Does it hurt so much as soon as you come up? Let’s first understand what herpes zoster is
Many people claim to have heard of "loincloth dragon", but they do not know that it is actually an infection caused by a virus. Its official name is herpes zoster.
I had chickenpox when I was a child. The virus was not completely eliminated, so it secretly "sleeped" in the ganglia.
Once you stay up late, are physically tired, are under great stress, or have a weakened immune system after getting sick, the virus may be activated. It will run out along the nerves and form a blister on the skin. At the same time, it will also cause unbearable nerve pain.
This kind of pain is not an ordinary irritation, nor is it an allergy. If left untreated, it can easily lead to big trouble.
Why is herpes zoster related to diet?
When suffering from shingles, the body is in a state of acute inflammation and immune response. If you choose the right food, it can help control inflammation and promote recovery. However, if you eat the wrong food, it may worsen the pain and slow down the healing process of the blisters.
Nerves are attacked by viruses. Spicy, irritating, high-sugar, and high-fat foods can cause nerve excitement, which in turn makes the burning and tingling sensations more obvious.
If you eat something that can easily cause allergies or increase the burden on your liver and kidneys, your body will have to devote extra energy to processing these foods. As a result, fewer resources will be left to fight viruses and repair nerves.
Therefore, it is not unreasonable for doctors to tell you to "keep your mouth shut" during treatment.
Shingles dietary taboo list: Try not to touch these 5 types of things
The first category is spicy food , such as chili, pepper, ginger, garlic, mustard.
These foods can stimulate blood vessels to dilate and aggravate local redness, swelling and pain on the skin.
The second category is high sugar diet , like candies, cakes, sugary drinks.
Sugar suppresses immune cell activity, making it easier for viruses to replicate.
The third category is greasy fried food , such as fried chicken, fried dough sticks, and fatty meat.
These foods are digested slowly and can easily cause chronic inflammation in the body, which is not conducive to nerve repair.
The fourth category is Seafood and seafood , especially stale sea fish, shrimps and crabs.
When the virus is in the active stage, some people will show higher sensitivity to foreign proteins. Once eaten, it will most likely cause more blisters and become more and more itchy.
The fifth category is Alcohol and alcoholic beverages .
Alcohol will directly interfere with the metabolism of antiviral drugs. At the same time, it will dilate blood vessels and aggravate neuralgia. Do not drink it.
What can I eat? Simple and Practical Diet Advice for Shingles
Eating the right foods will help you recover faster.
Add more High quality protein , such as eggs, lean meat, tofu, and milk.
These are the raw materials needed for immune cells and nerve repair.
Eat more Foods rich in B vitamins , such as whole grains, oats, and green leafy vegetables.
B vitamins are particularly important for nerve repair and can help reduce post-herpetic neuralgia.
Also can be eaten Foods rich in vitamin C , like kiwi, orange, tomato, green pepper.
Vitamin C helps reduce inflammation and enhance immunity.
In terms of staple foods in the diet, it is recommended to match the thickness of the food and drink more water with a suitable temperature to help the body metabolize antiviral drugs and thereby reduce the side effects of the drugs.
Use cooking methods such as steaming, boiling, and stewing, and avoid frying and grilling.
Daily care besides diet cannot be ignored either.
In addition to taboos, there are a few things to pay attention to.
First, Don't bear the pain , tell the doctor if it hurts and take painkillers promptly.
Second, keep the blister area dry and clean, and do not open it yourself to avoid bacterial infection.
Third, wear loose cotton clothes to reduce friction.
Fourth, get more rest and don't stay up late. Exercising at this time will be counterproductive.
First, if the pain affects eating, second, or affects sleeping, third, you must communicate with your doctor, and fourth, do not take painkillers on your own.
Many people have recovered from shingles, but the pain persists for a long time. This is due to the lack of proper care in the early stages.
To sum up: taboos are not a trivial matter, so pay attention and recover early.
The two most feared things about suffering from shingles are that one is missing the 72-hour golden antiviral period after the onset of the disease, and the other is eating indiscriminately during the treatment period.
Stop and throw away the spicy food, put aside the high-sugar food, put aside the greasy food, stop the seafood food, stop the alcoholic food, add more protein, more B vitamins, with standard treatment and adequate sleep, most people will be able to scar the blisters and fall off in about a week or two, and the pain will be significantly reduced.
If there are middle-aged and elderly people in the family, or people with weak immunity, they need to pay more attention to their diet and daily care once they contract herpes zoster.
Collect this list and forward it to those who need it, so you can avoid detours and suffer less.
