Inflammation of the lungs is an insidious ailment that can cause death. This disease is most often transmitted by airborne droplets. Pathogenesis begins immediately after the penetration of pathogens into the respiratory tract. The risk of contracting pneumonia increases when exposed to negative factors. Among them, weakened immunity, addictions, chronic pathologies, mechanical trauma to the chest.
Nutrition for pneumonia is of particular importance.
Lung inflammation is classified according to the following:
- Etiology – bacterial, viral, fungal.
- Form – primary, secondary, acute, chronic.
- The place where the infection occurred is hospital, out-of-hospital.
- The affected area is total, segmental, focal, lobar, one-sided, two-sided.
Common signs of pneumonia include chest pain, dyspnea, severe cough, moderate hyperthermia.
Allowed Products
Through a gentle diet, you can:
- strengthen the immune system;
- reduce the load on the gastrointestinal tract;
- make up for the lack of vitamins, micro- and macroelements, minerals.
Dishes for a patient with a history of pneumonia are prepared at home from the following foods:
- fresh vegetables, berries and fruits;
- cereals (semolina, buckwheat, oatmeal);
- lean meat and fish;
- dairy products (cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, unsweetened yogurt);
- crackers, rye bread;
- chicken eggs;
- dried fruits;
- nuts;
- greens;
- pasta;
- vegetable and butter.
The amount of sugar in pneumonia is limited. Allowed foods include marshmallows, preserves, jam and honey. Correction of the drinking regime becomes an obligatory step. Instead of soda, coffee, strong tea and alcoholic drinks, they use freshly squeezed juices, jelly, fruit drinks, compotes. The amount of fluid must be increased to avoid dehydration. To enhance the effect of the prescribed treatment, they take decoctions and infusions prepared on the basis of medicinal herbs.
Prohibited foods
The general condition of a patient suffering from pneumonia may worsen due to smoked meats, canned food, sausages, marinades. The same goes for fatty and spicy foods. Food must not be cooked by frying. When exposed to high temperatures on food, harmful substances are produced that increase the load on the body, slow down the digestion process.
The list of prohibited ones also includes:
- fat sour cream, cream;
- pearl barley, barley and corn grits;
- hard cheese;
- muffins (cakes, pastries, chocolate).
When using these products, conditions are formed that contribute to a more active vital activity of pathogens. The patient needs to forget about vegetables, the use of which leads to irritation of the mucous membranes lining the intestines. Among them are radishes, onions, cabbage, garlic.
Contrary to popular belief, a lot depends on the diet for pneumonia. The patient suffers from severe malaise for a long time, one of the symptoms of which is lack of appetite. After improving the general condition, the patient returns to the previous diet, forgetting that the functionality of the stomach and other organs of the gastrointestinal tract with pneumonia is noticeably reduced. A person who is undergoing therapy for pneumonia in a hospital is prescribed a special diet.
General rules for drawing up a diet
When adjusting the diet, the diet includes foods that:
- contain enough calories;
- well absorbed in the process of metabolic metabolism;
- rich in protein and vitamins, they are necessary for the restoration of damaged functional tissues.
Patients with a history of pneumonia are prescribed treatment table No. 13. With its help, the risk of intoxication of the body is reduced, and the work of the protective mechanism is activated.
In children
The diet of a child with pneumonia is similar to the dietary regimen prescribed for adults after surgery. For normal development, proteins, simple carbohydrates and vitamins must enter the child’s body.
They are present in:
- oatmeal and buckwheat porridge;
- dried fruit compote;
- chicken and eggs;
- fruit juice made from fresh berries;
- low-fat cottage cheese;
- walnuts, prunes and dried apricots;
- steamed veal meatballs;
- citrus, apples;
- fermented milk products;
- seafood.
Inflammation of the lungs in adolescents is quite difficult. Food should be prepared from quality products in full accordance with the recommendations of doctors. Particular care should be taken when introducing new foods into the diet of a patient suffering from pneumonia. Mashed dietary meat is added to liquid cereals, vegetables and fruits. The food is washed down with tea, juices and fruit drinks. To speed up the regeneration after pneumonia, drug therapy is supplemented not only with diet, but also with physiotherapy . The greatest effect can be achieved through regular walks in the fresh air and oxygen therapy. With the help of the last procedure, for pneumonia, oxygen starvation is prevented.
