Diet taboos for swollen lymph nodes

When an acute attack is accompanied by redness, swelling and pain, just strictly avoid alcohol, highly irritating foods, and foods to which you are clearly allergic.； Asymptomatic chronic benign lymphadenopathy does not require any special dietary restrictions. Don’t be bound by the statement “all hairy foods should not be touched”.

A while ago, I treated a young man in his 20s. He stayed up late and ate a spicy hot pot. His right face and neck lymph nodes were swollen due to pericoronitis of his wisdom teeth. He was in so much pain that he couldn't open his mouth. After two days of fluid infusion, he was getting better. My friend called him to eat skewers and drink cold beer. After eating, his fever reached 39 degrees that night, so he came back for a follow-up visit. Don’t think this is an exception. There are really too many people who can’t control their mouths during the acute stage.

Having said this, someone must ask, should we avoid the "famous things" uploaded on the Internet? In fact, there has never been a concept of "fading things" in the Western medicine system, but clinically, many patients do report that their symptoms of swelling and pain worsen after eating foods such as beef, mutton, seafood, and mangoes. To put it bluntly, it is not that these foods themselves are "toxic", but that the body's histamine release is higher than usual during the acute inflammation period. These foods that are high in histamine or are easy to induce immune responses will amplify the reactions of congestion, swelling and pain. If you usually eat these foods and have no reaction, but the mandibular lymph nodes caused by long-term pharyngitis are a bit large, soft to the touch, and not painful when pressed, then you should eat whatever you want, and there is no need to specifically avoid foods.

But there is a taboo: no matter what the cause of lymphadenopathy is, as long as you are taking antibiotics such as cephalosporins and metronidazole, you must not touch any food containing alcohol. Don't think that the amount of alcohol in glutinous rice dumplings and liqueur chocolate does not matter. Severe disulfiram reactions can really be fatal, and this is not negotiable.

Moreover, the contraindications for lymphadenopathy caused by different causes are completely different. For example, patients with tuberculous lymphadenopathy originally need to supplement enough protein to enhance their resistance. If you listen to the advice on the Internet and give up all eggs, milk, and beef, it will slow down the recovery. If it is reactive lymph node hyperplasia caused by allergies, then you only need to avoid your own specific allergens. For example, if you are allergic to peanuts, don't touch peanuts. If you are allergic to pollen, it has nothing to do with the half a dime you eat. Don't mess with your mouth.

I met an aunt not long ago. Her submandibular lymph nodes were swollen for less than a week. People in the community told her that she couldn't eat this or that. She drank white porridge with pickles every day. When she came here for a review, her lymph nodes were not gone. She was dizzy and unsteady due to low protein levels, which made people angry and funny. There is really no need to overdo it. Many people always think that taboos are omnipotent. In fact, inflammation will disappear quickly if you eat enough nutrients and keep up with your immunity.

There are also "cannot eat soy products" and "cannot eat sweets" posted on the Internet, but so far there is no evidence-based medicine to support them. Unless you have gout, you should control your intake of high-purine foods during the acute phase. Otherwise, feel free to eat soy products such as soy milk and tofu. ； If you don't have diabetes, it's perfectly fine to have a cake to satisfy your craving once in a while, but don't make it sound like you're practicing spiritual practice.

In fact, 90% of swollen lymph nodes are benign reactive hyperplasia. Diet is only a part of auxiliary conditioning. Don’t focus all your energy on researching taboos. If you find that your lymph nodes have been swollen for more than two weeks and have not gone away. They feel hard to the touch and cannot be pushed, and they are still getting bigger. They are even accompanied by weight loss and long-term low-grade fever. Don't think about what you eat or what you should avoid. Go to the hospital for an examination to find out the cause. This is the most important thing.