by the follow-up physician to avoid the development of heart failure.
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