In adults
When adjusting the diet of adults, the doctor must necessarily reduce an indicator such as calorie content. This is due to the fact that patients from this category are often exposed to negative influences from external factors. Meat dishes for pneumonia are replaced with vegetable soups and cereals. Particular attention is paid to foods that are high in vitamins and calcium. Drinks should be at room temperature. Tea with raspberries and lemon is often used as an anti-inflammatory agent for pneumonia.
Food for a patient with pneumonia is prepared from chicken and turkey meat, low-fat dairy products, fresh root vegetables, herbs and fruits. Ready meals should not be heavily salted or spiced. Occasionally, patients are allowed to consume small amounts of red wine and chocolate. Before this, you must consult with your doctor.
Compilation rules depending on the type of disease
The selection of a diet for pneumonia is carried out, focusing on the general condition of the patient, the type of ailment and the intensity of clinical manifestations. You need to eat fractionally: the number of meals is increased up to 5-6 times a day, a single serving is reduced several times. The minimum volume of liquid is 2 liters. The patient should not be forced to eat. This can provoke a deterioration in overall well-being. You should eat dishes prepared by baking and boiling.
With acute pneumonia
During a relapse of pneumonia, products that do not burden the stomach are used. Many of them are sources of vital elements. Carotene (vitamin A) is found in cream, sea buckthorn berries, egg yolks, salads, bell peppers, apricots and parsley. Protein for pneumonia can be obtained by eating lean meat of turkey and chicken, fresh fruits and vegetables are high in carbohydrates.
Honey and other beekeeping products are not used if the patient suffers from hypersensitivity to them. The list of permitted products includes berry jam, juices with a sour taste. The latter are made from pomegranate, apples, citrus fruits and quince. Meat or chicken broths should be weak.
With lobar pneumonia
Croupous pneumonia is an acute ailment that affects both organs of the respiratory system. In the clinical picture of pneumonia, there are signs of an allergic reaction and manifestations of fibrosis. Pneumonia of this type is transmitted by the lymphogenous and hematogenous pathways.
The factors that aggravate the general condition of the patient with pneumonia include alcohol intoxication, physical or emotional stress, stagnation of sputum in the lungs. The diet for croupous inflammation does not differ from the diet prescribed for other types of pneumonia.
Examples of menus for pneumonia
For breakfast with pneumonia, you can serve porridge, cottage cheese casserole, compote. The next meal is in 2-3 hours. The first afternoon snack for pneumonia can be jelly, a fresh apple. Lunch for pneumonia consists of vegetable soup, mashed potatoes, boiled fish, steamed cutlets.
The listed dishes can be supplemented with tea, healing infusions of dried raspberries. For the second afternoon snack, they give fruit, fruit drink, freshly squeezed juices. Dinner: milk, still mineral water, curd mixture or oatmeal cookies. The daily diet for pneumonia is made up, taking into account the patient’s taste preferences.
Diet after pneumonia
The diet selected after pneumonia accelerates the process of functional tissue recovery. An additional bonus is the activation of metabolism. As a result, energy imbalance is eliminated, gas exchange is improved. The list of healthy dishes:
- scrambled eggs;
- warm milk with unsweetened bun;
- vegetable salads and soups;
- fish soufflé;
- casserole;
- stuffed cabbage.
Among the drinks, cranberry juice with sugar, apple compote, and lemon tea are distinguished.
Healthy recipes
For a vegetable soup, you will need a weak meat broth, fresh herbs and root vegetables. Also, the recipe may contain tomatoes, cauliflower, peas and butter. The dish is prepared as follows:
- Prepare vegetables.
- Bring the broth to a boil, add salt.
- Chopped vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions) are poured into a saucepan.
- After a quarter of an hour, lay cauliflower, tomatoes and green peas.
- After 10 minutes, herbs are added to the soup.
You can serve it in 10-15 minutes. Before that, butter and spices are added to each portion. The latter are not recommended for pneumonia.
Semolina is often added to the menu for pneumonia. You can cook the dish both in water and in milk. To make it tasty, you need:
- observe the proportions (for 1 liter of milk, 6 tablespoons of cereals are required);
- semolina is poured into the pan only after the milk boils;
- salt and sugar are added to milk during boiling;
- you need to stir constantly;
- the remaining ingredients (jam, berries, pieces of fruit) are placed immediately before serving.
Porridge is cooked quickly. After boiling the dairy product, no more than 7 minutes should pass.
Pneumonia is one of the most dangerous diseases of the respiratory system. The most severe consequences occur in children, the elderly and debilitated people. Diet for pneumonia should be followed by all patients. Thanks to a balanced diet, you can achieve a quick restoration of the energy balance, accelerate the regeneration of tissues damaged by pneumonia.