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It's the 2022 World Cup season, which is not even over yet, but there may already be a clear winner: Doctors, otherwise known as general practitioners, who are likely seeing more patients.

GPs and physicians here, which Shin Min Daily News spoke to, said there has been an increase, by as much as 20 per cent, in the number of patients seeking consultation during these couple of weeks of late night footballing action.

And the problems the patients see the doctors for include acid reflux, which is a common symptom of staying up late and eating too much at night.

To catch the World Cup live matches in Singapore, fans of the sport have to stay up from 3am to 5am to watch the latest matches as they are being played in Qatar.

Feeling sick?

One doctor, operating his clinic in Bukit Batok, said he has personally since a 10 per cent increase in the number of patients coming to him and suffering from symptoms of staying up late at night.

These symptoms include headaches and acid reflux.

He said: "Staying up late and poor sleep can result in headaches and a weaker immune system, making it easier to catch colds and flu."

World Cup adding to stress

The resident physician of the Singapore College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, on the other hand, said many people in Singapore usually face a lot of job-related stress, with many patients already needing to see a doctor due to staying up late for work.

However, there has been a 20 per cent increase in these types of patients during this time of the year when a major football tournament is on.

He said: "Some patients have underlying problems, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia or gout. If they experience a lack of sleep, their symptoms will be aggravated."

Sleep debt

However, all is not lost.

The physician added that when the World Cup comes to an end, people should return to normal sleep schedules as soon as possible to curb any long-term effects.

Sleeping more right after one late night is usually sufficient as payback for sleep debt.

A TCM practitioner's advice?

"Replenishing insufficient sleep should be done as soon as possible, and not delayed too long. But if you really have to work without rest, you might as well consider watching replays instead of live broadcasts," he added.

Eat lighter meals at night

Expert advice extended to sports fans in the Shin Min article include requesting people to maintain control over one's emotional investment in football, as being too excited can trigger heart palpitations in people with existing ailments.

Doctors also said they have noticed that eating unhealthy and greasy foods while watching football late at night will cause acid reflux.

To counter the effects of such ailments, people are urged to eat light and easy to digest foods, such as fruits and oats.

Those who stay up should also do away with drinking coffee or alcohol, as they can lead to dehydration.

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