Stomach Sickness in Summer Season? Here are the 7 Tips to Deal With it! | Lifestyle | Ask a Doctor 24x7

The arrival of the summer season could be scary for most people, as it fetches a lot of health issues, especially for those living in, or close to tropical regions. Heat stroke, abdominal pain, diarrhea, acidity, and heartburn are a few concerns that are allied with the scorching hot weather, however, one common problem troubling during this season is ‘gastroenteritis’, the term which refers to stomach sickness. Rising mercury slows down digestion and elicits stomach disorders. Moreover, high temperatures and humidity support the growth of microorganisms like viruses, bacteria, and other parasites that may contaminate the food and water we consume. 

Ingestion of contaminated meals further aggravates stomach ailments and one may experience symptoms like indigestion, abdominal cramps, vomiting, nausea, and even appetite loss. After reading through all this, an important question that may knock your head, could be ‘How to avoid stomach sickness during summer?’

Here are 7 tips that may help you to dodge stomach disorders during summer.

Consume plenty of water and fluids

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Our body strives to stay cool during hot weather, it loses water in sweat to sustain the normal body temperature. Replenish your body fluids by sufficient intake of water and other natural fluids like coconut water, lime water, buttermilk, or fresh fruit juices. Also, avoid excessive intake of hot beverages like tea and coffee, or alcohol which brings a dehydrating effect on the body. 

Switch to healthy food habits!


Incorporate healthy food choices into your diet. Emphasize more on taking seasonal fruits and vegetables as they contain an appropriate amount of water, salts, and other nutrients to optimize your body fluid concentration. Don’t miss to include more fiber-rich food like whole grains, green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, and nuts in your diet. 

Manage your cooked food meticulously


Be thoughtful about how and where you are preserving your cooked food. Ensure that you don’t leave the cooked food for more than two hours at room temperature as this will invite infectious pathogens, which reach into your gut via contaminated food. Besides, wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly before using them, and also treat your dairy products cautiously.

Get into the pace of your digestive system

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As the external temperature rises beyond the threshold, our digestive abilities drop considerably. Try to be in sync with your digestive proficiency. Chew the food slowly and completely before you direct it to your stomach. Save the energy spent to digest big chunks of food to compensate for that extra amount of energy consumed in lowering the body temperature during intense hot days.

Avoid packaged and junk food


Packaged foods contain a high amount of salt, sugar, artificial flavors, colors, textures, and of course preservatives. Our digestive system struggles to digest all of this immoderate stuff, especially during the summer season. Also, it is advisable to completely refrain from junk food and street food, as they could be unhygienically cooked, and stored before serving. Don’t miss to wash your hands properly before eating to evade infectious microbes from reaching your stomach. 

Cut down the intake of meat


Non-vegetarian food, especially red meat, and beef generates excessive heat during digestion and thus should be taken in a reduced amount during summer. Moreover, to make it tastier, meat is commonly cooked with a lot of spices, making it even heavier for our digestive system and triggering severe gastric problems.

Reconfigure your exercise schedule

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Regular exercising is recommended to stay fit and healthy, however, you must not overdo it during extremely hot temperatures. Keep it less intense, and restrict it to off-peak sun hours, of the day. Switching your strenuous workouts in the sun with gentle - early morning, and evening walks, or mild yoga will protect you from the impact of blistering sun rays.


The rising mercury level may affect your plans to step outside and apply a brake to your travel plans but don’t let it slow down your digestive capacity, follow these easy tips to stay energetic while confronting the ferocious heat waves in summer. To have answers to your further queries related to stomach sickness or related issues you can Ask a Doctor and get medical advice in minutes.

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About the Author

Dr. Nidhi Hukku

Dr. Nidhi is a doctorate in Biotechnology with more than 7 years of experience in academic, scientific, and healthcare writing. She has been the recipient of CSIR/UGC JRF and has worked in both the academic and health sector to create content for various online platforms. She is an eminent writer with the potential to leave a dynamic impact on readers with her write-ups. Presently, she is working on the post of senior medical editor.


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