During the New Year period, many people tend to eat more than usual, including large meals, sweets, fried foods, fatty foods, or drink alcohol at various parties, which can cause symptoms such as bloating, indigestion, heartburn, or aggravated acid reflux. This article will help you understand why these “sharp” symptoms occur and how to properly care for your esophagus and stomach so that your New Year can be enjoyable without suffering.
Why is it easy to feel bloated and have indigestion during the New Year?
When we eat heavily or consume high-fat foods, the digestive system has to work harder. The stomach secretes more acid to digest the food. Additionally, eating quickly, eating a lot, or lying down immediately after eating can cause excess gas in the digestive tract and food to remain in the stomach for a long time, leading to feelings of fullness, bloating, or heartburn. Especially for those who already have acid reflux or gastritis, the chance of flare-ups increases during this period. Factors that trigger symptoms include:
- Greasy or fried foods These types of foods slow down stomach digestion, stimulate acid secretion, and increase the chance of gas buildup, such as shabu, grilled pork pan, crispy pork, fried chicken, nuggets, grilled pork belly, French fries.
- Spicy foods Spicy flavors stimulate the stomach to secrete more acid and also cause irritation to the stomach lining, making heartburn more likely, such as spicy tteokbokki, papaya salad, tom yum, and very spicy stir-fried holy basil.
- Alcohol causes the esophageal sphincter to relax, stimulating acid reflux and also irritating the stomach lining, such as wine, beer, whiskey, sweet cocktails like margaritas and mojitos.
- Carbonated drinks and fizzy beverages The bubbles and fizziness increase gas in the stomach, causing bloating and fullness easily, such as cola, orange soda, and soda mixes (lemon soda, rambutan soda).
- Eating large meals close together is a behavior that makes the stomach work hard without rest, causing fullness, bloating, and abnormal early satiety.
Warning signs that your stomach is working hard
- Bloating and fullness
- Heartburn (Heartburn)
- Epigastric discomfort after eating
- Nausea and abnormal early satiety
If symptoms are severe, such as severe abdominal pain, vomiting blood, or black stools, you should see a doctor immediately as these may be signs of bleeding in the stomach.
5 simple ways to “rest your stomach” after heavy eating during the New Year
- Divide meals into smaller portions but eat more frequently to reduce the stomach’s burden and avoid digesting a large amount of food at once.
- Avoid acid-stimulating foods such as fried foods, greasy foods, very spicy foods, strong coffee, and carbonated drinks.
- Do not lie down immediately after eating You should wait at least 3-4 hours to reduce the chance of acid reflux.
- Walk slowly for 10–15 minutes after meals Movement helps the stomach and intestines work better and reduces bloating.
- Avoid drinking large amounts of alcohol Generally, the safe amount of alcohol for men is no more than 2 standard drinks per day, and for women, no more than 1 standard drink per day.
Light menus to help restore the stomach
Friendly to the stomach and helps prevent the stomach from working too hard.
- Fish rice porridge
- Brown rice congee
- Boiled or steamed vegetables
- Clear soup
- Steamed chicken breast
When to see a doctor
- Severe abdominal pain or chronic pain lasting several days
- Frequent heartburn that disrupts daily life
- Frequent vomiting or vomiting with blood
- Black stools
- Unexplained weight loss
If you have symptoms of bloating, indigestion, heartburn, or easy fullness after eating, or suspect gastritis or acid reflux, it is recommended to see a gastroenterology specialist for proper diagnosis and appropriate care planning.
You can receive services at Phyathai 2 Hospital, which has a team of gastroenterology specialists providing safe care to help you confidently manage your health and reduce the risk of recurrent symptoms in the future.
Dr. Natthida Sribuathong
Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist
