Why do people who have TB get to eat a lot?

Medical Video: Diet for TB || What food to eat in TB

Tuberculosis (TB or TB) is one of the top 10 causes of death in the world. WHO reported that in 2016 there were 10.4 million people in the world who were infected with TB and 1.7 million of them died of this disease. Because, just regular treatment without ensuring you get good nutritional intake is still at risk of making tuberculosis difficult to heal. That's why many health experts who emphasize every person with TB must eat so much speed up healing.

People with TB must eat a lot to get well soon

TB sufferers must eat more, but certainly not careless food can be consumed. The diet for people with TB must be designed in such a way as to increase calorie (carbohydrate), protein, and vitamin and mineral intake. A healthy and balanced diet, not only the portion that is double-handed, is proven to accelerate the healing process of tuberculosis.

People who have TB can not experience nutritional deficiencies, especially protein and calories. Malnutrition will make your disease worse. Because, the body does not have enough energy to be able to fight infection completely.

TB infection itself can make you vulnerable to malnutrition. Malnutrition causes a decrease in your immune system, making it harder for your body to defend itself against the tuberculosis virus. Plus, you are more likely to experience loss of appetite, so TB patients generally lose weight.

Malnutrition in TB patients can make the healing process last longer, treatment is not effective, and the mortality rate becomes higher than TB patients with good nutrition. You are also susceptible to recurring TB or repeated infections after treatment if you don't eat enough.

So if you have or have just recovered from tuberculosis, youYou must really pay attention to the body's nutritional needs. People with TB must eat more nutritious food to strengthen the immune system.

Proteins and carbohydrates are nutrients that are needed by many TB patients. In addition, TB patients also need lots of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, E, B6, C, D, folic acid, iron, zinc, and selenium. Good nutritional intake combined with appropriate drug therapy can accelerate the healing of tuberculosis.

How to increase nutritious food in TB patients

It is common for TB sufferers to experience:

Decreased appetite
Feel nausea and vomiting
Abdominal cramps

These three reasons can make TB sufferers have difficulty eating lots of nutritious foods. This can occur because of the side effects of many drugs used by people with TB. However, this is not a barrier for TB patients to continue to eat lots of nutritious food. Because if you let yourself not eat, you will actually experience malnutrition and make your TB disease worse.

The following are tips for still being able to eat lots of nutritious foods:

If you don't feel hungry or feeling tired

Go for a short walk around your house before you start eating. Fresh air can help build your appetite.
Eat when hungry. Eating small portions several times a day may reduce your fatigue.
Eat foods that you like according to your taste. This can make you happy when you eat it.
Avoid fried foods or fatty foods.
Eat slowly, so you enjoy the food you eat. You can eat with other people to increase your appetite or while listening to your favorite music.

If you feel sick

Eat in small portions but more often.
Avoid fried, fatty, or spicy foods.
Add your intake by eating alternated foods, such as biscuits, fruit, or vegetables.
Sit for about half an hour after eating.
Wear clothes that are loose and comfortable for you.
If your stomach hurts, try drinking ginger tea or peppermint tea.
Record the time you eat, what foods you eat, and how you feel when you eat, whether you feel nauseous. You can tell your doctor if you feel nauseous according to your notes, so your doctor can prescribe medications that can reduce your nausea.

During TB treatment, patients are expected to consume more nutritious food, get enough sleep, do regular exercise (enough to walk outside often), and leave unhealthy habits. This can help TB patients recover faster.

Don't forget to always take care of your weight. If you experience too much weight loss, you should increase your intake of foods high in protein and carbohydrates to help maintain your weight.

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