Ramadan in UAE: How do you react when a fasting colleague’s stomach growls?

Imagine a meeting room full of top executives at a workplace. As you are brainstorming ideas, a fasting colleague tries to stifle a yawn several times. Another colleague’s stomach lets out an audible growl. How would you react?

Doctors in the UAE are calling on non-fasting residents to be mindful of the changes their fasting colleagues’ bodies go through during the holy month of Ramadan.

“The key is to be understanding, respectful, and accommodating of your colleagues who are fasting,” said Raghda Adi, a clinical dietitian at Medcare Hospital Sharjah.

“With a little bit of empathy and consideration, non-Muslims can help make fasting a more manageable experience for their fasting colleagues,” added Adi.

Zobia Amin, a clinical psychologist at RAK Hospital, advised non-fasting colleagues to be understanding and patient and not judge.

Excessive yawning and growling stomachs are among the ways human bodies react to abstaining from food and drink and an upended sleep cycle. Other ways include irritability, drowsiness/dizziness, headaches and fatigue.

For Ruba Elhourani, senior clinical dietician and head of the Nutrition Department at RAK Hospital, constipation and headaches are something she usually experiences at the beginning of Ramadan because of sudden dietary habit changes.

“Increasing activity levels and fluids throughout the night while adding fibre to both Iftar and Suhour has helped resolve the problem very fast,” she said.

“For headaches, I increase my fluids and reduce caffeine while avoiding saturated fats, fried food and sugar.”

Hala Youssef Hamdy, specialist endocrinologist at the hospital, said she mainly experiences headaches. “I try to sleep more hours, increase water intake and [drink] some coffee before sunrise,” she said.

Yawns and stomach growls explained

Raghda Adi explained that a fasting person’s body goes into a state of energy conservation.

“Yawning is a reflexive action that is often associated with tiredness or boredom. However, it can also be a sign of a lack of oxygen in the body. During fasting, the body may experience a drop in blood sugar levels, which can cause the brain to receive less glucose, the primary source of energy. This can lead to feelings of tiredness, and the body may compensate for the lack of oxygen by triggering a yawn,” she explained.

Stomach growling, on the other hand, is caused by the movement of gas and fluids through the digestive system. “While fasting, the stomach may continue to produce digestive juices, but since there is no food to digest, the stomach may empty itself of these fluids. This can cause the walls of the stomach and intestines to contract and produce noise, which can be audible to others.”

For some, fasting can be a stressful experience. “Stress can cause the body to produce cortisol, a hormone that can increase the frequency of stomach growling,” said Adi.

Elhourani said headaches happen due to less fluids consumption during the day, caffeine intake during the night and changes in sleeping patterns.

“When a person is irregular in the hours of sleeping and eating, he eventually will experience tiredness and fatigue throughout the day,” she explained.

7 changes a fasting person’s body goes through

Raghda Adi highlighted how fasting can trigger a range of physiological changes in the body as it adjusts to the absence of food and drink, and how some of these are actually good for health.

How to manage the changes

According to Adi, to manage feelings of fatigue, weakness, and dizziness that may occur during fasting, it's important to stay well-hydrated and consume nutrient-dense foods during non-fasting hours. “This can help keep blood sugar levels stable and prevent fluctuations that may cause discomfort.”

To prevent dehydration, it's important to drink plenty of fluids, especially water, during and after a fast. “Avoid consuming sugary drinks, which can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes,” she added.

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• Ramadan 2023
• UAE